Committee advances measure to let tribes access conservation grants, with caveats

Assemblymember Ramos and sponsors described AB 53 as a step toward enabling tribal stewardship by removing administrative barriers to grants and loans under the California Riparian Habitat Conservation Program and the Inland Wetlands Conservation Program. Scott Quinn of the Karuk Council and Melody Meyer of EPIC said the bill recognizes tribal stewardship and would provide tools to restore and manage ancestral lands while honoring existing conservation restrictions.

Quinn told the committee, "AB 53 recognizes the important roles that tribes continue to play in conservation and resource stewardship and provides meaningful opportunities for tribes to participate more fully in California's conservation programs," emphasizing that transfers would honor conservation easements and legal restrictions. County officials and other witnesses recommended amendments to clarify who bears transaction and maintenance costs, how payments‑in‑lieu of taxes would be handled, and what mechanisms would preserve conservation protections if lands enter federal trust. The committee moved the bill, as amended, to Appropriations and left the item on call pending additional drafting.