California bill could make it easier for large developers to ax iconic trees – By Alec Regimbal (SFGate) / May 3, 2024
A bill working its way through the California legislature would make it less burdensome for commercial and industrial developers to cut down Joshua trees, one of the state’s most iconic plants.
Existing law requires developers to pay a fee for each Joshua tree they remove unless they take certain steps to alleviate damage done to the environment. Enacted in 2023, the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act also allows local governments to levy smaller fees for minor development projects.
But an assemblymember representing a broad swath of the Mojave Desert, where the trees grow, wants to make it easier to cut them down. Assembly Bill 2443, if passed, would let cities and counties offer the same benefits to developers looking to build larger “industrial projects and commercial projects.”
The bill’s text doesn’t include details about what those projects would entail. But all fees levied by local governments, regardless of project type, would be added to a cash pool that the state can use to acquire new Joshua trees and conserve existing ones.
CONTINUE > https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/calif-bill-axing-joshua-trees-easier-developers-19438609.php
