Fire protection: public lands: defensible space.

Existing law requires a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains an occupied dwelling or occupied structure in, upon, or adjoining a mountainous area, forest-covered land, brush-covered land, grass-covered land, or land that is covered with flammable material that is within a very high fire hazard severity zone, as designated by a local agency, to maintain a defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure. Existing law requires a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in, upon, or adjoining a mountainous area, forest-covered land, brush-covered land, grass-covered land, or land that is covered with flammable material, within a state responsibility area, to maintain a defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure. An insurance company that insures an occupied dwelling or occupied structure is authorized to require a greater distance, but this greater distance is prohibited from extending beyond the property line unless allowed by state law or a local ordinance, rule, or regulation. This bill would authorize a state public lands management agency, as defined, to establish a discretionary permitting or approval process containing specified elements, to consider an application from a person to maintain defensible space on state public lands if that person's defensible space requirement encroaches onto state public lands. The bill would authorize a state public lands management agency to impose conditions or limitations on maintenance of defensible space or that minimize any other adverse impact to the environment.