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Committee forwards bill to speed transfers of parcels for Big Basin and nearby state parks
Summary
AB 679 would exempt property acquisitions tied to rebuilding Big Basin Redwoods and nearby parks from the Public Works Board transfer process, enabling faster transfers from conservation partners to State Parks; the committee approved the measure as amended.
Assemblymember Pellerin presented AB 679, which would create a limited exemption to the Public Works Board transfer and Department of General Services approval process for property acquired for Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Año Nuevo and Butano State Parks to expedite land transfers from conservation organizations to the Department of Parks and Recreation.
Pellerin said the change would remove delays that leave conservation partners holding high‑value parcels for extended periods and would help complete the department’s reimagining of Big Basin following the CZU Lightning Complex wildfire. Rachel Dann, Director of Government Relations for Sempervirens Fund, described the organization as “California’s first land trust” and said partners often need to move quickly to purchase and protect parcels adjacent to parks and then transfer them to State Parks.
Abigail Smet, from the California State Parks Foundation, told the committee the change would also help the state reach climate, conservation and outdoor access goals. Several conservation and land‑trust groups, including Sierra Club California, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and Save the Redwoods League, registered support.
One committee member raised budgetary and management concerns and said they would vote no, citing long-term state fiscal pressures and skepticism about the state’s capacity to manage additional public lands. The author and supporters clarified that the measure was intended as a narrow pilot covering already‑acquired parcels and said they would work with staff and agencies to refine the language.
The committee voted to pass AB 679 as amended to the Appropriations Committee.
