ARTICLE 1. Organization and General Powers [700. - 717.]

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC 1.
in effect

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 700. Section 700.

As used in this chapter: (a) “Board” means the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. (b) “Department” means the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (c) “Director” means the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 701. Section 701.

(a) There is in the Resources Agency the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which is under the control of an executive officer known as the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection. The director is appointed by the Governor and holds office at the pleasure of the Governor. The appointment of the director is subject to confirmation by the Senate at the next regular or special session of the Legislature, and the refusal or failure of the Senate to confirm the appointment shall create a vacancy in the office. The director shall receive an annual salary as provided by Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 11550) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. (b) There shall be one Deputy Director of Forestry and Fire Protection appointed by the director who shall be exempt from civil service. (c) There shall be one Deputy Director of Forestry and Fire Protection appointed by the director in accordance with the State Civil Service Act who shall be a registered professional forester. (d) The deputy directors shall have duties as assigned, from time to time, by the director, and they shall be responsible to the director for the performance of those duties.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 701.5. Section 701.5.

Notwithstanding Section 701, Section 12805 of the Government Code, or any other provision of law, on and after January 1, 1987, the Department of Forestry shall be the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. On and after that date, any reference to the Department of Forestry is deemed to be to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and any reference to the Director of Forestry is deemed to be to the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection. No existing supplies, forms, insignias, signs, or logos shall be destroyed or changed as a result of this name change, and they shall continue to be used until exhausted or unserviceable.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 701.6. Section 701.6.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, on and after January 1, 2007, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection may be referred to, where appropriate and as determined by the director, as CAL-FIRE. (b) No existing supplies, forms, insignias, signs, or logos shall be destroyed or changed as a result of the authorization to use CAL-FIRE where appropriate to refer to the department, and they shall continue to be used until exhausted or unserviceable.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 702. Section 702.

(a) Pursuant to Section 13100 of the Health and Safety Code, there is within the department the Office of the State Fire Marshal. (b) There shall be a Chief Deputy Director of Forestry and Fire Protection who shall administer the Office of the State Fire Marshal and who shall be known as the State Fire Marshal. The State Fire Marshal shall be appointed pursuant to Section 13101 of the Health and Safety Code. (c) The State Fire Marshal may, with the approval of the director, appoint assistant or deputy state fire marshals and employ office and field assistants and other employees pursuant to Sections 12551, 13102, and 13103 of the Health and Safety Code. (d) There is within the Office of the State Fire Marshal the State Board of Fire Services, established pursuant to Section 13140 of the Health and Safety Code. The State Board of Fire Services shall advise the State Fire Marshal as provided by law. (e) The Office of the State Fire Marshal, as a component of the department, shall have access to all resources of the department in carrying out its mission.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 703. Section 703.

The director shall appoint a cultural burning liaison who shall do all of the following: (a) Advise the department on developing increased cultural burning activity. (b) Engage with California Native American tribes, tribal organizations, and cultural fire practitioners, as defined in Section 4002.6, on opportunities to partner with the department. (c) Make recommendations to the director on ways to reduce barriers to cultural burning, as defined in Section 4002.4. (d) Serve on the State Fire Marshal’s State Board of Fire Services, as established by Article 2 (commencing with Section 13140) of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 12 of the Health and Safety Code. (e) Work with unit chiefs across the state to ensure prescribed fire and cultural burning objectives are understood and supported by the department.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 705. Section 705.

The department may expend the money in any appropriation or in any special fund in the State Treasury made available by law for the administration of the statutes the administration of which is committed to the department, or for the use, support, or maintenance of any board, bureau, commission, department, office, or officer whose duties, powers, and functions have been transferred to, and conferred upon, the department. Such expenditures by the department shall be made in accordance with law in carrying out the purposes for which the appropriations were made or the special funds created.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 706. Section 706.

The department shall have possession and control of all records, books, papers, offices, equipment, supplies, moneys, funds, appropriations, land, and other property, real or personal, held for the benefit or use of all bodies, offices, and officers whose duties, powers, and functions have been transferred to, and conferred upon, the department.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 707. Section 707.

Whenever the department has received and deposited any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund in an excessive amount or in error, or whenever a refund of all or a portion of such money is due any person, firm, or corporation because of the termination of an agreement or other lawful reason, payment of such refund shall be made upon the filing of a claim by the director with the State Controller. The State Controller shall draw his warrant for payment of the refund from any appropriation made for that purpose.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 707.1. Section 707.1.

(a) Any moneys recovered by the department in a civil action to recover state costs related to fire suppression, rescue, or emergency medical services pursuant to Section 13009 of the Health and Safety Code shall be deposited by the department into the Treasury as provided in Section 16305.2 of the Government Code. (b) (1) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the department shall, no later than January 10 of each year, submit a report to the Legislature regarding any moneys recovered by the department in a civil action, as described in subdivision (a), in the prior year. The report shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following information: (A) Name, date, location, and total costs of the fire, and the amount of any federal moneys received. (B) Settlement or judgment information including the date and total value of the settlement or judgment. (C) The amount of the settlement or judgment abated against expenses whether state or federal, local remittance, or total General Fund recovery including the abatement of expenses or miscellaneous revenues. (D) Information specifying whether the settlement, if applicable, was approved at the unit, region, or headquarters level. (2) A report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code. (c) All moneys in the account in the Special Deposit Fund entitled “Civil Cost Recovery Investigation Support Account” shall be immediately transferred to the General Fund.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 708. Section 708.

For the purpose of disseminating information relating to its activities, powers, duties, or functions, the department, with the approval of the Department of General Services, may issue publications, construct and maintain exhibits, and perform such acts and carry on such functions as in the opinion of the director will best tend to disseminate such information. Such publications may be distributed free of charge to public libraries and to other state departments and state officers. The department may exchange copies with contemporary publications. All money received by the department from the sale of publications shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 709. Section 709.

The provisions of Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11150) of Part 1 of Division 6 of Title 2 of the Government Code apply to the director. The director may appoint, in accordance with the State Civil Service Act, such deputies, officers, and other employees as may be necessary. The director shall assure an adequate number of employees who, by reason of their education or professional qualifications, are equipped to perform the duties required under the Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973, including, but not limited to, the review of timber harvesting plans and performing the necessary inspections of timber operations. The director may authorize any employee of the department, to exercise any power granted to, or perform any duty imposed upon, the director by the State Civil Service Act.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 711. Section 711.

The director, with approval of the Director of Finance, may accept on behalf of the department federal grants for the purposes for which the department is established. Such grants shall be deposited in the Special Deposit Fund in the State Treasury provided for by Section 16370 of the Government Code, and may be expended under such terms and conditions as may be required by the federal government.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 712. Section 712.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this code or of law, and except as provided in the State Building Standards Law, Part 2.5 (commencing with Section 18901) of Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code, on and after January 1, 1980, the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection shall not adopt nor publish a building standard as defined in Section 18909 of the Health and Safety Code unless the provisions of Sections 18930, 18933, 18938, 18940, 18943, 18944, and 18945 of the Health and Safety Code are expressly excepted in the statute under which the authority to adopt rules, regulations, or orders is delegated. Any building standard adopted in violation of this section shall have no force or effect. Any building standard adopted before January 1, 1980, pursuant to this code and not expressly excepted by statute from the provisions of the State Building Standards Law shall remain in effect only until January 1, 1985, or until adopted, amended, or superseded by provisions published in the State Building Standards Code, whichever occurs sooner.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 713. Section 713.

The department is responsible for the fire protection, fire prevention, maintenance, and enhancement of the state’s forest, range, and brushland resources, contract fire protection, associated emergency services, and assistance in civil disasters and other nonfire emergencies. Department programs, as made specific in Division 4 (commencing with Section 4001), are closely related and interdependent. The department shall coordinate programs of fire protection, fire prevention, pest control, and forest and range maintenance and enhancement.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 714. Section 714.

The department is responsible for all of the following: (a) Providing fire protection, fire prevention, pest control, and forest and range protection and enhancement implements and apparatus as necessary. (b) Maintaining an integrated staff to accomplish fire protection, fire prevention, pest control, and forest and range protection and enhancement activities as needed. (c) Establishing and maintaining facilities for the performance of fire protection, fire prevention, pest control, and forest and range protection and enhancement activities. (d) Enforcing forest and fire laws, the Z’berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973 (Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 4511), Part 2, Division 4), and other laws specified in Division 4 (commencing with Section 4001).

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 715. Section 715.

The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, in cooperation with the Office of Emergency Services, shall develop a program to certify active duty military pilots to engage in firefighting in the state.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 716. Section 716.

(a) Upon approval by the Department of Finance, the department may exercise the same authority granted to the Division of the State Architect and the Real Estate Services Division in the Department of General Services, to plan, design, construct, and administer contracts and professional services for public works projects under the jurisdiction of the department. (b) Any right afforded to the department pursuant to subdivision (a) to exercise project planning, design, construction, and administration of contracts and professional services may be revoked, in whole or in part, by the Department of Finance at any time.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 717. Section 717.

(a) The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency shall establish a working group on expanding wood product markets that can utilize woody biomass, especially biomass that is removed from high hazard zones, as determined by the department. These markets include, but are not limited to, animal bedding, biochar, cross-laminated timber, mulch, oriented strand board, pulp, post, shredding, and veneer products. (b) At a minimum, the working group shall include members of the working group on wood market products established under the Proclamation of a State of Emergency on Tree Mortality declared by the Governor on October 30, 2015. (c) By June 1, 2017, the working group shall submit recommendations to the Legislature on actions that may be taken to encourage the development of the wood product markets, including the identification of potential pilot projects.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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