The 2024-25 California Spending Plan

Resources and Environmental Protection

---

Overview

The 2024‑25 budget package provides a total of $17.8 billion from various fund sources—the General Fund, a number of special funds, bond funds, and federal funds—for the departments overseen by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA). This amount represents about half of total 2023‑24 estimated expenditure levels. This significant year-to-year decrease is primarily due to a large amount of one-time funding—mostly from the General Fund—available for the departments within both agencies in 2023‑24, including large amounts of funds carried over from prior years. As discussed below, many departments continue to receive some one-time funding augmentations in 2024‑25, but at notably lower aggregate levels. Despite the year-to-year decline in funding, the 2024‑25 totals exceed the historical levels of funding that these agencies received prior to the state experiencing General Fund surpluses in recent years. (For example, expenditures for CNRA and CalEPA programs totaled $13.6 billion in 2019‑20.) Figures 1 and 2 show the funding totals for the major departments within CNRA and CalEPA.

Revisions to Prior Budget Packages and Spending Plans

Makes Some Revisions to Address General Fund Condition, Maintains Majority of Funding From Previous Climate Packages. The 2021‑22 and 2022‑23 budget agreements included a number of multiyear thematic climate and natural resources funding packages totaling about $36.6 billion across the five-year period of 2021‑22 through 2025‑26. Most of this funding was provided from the General Fund on a one-time or temporary basis, though some was from special funds such as the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), as well as a small amount of bond funds and federal funds. To help address the state’s General Fund shortfall, the 2024‑25 spending plan makes a number of changes to these thematic packages, including reductions, fund shifts, and delays. These changes build upon modifications that were made as part of the 2023‑24 budget agreement. The 2024‑25 agreement plans to dedicate $4.4 billion from GGRF across multiple years to backfill some of the cuts in General Fund support for these packages and help offset potential programmatic impacts (in some cases delaying the timing of when this funding is planned to be provided). As shown in Figure 3, after accounting for the use of GGRF, the 2024‑25 spending plan results in net reductions to multiyear funding for these packages totaling $4.8 billion compared to the revised 2023‑24 totals. As such, the budget agreement intends to maintain $29 billion from 2021‑22 through 2028‑29 for these climate-related packages. This represents 79 percent of the cumulative multiyear totals contained in the original 2021‑22 and 2022‑23 budget agreements.

Because of the degree to which the spending plan relies on shifting costs to GGRF to achieve General Fund solutions, this post section begins by discussing the cap-and-trade expenditure plan and specific uses of GGRF. Next, we highlight changes and revised programmatic funding totals for the ten multiyear funding packages that were part of prior-year budget agreements (many of which incorporate some of the shifts to GGRF). We finish this section with a description of budget solutions—reductions, fund shifts, and delays—the spending plan includes for natural resources and environmental protection programs that previous budgets had approved outside of those thematic packages.

Cap-and-Trade Expenditure Plan

Directs Nearly All Cap-and-Trade Discretionary Spending to Offset General Fund Reductions. The budget package assumes a total of $5.8 billion in expenditures from GGRF in 2024‑25. This includes $3.1 billion in statutorily required appropriations (including continuous appropriations) and $2.7 billion in discretionary spending. As displayed in Figure 4, the bulk of the 2024‑25 discretionary spending ($2.4 billion) is focused on minimizing the programmatic impacts of addressing the budget shortfall by reducing General Fund spending commitments made in previous budget agreements and backfilling them with GGRF. As highlighted in the figure, these fund shifts span a large variety of activities and departments within multiple climate-related funding packages, as well as transportation and environmental activities that had been funded outside those packages. The figure also shows how the budget agreement includes intent for additional discretionary GGRF funding to be used to backfill reductions to planned General Fund expenditures in several future years, including $1.5 billion in 2025‑26 and $1.3 billion in 2026‑27.

Some Limited Discretionary GGRF Spending for Activities Other Than Fund Shifts. The few discretionary expenditures planned for GGRF in 2024‑25 and future years that do not represent programmatic fund shifts from the General Fund primarily are for the AB 617 community air protection program ($250 million annually through 2028‑29) and the Zero-Emission Transit Capital Program that was established as part of the 2023‑24 budget agreement. (As discussed in our companion publication, The 2024‑25 California Spending Plan: Transportation, the budget agreement modifies the initial multiyear expenditure plan by delaying some of the funding for this new transit program.) The spending plan also includes $65 million in discretionary GGRF in 2024‑25 and an additional $3 million in 2025‑26 to conduct projects at the Salton Sea, which we discuss in more detail later in this post (the Governor had initially proposed this spending from the General Fund), as well as plans for two out-year installments of $25 million for community-based renewable energy projects.

Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs)

Figure 5 highlights changes to planned spending for the ZEV funding package. As shown, the 2024‑25 budget reduces total multiyear spending by $921 million, retaining $9.2 billion or 91 percent of the original planned amount. Expanding the use of a strategy relied upon in the 2023‑24 budget agreement, this year’s spending plan shifts nearly all remaining planned General Fund-supported activities to instead be funded using GGRF ($528 million), thereby achieving more budget solutions without additional programmatic impacts. The figure highlights the notable degree to which recent budgets have increasingly used this approach. Specifically, General Fund was planned for 64 percent of overall ZEV package support in the original agreement compared to 26 percent in the 2024‑25 spending plan, whereas GGRF support has increased from 14 percent to 56 percent of total planned funding. For several programs, the plan also shifts the timing of when funding will be provided to future years.

Notable ZEV program reductions contained within the 2024‑25 budget package include: (1) a total of $500 million for ZEV school buses and related infrastructure, retaining $1.3 billion across the multiyear period (this program is primarily funded with Proposition 98 General Fund); (2) $144 million from ZEV fueling infrastructure grants, leaving $726 million (the administration notes that significant federal funds are available for similar activities); and (3) $138 million from the California Energy Commission’s (CEC’s) clean trucks, buses, and off-road equipment program.

Water and Drought Resilience

Recent budgets included significant funding—$8.8 billion, mostly from the General Fund—for drought and water resilience-related activities over a five-year period (2021‑22 through 2025‑26). As shown in Figure 6, the 2024‑25 spending plan makes a number of changes to these prior and planned appropriations to help solve the state’s budget problem, including $1.4 billion in new reductions. After incorporating these modifications along with changes made in 2023‑24, the spending plan retains $6.7 billion, or 76 percent, of the original planned amount for water- and drought-related activities. The largest new reduction—$500 million—is to funds that were planned for water storage projects in 2025‑26. The spending plan also reduces $386 million for watershed climate resilience ($260 million through the Wildlife Conservation Board and $126 million through the Department of Water Resources [DWR]), retaining $108 million of the original amount. Other notable reductions include: $186 million for water recycling and groundwater cleanup, $131 million to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), $98 million for drinking water and wastewater projects, and $50 million for dam safety. The budget also shifts the fund source from the General Fund to GGRF for seven activities totaling $539 million, and also delays some of that funding to a later year.

Energy

As shown in Figure 7, the spending plan makes notable reductions—totaling $1.5 billion—to the multiyear amounts originally planned for the energy funding package. However, the budget agreement also shifts a significant amount of planned spending from the General Fund to GGRF ($986 million), helping to mitigate the programmatic impacts. The net result of these changes is a multiyear total of $5.5 billion, which represents 69 percent of the original intended multiyear amount. The programs receiving the most significant reductions include equitable building decarbonization ($396 million, leaving $526 million), residential solar and storage ($350 million, leaving $280 million), and transmission financing ($225 million, which when combined with the $25 million reduction made in the prior year, eliminates all of the planned funding). As noted in the figure and discussed in greater detail below, the spending plan does include one augmentation to the energy package in 2024‑25—$16 million for offshore wind activities.

Wildfire and Forest Resilience

Figure 8 details several changes the 2024‑25 spending plan makes to the wildfire and forest resilience funding included in recent budget packages. After accounting for these modifications—along with those made in 2023‑24—the budget retains $2.6 billion for these activities across an eight-year period (from 2020‑21 through 2027‑28), which is 93 percent of the multiyear amount originally planned. Of the $144 million in reductions, the largest—$46 million—is to funds slated for a pilot focused on creating hydrogen from biomass. Some other notable changes include reducing $35 million for wildfire resilience projects on state-owned land and reducing $28 million for projects undertaken by various state conservancies. The budget also shifts $164 million for various programs from the General Fund to GGRF and delays the timing of providing that funding.

Shifts Planned Forest Health Funding From GGRF to Timber Regulation and Forest Restoration Fund. The budget package also makes a one-time modification to the continuous appropriation of GGRF for forest health and wildfire prevention activities that was authorized pursuant to Chapter 258 of 2021 (SB 155, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review). Specifically, the budget reduces $120 million from the $200 million of GGRF that was planned to be continuously appropriated in 2024‑25. It replaces this funding with a like amount from the Timber Regulation and Forest Restoration Fund. While neither the 2024‑25 nor out-year amounts are shown in the figure, the budget agreement does not modify SB 155’s existing requirement to provide $200 million annually from GGRF for forest health-related activities in future years through 2028‑29.

Community Resilience

Recent budgets planned for over $1.8 billion across multiple years for activities related to community resilience. As displayed in Figure 9, the 2024‑25 budget includes a number of budget solutions within this package. These include $106 million in reductions and $5 million in fund shifts from the General Fund to GGRF. The largest reductions consist of $75 million to the Regional Climate Resilience Grant Program, $15 million to Climate Adaptation and Resilience Planning Grants, and $10 million to the Regional Climate Collaboratives program. When combined with solutions included in the 2023‑24 budget, the 2024‑25 budget retains a little over $1.2 billion (66 percent) of the original funding planned for these activities.

The figure does not display a 2023‑24 budget action to double annual funding for the California Climate Action Corps from $4.7 million to $9.4 million General Fund annually and covert it to ongoing because these actions were undertaken subsequent to and separate from the adoption of the community resilience budget package. The 2024‑25 budget shifts the funding for this program to GGRF beginning in 2024‑25.

Nature-Based Activities

Figure 10 displays several modifications the 2024‑25 budget makes to planned funding for nature-based activities. After accounting for these changes—along with those made in 2023‑24—the budget retains $1.3 billion for these activities, which is 82 percent of the amount originally planned. The spending plan includes reductions totaling $121 million to five nature-based programs. The largest reduction—$49 million—is to funds slated for the State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) to acquire coastal properties. Some other notable reductions include $42 million to various Wildlife Conservation Board programs that mitigate the impacts of climate change on wildlife and $18 million for development of the California Climate Information System, which had been intended to store and manage real-time climate data. The budget also shifts $190 million for various nature-based programs from the General Fund to GGRF.

Coastal Resilience

Recent budgets planned to provide a total of $1.3 billion over four years for coastal resilience. Figure 11 displays several modifications that the 2024‑25 spending plan makes to this package. After accounting for these changes—along with those made in 2023‑24—the budget retains $650 million for coastal resilience, which is 50 percent of the original planned amount. The budget reduces coastal resilience funding by $462 million, including $392 million across three major and overlapping categories for SCC: $171 million for protecting the coast from climate change, $159 million for adapting to sea-level rise, and $62 million for adapting infrastructure to sea-level rise. It also reduces $60 million for the Ocean Protection Council ($35 million for protecting the ocean from climate change and $25 million for implementing Chapter 236 of 2021 [SB 1, Atkins]) and $10 million for adapting state parks to sea-level rise. The budget also shifts a total of $64 million for two of these programs from the General Fund to GGRF.

Sustainable Agriculture

As shown in Figure 12, the 2024‑25 spending plan includes four modifications to sustainable agriculture funding included in recent budget packages. Major changes include reducing General Fund resources for the Pollinator Habitat Program by $8.5 million and shifting $24 million for livestock methane reduction programs from the General Fund to GGRF. After accounting for these modifications—along with those made in 2023‑24—the budget retains $1.1 billion for sustainable agriculture activities across a five-year period (from 2021‑22 through 2025‑26), which is 91 percent of the multiyear amount originally planned.

Extreme Heat

Recent budgets provided and planned for $649 million across multiple years for activities related to extreme heat. As displayed in Figure 13, the spending plan includes a combination of delays, fund shifts, and reductions for these programs. When combined with solutions enacted in 2023‑24, the 2024‑25 budget retains $297 million (46 percent) of the original funding planned for these activities. The largest set of adjustments is for the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program, which includes a reduction of $70 million General Fund and a shift of $25 million from the General Fund to GGRF. Other reductions include $24 million to CNRA’s Urban Greening Program and $14 million for a community awareness campaign. The budget also shifts $16 million for protections for vulnerable populations from the General Fund to the Labor and Workforce Development Fund.

Circular Economy

As shown in Figure 14, the 2024‑25 spending plan includes only one change to circular economy funding included in recent budget packages—a $6.7 million General Fund reduction to the Compost Permitting Pilot Program. (The remaining amount—about $1 million—will support a research contract that will identify statewide best practices for permitting composting facilities.) After accounting for this reduction—along with those made in 2023‑24—the budget retains $437 million for circular economy activities across the two-year period of 2021‑22 and 2022‑23, which is 93 percent of the multiyear amount originally planned.

Other Recent Augmentations

Outside of the ten thematic packages highlighted above, recent budgets also provided or planned to provide one-time funding of close to $3 billion for a variety of other environmental activities. As shown in Figure 15, the 2024‑25 spending plan makes a number of modifications to these allocations, including reducing total funding by $941 million. (The figure does not include a comprehensive list of all funding provided in recent budgets for environmental programs outside of the thematic packages, but rather just those that are modified by the 2024‑25 spending plan. It also excludes non-package funding for several California Department of Food and Agriculture programs which are discussed in our companion publication, The 2024‑25 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions.) The largest reduction ($476 million) is to CEC’s Climate Innovation Program; this effectively eliminates the program. The spending plan also reduces $269 million from the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) for brownfield cleanups, retaining $232 million of the original planned amount. In addition to reductions, the spending plan delays some funding to future years and shifts the funding source for several programs from the General Fund to GGRF, including for the Clean Energy Reliability Investment Plan (CERIP), Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) Land Conservation and Economic Development Plan, and oil and gas well capping.

Crosscutting Issues

Salton Sea

Provides Funding and Positions to Undertake New Projects. The Salton Sea Management Program (SSMP), housed at CNRA, is responsible for completing projects to reduce exposed lakebed, create and enhance habitat and vegetation, and suppress dust at the Salton Sea, a saline and shrinking inland lake located in Riverside and Imperial Counties. Under order from the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), SSMP must complete 29,800 acres of projects by the end of 2028. In addition to funding provided in the recent water and drought resilience package ($101 million), the 2024‑25 spending plan includes $60 million from GGRF for DWR to undertake six capital projects, along with authority for DWR to spend $50 million in federal Bureau of Reclamation funds to support the Species Conservation Habitat Expansion project at the southern end of the Sea. The budget also provides $3.6 million from GGRF on a one-time basis for the state’s share of cost for a long-term feasibility study being conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and for a technical contract. Beyond this funding for capital projects, the budget agreement also provides $1.6 million in 2024‑25, $3.3 million in 2025‑26 and ongoing, and authority for 18 new permanent positions (which will be phased in over two years beginning in 2024‑25) for activities at the Sea. Staffing consists of eight positions to operate and maintain completed projects and ten for other roles, including data collection, project management, administration, and legal and real estate support. These positions will be located at DWR (five positions and $719,000 in 2024‑25, increasing to nine positions and $1.4 million in 2025‑26 and ongoing), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) (three positions and $718,000 in 2024‑25, increasing to eight positions and $1.7 million in 2025‑26 and ongoing), and CNRA (one position and $185,000 in 2024‑25 and ongoing). GGRF will fund these positions for the first two years, after which the budget plans that the Salton Sea Lithium Fund will have sufficient revenues to cover associated costs.

Diablo Canyon: Implementation of SB 846

Provides Last Installment of General Fund Loan for DCPP Operations. Chapter 239 of 2022 (SB 846, Dodd) included legislative intent to provide $1.4 billion from the General Fund to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in a “forgivable loan” to enable the utility to continue operating DCPP beyond its originally scheduled retirement date. Of this total, $1 billion was allocated through prior budget actions; the 2024‑25 spending plan includes the final $400 million installment of the amount authorized by SB 846. PG&E is expected to use a federal award it received from the Department of Energy to pay back some of this loan in a future year. Budget trailer legislation includes new reporting language requiring the administration to provide biannual updates on the status and uses of the loan.

Delays CERIP Funding, Shifts to GGRF. Senate Bill 846 also included an intention to fund future clean energy reliability activities. Specifically, the legislation directed CEC to develop the CERIP and expressed intent to provide $1 billion from the General Fund to support its implementation, with the first $100 million installment provided in 2023‑24. The 2024‑25 budget package makes some changes to the planned timing of when the remaining funds will be provided, as well as shifts the planned funding source from General Fund to GGRF. The revised CERIP implementation funding time line is displayed earlier in Figure 4.

Begins Implementing DCPP Land Conservation and Economic Development Plan, Delays Portion of Intended Funding. Senate Bill 846 also included intent language to provide $150 million in 2024‑25 from the General Fund to support implementation of a DCPP Land Conservation and Economic Development Plan. (The 2023‑24 budget provided an additional $10 million.) In accordance with the legislation, this plan—which CNRA completed in May 2023—must support environmental enhancements and access to DCPP lands as well as local economic development in a manner that is consistent with existing decommissioning efforts. The 2024‑25 budget package includes three actions related to implementing this plan. Specifically, it: (1) shifts the fund source for the $150 million from General Fund to GGRF; (2) delays $110 million of that intended funding to instead plan to provide $10 million in 2025‑26 and $50 million in both 2026‑27 and 2027‑28; and (3) allocates $40 million in 2024‑25 to SCC to support acquisition of Wild Cherry Canyon, a 2,400 acre property near DCPP owned by Eureka Energy. The CNRA plan discusses exploring transferring ownership of the Wild Cherry Canyon parcels to State Parks to be managed as an extension of Montaña de Oro State Parks.

Implementation of SB 1137

An adjustment to the budget package adopted in August 2024 provides $14.9 million from the Oil, Gas and Geothermal Administrative Fund in 2024‑25—increasing to $20.6 million in 2025‑26 and $20.2 million on an ongoing basis beginning in 2026‑27—to implement the provisions of Chapter 365 of 2022 (SB 1137, Gonzalez), which restricts certain oil and gas well activities. Implementation of SB 1137 was put on hold due to a ballot referendum that qualified for the November 2024 election. The referendum was withdrawn in June 2024, resulting in the provisions of SB 1137 taking effect. Budget trailer legislation (AB 218, Committee on Budget) also adjusts some of the deadlines for implementing certain components of the law. The funds will support 93 new ongoing positions and activities at three departments as follows:

• Department of Conservation: The budget authorizes $9.9 million and 37 positions in 2024‑25 (growing to 71 positions and $15.3 million on an ongoing basis beginning in 2025‑26, plus $404,000 on a one-time basis in 2025‑26) for various activities including emergency and permanent rulemaking, conducting reviews and inspections, and overseeing and enforcing compliance with the law.

• SWRCB: Assembly Bill 218 includes $2.6 million and 13 new positions on an ongoing basis to conduct groundwater monitoring and leak detection in oil and gas health protection zones.

• California Air Resources Board (CARB): The budget provides $2.3 million and nine new positions on an ongoing basis to monitor air quality and well emissions in compliance with the law.

Special Fund Loans to the General Fund

The budget includes a total of $450 million in one-time loans to the General Fund in 2024‑25 from special funds administered by SWRCB ($150 million from the Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund) and CARB ($300 million from the Air Pollution Control Fund). Each of these funds is expected to have sufficient reserves to support these loans without affecting departmental programs during 2024‑25. Budget language requires that these loans be repaid with interest, as well as that each loan be repaid early if the originating fund needs the money to support existing activities. In addition, the budget delays the final payment on loan that was made in 2020‑21 from the Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund to the General Fund. The final $51 million was supposed to be repaid from the General Fund to the special fund in 2024‑25 and is now scheduled for 2025‑26.

Extension of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Statutory Exemption

The budget package includes budget trailer legislation that extends—through January 1, 2030—the existing sunset on a CEQA exemption for fish and wildlife restoration projects that meet certain requirements, such as providing long-term net benefits to climate resiliency, biodiversity, and sensitive species recovery. The original exemption was created by Chapter 258 of 2021 (SB 155, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review) and had been scheduled to sunset on January 1, 2025.

Support for Aliso Canyon Disaster Area

Amendments to the budget act enacted in August 2024 provide additional funding for activities within the Aliso Canyon region. In 2015, this was the site of the largest gas blowout in the history of the United States, an event which led to numerous negative effects on the health and quality of life for nearby residents. The Southern California Gas Company, which owns the gas storage facility that experienced the leak, agreed through a legal settlement to pay $71 million into a fund—the Aliso Canyon Recovery Account—to address some of the resulting impacts. The 2024‑25 budget package appropriates these funds to three state entities to use specifically in the Los Angeles-area communities affected by the gas leak. Statute specifies these “Aliso Canyon Disaster Areas” as the communities of Porter Ranch, Granada Hills, Northridge, Chatsworth, North Hills, Canoga Park, Reseda, Winnetka, West Hills, Van Nuys, and Lake Balboa. The funding consists of:

• $42 million to the California Public Utilities Commission, including $40 million for the Technology and Equipment for Clean Heating program—an existing program to facilitate the adoption of clean space and water heating technology—and $2 million for community outreach.

• $15 million for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) to augment its Green Schoolyards Program, which supports planting trees and other vegetation at schools and child care facilities. (As noted earlier in the “Other Recent Augmentations” section, the budget reduces statewide funding for this program by $2 million.)

• $14 million for the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research—which the budget package renames as the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation—for the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program. This program provides financial and technical assistance to eligible tribal, local, and regional entities to support their efforts to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat and the urban heat island effect. (As noted earlier in the “Extreme Heat” section, the budget reduces statewide funding for this program by $70 million.)

Natural Resources

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

The budget includes a total of $4.2 billion from various funds to support CalFire in 2024‑25, including $2.8 billion from the General Fund. This represents a net decrease of $94 million, or 2 percent, from the estimated 2023‑24 expenditure level. This decrease is primarily due to the expiration of one-time funds that were available to CalFire in 2023‑24—including large carryovers from prior years—which is partially offset by the augmentations discussed below.

Implements Shift to a 66-Hour Workweek. As shown in Figure 16, the budget includes $199 million ($197 million from the General Fund) and 338 positions in fiscal year 2024‑25 to begin implementing a shift to a 66-hour workweek as contemplated in a 2022 memorandum of understanding between the state and the union representing CalFire firefighters. (CalFire’s prior workweek was 72 hours.) The costs of the shift are anticipated to increase in the coming years as CalFire phases in the changes. As of when the budget act was enacted (in June 2024), the administration anticipated that the costs of implementing the shift would rise to $770 million ($756 million General Fund) on an ongoing annual basis and 2,457 permanent positions by 2028‑29. Subsequently (in August 2024), the Legislature ratified a memorandum of understanding between the state and the union representing CalFire firefighters that includes additional provisions to implement the 66-hour duty week. The terms of this agreement will increase these costs by an unknown amount above what was envisioned in the budget act as the department phases in the workweek reduction. The budget package also includes trailer legislation that requires CalFire to report on the wildfire resilience-related co-benefits achieved as a result of the change in the workweek.

Supports Five Additional Hand Crews on a Permanent Basis. The budget includes $47 million ($46 million from the General Fund and $373,000 from other funds) and 226 positions in 2024‑25 to establish five new permanent CalFire hand crews. (These hand crews were funded on a temporary basis in 2023.) These changes and associated costs will be phased in over five years, with ongoing costs of $45 million ($44 million from the General Fund and $731,000 from other funds) and 234 positions as of 2028‑29.

Supports New Training Center and Other Capital Outlay and Facility-Related Proposals. The budget includes $79 million ($49 million from the General Fund and $30 million in lease revenue bonds) in 2024‑25 for various CalFire capital outlay projects, including replacing, relocating, and improving facilities such as fire stations and air attack bases. Notably, this includes $32 million from the General Fund for the acquisition phase of a project to build a new training center for CalFire. (In total, the training center project is anticipated to cost $632 million, with additional funding to be requested in future years.) In addition to these capital outlay projects, the budget includes $12 million from the General Fund in 2024‑25 for improvements to the Ramona Air Attack Base that is included in CalFire’s support budget.

AlertCalifornia Fire Camera Mapping System. The budget includes $10 million on a one-time basis from the General Fund for the AlertCalifornia Fire Camera Mapping System. This system, operated by the University of California, San Diego, includes cameras and sensors designed to identify and monitor wildfire activity.

Increase in Ongoing Reimbursement Authority. The spending plan provides CalFire with an additional $125 million in reimbursement authority on an ongoing basis. This authority is intended to enable CalFire to receive reimbursements from non-state entities—such as the federal government—for work that the department completes on their behalf.

Department of Water Resources

The budget package includes a total of $3.2 billion from various fund sources to support DWR in 2024‑25, including $416 million from the General Fund. (The total includes the roughly $1.5 billion in annual payments from water contractors for DWR’s work on the State Water Project that is continuously appropriated outside of the annual budget act.) The total DWR budget is down a net $4.3 billion (57 percent) from the estimated 2023‑24 expenditure level. The decrease is due primarily to the expiration of one-time funds that were available to DWR in 2023‑24—including large carryovers from prior years—and is partially offset by the augmentations for flood management discussed below.

Includes $94 Million in 2024‑25 for Flood Management. The budget provides DWR with additional General Fund for three flood management programs:

• Urban Flood Risk Reduction—$33 Million. Of the total, $23 million is for the state’s share of cost for flood projects that are managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and are part of the State Plan of Flood Control. The other $10 million will support associated state operations costs.

• Central Valley Systemwide Flood Risk Reduction—$31.3 Million. Funding will support three multibenefit flood management projects that also are part of the State Plan of Flood Control. These projects are primarily state funded.

• Pajaro Flood Management Projects—$30 Million. This appropriation will support the state’s share of cost for federally authorized flood control projects in Pajaro in Monterey County.

DWR also received an augmentation of $16.5 million from the General Fund provided through early budget action in April 2024 (and scored as a revision to the 2023‑24 budget) to support flood recovery and response: $13.5 million for repairs to levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that are on or near state-owned land and $3 million for the state’s share of cost for federally supported Delta levee repairs.

Department of Parks and Recreation

The budget includes roughly $878 million from various funds for the Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks), including $272 million from the General Fund. This represents a net decrease of $1.1 billion, or 56 percent, from the estimated 2023‑24 expenditure level. This decrease primarily is due to the expiration of one-time augmentations that were available to Parks in 2023‑24, including large carryovers from prior years.

Pass Programs. The budget provides funding to extend two pilot programs that provide free passes to state parks including:

• Library Pass Program. The budget provides $7 million on a one-time basis in 2024‑25 from the General Fund to extend the Library Park Pass Program pilot for one year. This program allows library patrons to check out passes that provide free access to certain state parks.

• Adventure Pass Program. The budget provides $2 million ongoing from Proposition 98 General Fund to the California Department of Education to administer the Adventure Pass Program operated by Parks. This program provides 4^th graders and their families free access to certain state parks. The budget package also includes trailer legislation authorizing Parks to operate the program on an ongoing basis.

Repairing Storm Damage at State Parks. The budget includes $5 million in 2024‑25 from the Natural Resources and Parks Preservation Fund and $51 million in reimbursement authority phased in over the next two years ($5 million in 2024‑25 and $46 million in 2025‑26) to repair damage from 2023 and 2024 winter storms. These amounts are in addition to funding and reimbursement authority increases provided as part of the 2023‑24 budget for similar purposes.

Deferred Maintenance. The spending plan provides $15 million from Proposition 40 (2002) for Parks deferred maintenance projects. This augmentation partially offsets a reduction of $30 million from the General Fund for deferred maintenance, resulting in a $15 million net reduction as shown in the “Other Recent Augmentations” section of this post.

Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park. The budget provides $6 million General Fund in 2024‑25 and $2 million General Fund annually in 2025‑26 and 2026‑27 to continue to clean up contamination from historical mining activities at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park.

Next Generation (NextGen) Recreation Sales and Reservation Management System. The budget includes authority for 5 positions in 2024‑25, rising to 17 positions in 2026‑27 and ongoing, to support the implementation of a new reservation system at Parks known as NextGen. These positions are anticipated to be funded for the first three years (2024‑25 through 2026‑27) by redirecting $9 million of General Fund monies that were originally appropriated for deferred maintenance projects at the department. After the initial three years, the department anticipates that new revenues generated from the system’s implementation will become available to support the positions.

Supports Various Capital Outlay Projects at State Parks. The budget includes a total of $12 million in 2024‑25 (mostly from bond funds and the Natural Resources and Parks Preservation Fund) for various capital outlay projects at state parks. Of this funding, $3 million from Proposition 40 bond funds will support additional planning costs associated with the Indian Heritage Museum and $4 million from the Natural Resources and Parks Preservation Fund will replace expired grant funding needed to complete improvements at the entrance to El Capitan State Beach.

California Energy Commission

The spending plan includes a total of $885 million for CEC in 2024‑25, entirely from special funds. This is a significant decrease from estimated prior-year expenditure levels ($3.7 billion), due largely to the one-time funding both provided in 2023‑24 and carried over from previous appropriations. Most of the notable changes affecting CEC in the 2024‑25 budget package are related to the ZEV and energy packages described earlier.

Additional State Operations Spending From the Energy Resources Programs Account (ERPA). The Legislature rejected the Governor’s proposals to increase the surcharge cap for ERPA and extend the charge to behind-the-meter solar customers, but did approve roughly $4 million in new annual expenditures from the account compared to the prior year. This new spending from ERPA is primarily for CEC to implement recently adopted legislation, including: (1) $493,000 on an ongoing basis to enable the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight—established pursuant to Chapter 1 of 2023 (SBX1 2, Skinner)—to support staff with particular expertise and to hire consultants; (2) $701,000 in 2024‑25 and $201,000 in 2025‑26 and ongoing to research wave and tidal energy as required in Chapter 405 of 2023 (SB 605, Padilla); and (3) $225,000 ongoing to develop and maintain an electrical transmission infrastructure development guidebook as required by Chapter 390 of 2023 (SB 319, McGuire).

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

The budget includes a total of $682 million from various fund sources to support CDFW in 2024‑25, including $193 million from the General Fund. This reflects a net decrease of $436 million, or 39 percent, from the estimated 2023‑24 expenditure level. The decrease is due primarily to the expiration of one-time funds that were available to CDFW in 2023‑24, including large carryovers from prior years. Notable new spending includes:

• Storm Recovery at Mendota Wildlife Area—$13.1 Million in 2023‑24. Through early budget action approved in April (and scored as a revision to the 2023‑24 budget), CDFW received a General Fund augmentation to make storm damage repairs to levees and other infrastructure at the state-owned Mendota Wildlife Area in Fresno County.

• Cannabis Environmental Restoration and Protection Support—29 Permanent Positions. The budget provides authority for 29 new positions in CDFW’s cannabis program, bringing the total number of permanent positions in this program up to 238. These new positions will be funded from CDFW’s portion of cannabis tax revenues, which are continuously appropriated rather than being allocated through the annual budget process. The new staff—including wildlife officers, lieutenant specialists, environmental scientists, and others—will focus on environmental restoration and protection; engagement with government entities, industry, operators and cultivators, and grant applicants; increasing grant opportunities; and expanding law enforcement.

• Vegetation Management and Fire Resiliency—$2 Million Ongoing. The budget includes $2 million from the Timber Regulation and Forest Restoration Fund in 2024‑25 and ongoing to support CDFW’s participation in the state’s multiagency Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force. CDFW received authority and funding for 15 permanent positions in 2019‑20, but the funding was provided on a limited-term basis. The 2024‑25 budget agreement authorizes ongoing funding to support these positions and their associated activities.

Coastal Departments

Support for Offshore Wind Energy Development. The budget provides $16 million from the General Fund in 2024‑25 on a one-time basis to support planning and implementation of offshore wind energy development in five commercial leases in federal waters off the northern and central parts of the California coast. These funds augment $45 million provided through the energy budget package in 2022‑23, and will help to implement Chapters 367 (AB 1373, Garcia) and 386 (SB 286, McGuire) of 2023. The budget allocates this funding as follows:

• Coastal Commission—$6.8 Million and Two Positions. The commission will review and issue coastal development permits for port facilities and transmission, cable landing, and other related infrastructure; organize a fisheries working group; and support planning and management of new potential offshore lease areas.

• State Lands Commission (SLC)—$5.6 Million and Four Positions. SLC will review projects for consistency with CEQA requirements, support programmatic environmental impact and engineering reviews and project lease developments, and consult with Native American tribes.

• Ocean Protection Council—$3.6 Million and Three Positions. The council will develop an environmental monitoring and research program and conduct related outreach with Native American tribes and local communities.

Sea-Level Rise Planning. The budget provides $2.9 million in 2024‑25, $6.9 million in 2025‑26, and $7.6 million in 2026‑27 and ongoing, all from the General Fund, for the Coastal Commission and San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) to implement Chapter 384 of 2023 (SB 272, Laird). Senate Bill 272 requires local governments in the coastal zone to address sea-level rise in their local planning documents—including by assessing local vulnerability—by January 1, 2034. In the San Francisco Bay Area, local governments will use San Francisco Bay Shoreline Resiliency Plans, which are reviewed and approved by BCDC. In all other coastal areas, local governments will use Local Coastal Programs, which are reviewed and certified by the Coastal Commission. The budget allocations will support planning, outreach, and other ongoing activities the agencies will conduct in support of local governments, allocated as follows:

• Coastal Commission. $2.1 million and 9 positions in 2024‑25, increasing to $3.8 million and 18 positions in 2025‑26 and ongoing.

• BCDC. $804,000 and 3 positions in 2024‑25, increasing to $3.1 million and 10 positions in 2025‑26, and to $3.8 million and 15 positions in 2026‑27 and ongoing.

Other Coastal-Related Augmentations. Other notable coastal-related augmentations in the 2024‑25 spending plan include:

• SCC: As discussed earlier, the budget provides $40 million in one-time GGRF to support acquisition of Wild Cherry Canyon as part of the state’s broader DCPP Land Conservation and Economic Development Plan developed pursuant to SB 846. The spending plan also includes $5 million from the General Fund on a one-time basis for SCC to continue to support development of the Great Redwood Trail through a grant to the Great Redwood Trail Agency.

• SLC: In December 2023, SLC received $21.9 million in federal funds to address methane emissions from marginal conventional wells. (These are idle or producing oil and gas wells with a known owner/operator and that produce 15 barrels of oil or less per day.) SLC was authorized to spend $1.1 million of the total in 2023‑24. The 2024‑25 budget package includes authority for SLC to spend the remaining $20.8 million. Funding will support plugging and abandoning approximately 71 wells over a five-year period.

Exposition Park

The budget includes roughly $54 million from various funds to support Exposition Park, including $40 million from the General Fund. This total is a net increase of $7 million, or 14 percent, from the estimated 2023‑24 expenditure level, primarily due to the following augmentations:

• California African American Museum Storm Repairs. The budget package provides $8 million from the General Fund to repair facilities at the California African American Museum that were damaged in recent storms.

• California Science Center: Operational Support for Phase III Facility. The budget includes $3 million from the General Fund and seven permanent positions in 2024‑25, rising to $4 million on an ongoing basis to support baseline costs (such as utilities and maintenance staff) associated with operating the new Phase III facility, which is anticipated to be constructed by 2025.

• Construction of New Parking Structure. The budget includes $352 million in spending authority in 2024‑25 from lease revenue bonds to fund the design-build phase of a project to build an underground parking structure with a public park and visitor center on its top deck. The source for repaying these lease revenue bonds in future years has not yet been identified. The total project is anticipated to cost $366 million.

Environmental Protection

State Water Resources Control Board

The budget includes a total of $1.8 billion from various fund sources to support SWRCB in 2024‑25, including $161 million from the General Fund. This represents a net decrease of $1.8 billion, or 50 percent, from the estimated 2023‑24 expenditure level. The year-to-year change is due primarily to the expiration of one-time funds including large carryovers from prior years. Some changes to SWRCB’s budget include:

• Support to Address Impact of Recent U.S. Supreme Court Decision. The budget provides $6.1 million in 2024‑25 and $4.8 million in 2025‑26 and ongoing—all from the Waste Discharge Permit Fund—as well as 26 new permanent positions for SWRCB to handle increased workload resulting from the May 2023 Sackett v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision. That decision reduces the number of wetlands over which the federal government has regulatory authority. Given existing state laws, SWRCB will have to assume some of those regulatory responsibilities.

• Leviathan Mine—$3.7 Million. The budget includes one-time General Fund for SWRCB to make safety improvements to a pond water treatment system at the Leviathan Mine, a federally listed Superfund site in Alpine County. Budget trailer legislation also authorizes the state to transfer ownership of the property—and the associated liability—to another entity (such as the former owner of the mine) if it is in the best interests of the state. The increase is more than offset by a reversion of $5.1 million approved last year to reline the walls of a diversion channel at the mine. (Should the state proceed with selling the property, this relining activity would be handled by the new owner.)

• New Groundwater Recharge Permitting Unit—$1.2 Million. The budget includes $1.2 million from the Water Rights Fund on an ongoing basis and five permanent positions to expedite and streamline groundwater recharge permitting.

California Air Resources Board

The budget agreement provides $1 billion for CARB in 2024‑25, which represents roughly one-third of its estimated prior-year expenditures. As with most of the other departments discussed in this report, this year-to-year comparison is heavily affected by the amount of one-time funding that was available to the board to spend in 2023‑24 from previous appropriations. Many of the significant changes to CARB’s 2024‑25 budget are related to the ZEV package displayed and described earlier. Additionally, the spending plan authorizes 95 new positions for CARB along with $30 million from various special funds to support a number of new and expanded activities, the largest of which we highlight below.

Implementation of Climate Disclosure Laws. The budget provides $8.4 million and 28 new permanent positions for CARB to adopt and implement regulations pursuant to Chapters 382(SB 253, Wiener) and 383 (SB 261, Stern) of 2023. This legislation requires large companies that do business in California to report their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks. The funding includes support for new staff at CARB, contracts, and legal representation to respond to pending litigation. The administration anticipates the costs of implementing the laws will grow in future years to ongoing amounts of $13.9 million for 42 permanent positions plus $4.3 million in contract funds beginning in 2026‑27. The spending plan authorizes using GGRF to cover costs in 2024‑25 and 2025‑26, but plans that beginning in 2026‑27, the GGRF funding will be phased out, repaid, and replaced by revenue from new fees charged to affected businesses as authorized by the legislation.

Other Staffing and Facility Augmentations. Additional notable budget augmentations for CARB include: (1) $6.3 million in 2024‑25 growing to $9.4 million on an ongoing basis from various special funds for contract services to maintain and operate the board’s Southern California headquarters building, (2) $4.4 million ongoing from the Air Pollution Control Fund’s (APCF’s) Cost of Implementation Account for three positions and to provide grants to local air districts to monitor and enforce air quality effects related to prescribed burns and exceptional events, and (3) $3.9 million ongoing from APCF and 12 new positions for equipment and activities to comply with more stringent federal national ambient air quality standards.

Department of Toxic Substances Control

The budget provides $445 million from various fund sources to support DTSC in 2024‑25, which represents a decrease of $134 million (23 percent) when compared to the revised 2023‑24 expenditure level. The decrease is largely associated with the expiration of one-time General Fund that DTSC received to address brownfields across the state and for cleanup activities related to the Exide Facility in the City of Vernon. The department is primarily supported by the Hazardous Waste Control Account (HWCA) and the Toxic Substances Control Account (TSCA).

Addresses HWCA Revenue Shortfalls. The budget includes several changes to address a projected insolvency within HWCA in 2024‑25 and to begin solving the account’s ongoing structural imbalance. First, the proposal includes technical adjustments that shift certain administrative expenditures totaling $5.3 million from HWCA to other DTSC funds on an ongoing basis. Second, budget trailer legislation—Chapter 72 of 2024 (SB 156, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review)—includes language intended to facilitate the collection of additional revenues for HWCA by (1) clarifying exemptions for the generation and handling fee (which has experienced revenue shortfalls since its implementation in 2022‑23); (2) increasing and expanding penalties related to the generation and handling fee, such as those related to delinquent payments; and (3) providing DTSC with emergency rulemaking authority related to fee administration. Third, the budget package waives a requirement for HWCA to repay a $15 million loan it received from TSCA as part of the 2023‑24 budget package.

Department of Pesticide Regulation

The budget provides $145 million from various fund sources to support the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) in 2024‑25, which is only slightly less than the revised 2023‑24 expenditure level ($150 million). As discussed below, the budget package includes new funding for programmatic expansions from the DPR Fund (the department’s primary fund source) beginning in 2024‑25, however these increases are mostly offset by the expiration of one-time General Fund the department received in prior years.

Includes New Funding for Programmatic Expansions, Enabled by Increases to Tax and Fee Levels. The budget includes $10.8 million from the DPR Fund and 47 new permanent positions in 2024‑25 (increasing to $35.1 million and 117 positions in 2027‑28 and ongoing) to support various programmatic expansions for the department. These expanded activities will support the registration, enforcement, and monitoring of pesticides and fund alternative pest management grants. These enhancements are enabled by two significant policy and administrative changes that will increase the amount of annual revenues deposited into the DPR Fund. First, Chapter 60 of 2024 (AB 2113, Garcia) increases the mill assessment—a tax levied on pesticides when they are first sold into or within the state—over a four-year period. Specifically, AB 2113 raises the assessment from 21 mills to 24.5 mills in 2024‑25, with scheduled annual increases until it reaches 30 mills in 2027‑28 and ongoing. (The Governor initially proposed to increase the mill assessment through budget trailer legislation but the Legislature ultimately enacted the statutory changes through a policy bill.) Second, DPR will use its existing authority to increase both registration and licensing fees through regulations. In addition to supporting programmatic expansions, the additional revenues will address the structural deficit that the DPR Fund has experienced over the past several years.

Assembly Bill 2113 also makes several policy changes related to what entity must pay the mill assessment, pesticide enforcement, and emergency pesticide use authorizations. It also requires DPR to (1) meet specific benchmarks for registering and reevaluating pesticides, (2) report annually on specific outcomes related to registering and reevaluating pesticides, and (3) complete a report by July 1, 2026 that identifies actions to improve the department’s pesticide reevaluation process.