Wildlife: white sage: taking and possession.

Under existing law, it is unlawful to uproot, remove, harvest, or cut dudleya, as defined, from land owned by the state or a local government or from property not their own without written permission from the landowner in their immediate possession, except as provided, and to sell, offer for sale, possess with intent to sell, transport for sale, export for sale, or purchase dudleya uprooted, removed, harvested, or cut in violation of that provision. Existing law establishes specified criminal penalties for a violation of those provisions. This bill would extend those same prohibitions to white sage and would subject a violation of those prohibitions to the same criminal penalties established for dudleya. The bill, with respect to state and local property, would exempt the harvest and use of white sage for traditional tribal, cultural, or spiritual purposes by a member of a Native American tribe, as specified. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.