AB 100 — Revises provisions relating to wildfires. (BDR 42-109)

A.B.Assembly Bill No.

100100–Committee Aon SSEMBLYGovernment BAffairs ILLNCHAPTER.......... O.

100–COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT A FFAIRS (O N BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE TO CONDUCT AN INTERIM S TUDY C ONCERNING W ILDFIRES) F EBRUARY 8, 2021 ____________ Referred to Committee on Government Affairs SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to wildfires.

(BDR 42-109) FISCAL NOTE:

Effect on Local Government:

No.

Effect on the State:

Yes.

~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

(NRS 472.050) Section 2 of this bill authorizes the State Forester Firewarden to enter into a cooperative agreement with federal, state and local agencies for the purpose ofoof a creating a fire board of directors to ensure that agencies in this State work collaborativelywildfire to,suppression withouttactics limitation:and needs;

(1)(2) determinefacilitate andcommunication planamong theces for bestagencies practiceswhen fora wildfire suppressionoccurs; tactics and needs;

(2) facilitate communication among the agencies when a wildfire occurs;

- *AB100* – 2 – Section 4 of this bill requires the State Forester Firewarden to work collaboratively with and provide technical assistance to federal, state and local agencies and property owners to:

andExisting law authorizes any fire protection district and boards(4) ofimprove county commissioners to enter into cooperative agreements with the State Forester Firewarden, other counties, rangeland fire protection associations and othersupport organizationssafe and individualseffective responses to preventwildfires. and suppress outdoor fires.

(NRScommissioners 472.060) Section 3 of this bill creates the Wildland Fire Protection Program in the Division of Forestry of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and authorizes the State Forester Firewarden to enter into cooperative agreements with Wildlandthe FireState ProtectionForesternty Program.rdsFirewarden, ofother countycounties, commissionersrangeland tofire participateprotection inassociations theand Existingother laworganizations authorizes,and underindividuals certain circumstances, the State Forester Firewarden to provideprevent mealsand tosuppress employeesoutdoor offires. the Division who are involved in emergency fire fighting.

(NRS 472.060) Section 3 of this bill creates the Wildland Fire Protection Program in the Division of Forestry of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and authorizes the State Forester Firewarden to enter into cooperative agreements with fire protection districts and boards of county commissioners to participate in the Wildland Fire Protection Program.

Existing law authorizes, under certain circumstances, the State Forester emergency fire fighting.

- 81st Session (2021) – 2 – Existing law authorizes the State Forester Firewarden to prohibit or restrict Firewardencertain whenactivities aon dangerany tolands publicwithin safetythe orjurisdiction naturalof resourcesthe existsState becauseForester of conditions which create a high risk of fire.

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

and - *AB100* – 3 – 3.

The Wildland Fire Protection Program may provide fire protection districts and boards of county commissioners who enter into the agreement to participate in the Wildland Fire Protection Program- with81st resourcesSession for(2021) wildfire– protection,3 firefighting– and recovery, including, without limitation, technical assistance and labor, when available, to reduce the risk of wildfires in high to extreme wildfire risk areas and to reduce the cost of suppressing wildfires.

(c) Assist and encourage county or local fire protection districts to create legally constituted fire protection districts where they are needednee(d) andDesignate offerthe guidanceboundaries andof adviceeach inarea theirof operation.the State where the construction of buildings on forested lands creates such a fire hazard as to require the regulation of roofing materials.

(d) Designate the boundaries of each area of the State where the construction of buildings on forested lands creates such a fire hazard as to require the regulation of roofing materials.

(g) Administer money appropriated and grants awarded for fire prevention, fire control and the education of firefighters and award - *AB100* – 4 – grants of money for those purposes to fire departments and educational institutions in this State.

(h) Determine the amount of wages that must be paid to offenders who participate in conservation camps and who perform work relating to fire fighting and other work projects ofoferform conservation camps.

(j) Assess the codes, rules and regulations which are adopted by other agencies that have specific regulatory authority within the Lake- Tahoe81st BasinSession and(2021) the– Lake4 Mead– Basin, and which are not subject to the authority of a state or local fire agency, for consistency with fire codes, rules and regulations.

and (4) Improve and support safe and effective responses to wildfire.wil2.

2.

(c) Appoint, upon the recommendation of the appropriate federal officials, resident officers of the United States Forest Service and the United States Bureau of Land Management as voluntary - *AB100* – 5 – firewardens.

(d) Appoint certain paid foresters or firewardens to be arson investigators.

certain paid foresters or firewardens to be arson (e) Employ, with the consent of the Director of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, clerical assistance, county and district coordinators, patrol officers, firefighters, and other employees as needed, and expend such sums as may be necessarily incurred for this purpose.

(g)- With81st theSession approval(2021) of– the5 Director– of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the State Board ofartment of Examiners, purchase or accept the donation of real property to be used for lookout sites and for other administrative, experimental or demonstration purposes.

472.110 The State Forester Firewarden may provide meals to:

employees of the Division of Forestry of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources who are involved in emergency fire fighting or critical natural resource projects if the State Forester Firewarden determines that it is impractical for the employees to eat at home because of their duties in that emergency [.] or on that assignment.

5.

NRS 472.110 is hereby amended to read as follows:

472.110 The State Forester Firewarden may provide meals to employees of the Division of Forestry of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources who are involved in emergency fire fighting or critical natural resource projects if the State Forester Firewarden determines that it is impractical for the employees to eat at home because of their duties in that emergency [.] or on that assignment.

Sec.