Frequently Asked Questions About Wildfires in California

Jan 28, 2025 - This kaleidoscope of ownership has implications for management responsibilities and also makes coordination important when conducting both wildfire resilience and response activities. The next Figure displays these forest ownership patterns across the state.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4952

The 2025-26 Budget: State Mandates—Regional Water Quality Control Boards

May 30, 2025 - CSM determined that several of the requirements in the permit issued by the regional board in 2010 constitute state-reimbursable mandates for Riverside County and the cities of Riverside County that are within the Santa Ana region (some cities in Riverside County fall within the jurisdiction of the Santa Ana Regional Board and some within the jurisdiction of the San Diego Regional Board).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5054

The 2025-26 Budget: State Mandate—Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board

May 5, 2025 - City of Salinas ) —which found that the city did not have sufficient fee authority to levy a stormwater fee due to the voter approval requirement —was wrongly decided. Senate Bill  231, which took effect in 2018, makes increasing stormwater-related fees more straightforward for local governments because they can use the majority protest provision rather than having to seek voter approval.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5039

The 2025-26 Budget: Cap-and-Trade Expenditure Plan

Feb 12, 2025 - These transfers would pay for the costs of CARB ’s Mobile Source Program, which is intended to reduce emissions from on ‑ and off ‑road mobile sources. (Separately, the Governor also proposes to transfer $85  million from CARB ’s Air Pollution Control Fund to further address MVA shortfalls.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4960

The 2025-26 Budget: May Revision Trailer Bill Proposals on the Delta Conveyance Project and Water Quality Control Plans

May 27, 2025 - (Both the state-managed SWP and the federally managed Central Valley Project export water from the Delta and deliver it via a system of aqueducts and can als to Southern California cities and Central Valley farms.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5053

Assessing California’s Climate Policies—Residential Electricity Rates in California

Jan 7, 2025 - Generally, electricity is transferred from high ‑voltage transmission lines to low ‑voltage distribution lines before it is delivered to customers. Distribution lines are often visible on wooden poles that run through cities and neighborhoods but sometimes they are placed underground.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4950

The 2025-26 Budget: Natural Resources and Agriculture Discretionary Spending Proposals

Feb 18, 2025 - The Governor proposes a transfer of $6.75  million from the General Fund to the State Park and Recreation Fund to continue the Library Pass Program for an additional year in 2025 ‑26. Funding would be used to cover the estimated marginal costs for Parks to accommodate the increase in visitors that result from extending the program (such as to support staffing and maintenance).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4967