Senate Natural Resources and Water committee advances bills on river protections, data‑center water use, wetlands, farmland access and wildfire preparedness

The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee met as a subcommittee and heard testimony on 15 bills touching on river protections, data‑center water demand, stewardship of conserved lands, water system wildfire hardening, fishing gear restrictions, coastal carbon mitigation, farmland access, workforce pathways from conservation camps into firefighting, streamlined permitting for local wildfire preparedness projects, and narrow temporary protections for small community water systems and managed wetlands under SGMA.

Assembly members and stakeholders delivered detailed technical testimony across the agenda. Assemblymember Laura Friedman’s predecessor’s statute (identified in testimony as AB 2975) and the federal National Wild and Scenic Rivers System were cited frequently in the morning’s first panel on state authority to protect rivers.

Most bills were presented by their authors or by designated witnesses, followed by witnesses from conservation groups, local governments, water agencies, business associations and fishing interests. Committee members questioned authors on scope, cost, and legal authorities, and several measures were continued by roll call for further action in appropriations, local government, agriculture, public safety or other committees.

Votes at a glance (committee action and next committee): - AB 43 (Schultz) — would make permanent a state administrative backstop so federally protected Wild and Scenic Rivers could be added to the California Wild and Scenic River System if federal protections were removed. Recommendation: due pass to Appropriations. (Moved; roll called.) - AB 93 (Pappin) — would require data centers to self‑certify expected and actual water use at permitting/renewal and direct the Department of Water Resources to develop best…