Sacramento, CA – AB 1663, authored by Assemblymember Greg Wallis (R-Bermuda Dunes), has passed the State Assembly and now moves to the Senate for consideration. The bill creates a fee-free permit pathway for qualifying single-family residents who need to remove or trim a western Joshua tree for necessary safety or property maintenance work.
Under the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act, ordinary homeowners can face the same permit requirements and mitigation fees as commercial developers. In some cases, those fees can reach hundreds or even thousands of dollars per tree.
“For many homeowners, this is about safety and fairness,” said Assemblymember Wallis. “People who live alongside these trees every day should have a clear path to keep their homes safe without incurring the same costs as a major development project.”
AB 1663 keeps protections in place for western Joshua trees while recognizing that homeowners need workable rules when they are trying to keep their property safe.
“Our desert communities care deeply about the western Joshua tree,” Wallis said. “This bill keeps conservation in place while giving homeowners a clearer and more reasonable process.”
AB 1663 now moves to the Senate.