Noxious weed management.

Under existing law, the Department of Food and Agriculture is designated as the lead department in noxious weed management, and requires the department, in cooperation with the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, to implement provisions relating to noxious weed management. Existing law creates the Noxious Weed Management Account in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund, and provides for the allocation of those funds, by percentage, for specified purposes, including control and abatement, research, and to the department for purposes of carrying out those provisions relating to noxious weed management. This bill would revise the percentages of those allocations, and would also revise the purposes for which the percentage of funds allocated for research may be used to include mapping, risk assessment, and prioritization of weeds. The bill would specify that the funds made available for the control and abatement of noxious and invasive weeds shall be made available through a grant program administered by the department, as specified. Existing law, to be eligible for funds from the Noxious Weed Management Account, requires a county agricultural commissioner to submit a cost-sharing integrated weed management plan to implement a control program for noxious weeds, and identifies specified goals that are required to be included in that program, including, among others, protecting the biodiversity of native ecosystems. This bill would also include increasing water supply and flow among the goals that are required to be included in the program. The bill would revise the legislative findings and declarations relating to noxious weed management, and would make other clarifying and nonsubstantive changes.