text:
(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, funds provided under this chapter may be used by the board, in consultation with the State Coastal Conservancy, to award grants not to exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000) per project to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for the purposes of this chapter. Grants may be awarded for any of the following projects:

(1) A project designed to improve water quality at public beaches and to make improvements for the purpose of ensuring that coastal waters adjacent to public beaches meet the bacteriological standards set forth in Article 2 (commencing with Section 115875) of Chapter 5 of Part 10 of Division 104 of the Health and Safety Code.

(2) A project to make improvements to, or upgrades or conversions of, existing sewer collection systems and septic systems for the restoration and protection of coastal water quality.

(3) A project designed to implement stormwater and runoff pollution reduction and prevention programs, or for the implementation of best management practices, for the restoration and protection of coastal water quality.

(4) A project designed to implement or promote low-impact development for new or existing developments that will contribute to the improvement of water quality or reduce stormwater runoff.

(5) A project designed to implement a stormwater resource plan prepared pursuant to Part 2.3 (commencing with Section 10560) of Division 6 of the Water Code.

(b) The projects funded pursuant to this chapter shall be consistent with the state’s nonpoint source control program, as revised to meet the requirements of Division 20 (commencing with Section 30000), Section 6217 of the federal Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990, Section 319 of the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1329), Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code, and the California Coastal Commission.

(c) The projects funded pursuant to this chapter shall demonstrate the capability of contributing to sustained, long-term water quality or environmental restoration or protection benefits for a period of 20 years, address the causes of degradation, rather than the symptoms, and be consistent with water quality and resource protection plans prepared, implemented, or adopted by the board, the applicable regional water quality control board, and the State Coastal Conservancy.

(d) An applicant for funds under this chapter shall be required to submit to the board a monitoring and reporting plan that does all of the following:

(1) Identifies the nonpoint source or sources of pollution to be prevented or reduced by the project.

(2) Describes the baseline water quality or environmental quality to be addressed.

(3) Describes the manner in which the project will be effective in preventing or reducing pollution and in demonstrating the desired environmental results.

(4) Describes the monitoring program, including, but not limited to, the methodology, and the frequency and duration of monitoring.

(e) Upon completion of the project, a recipient of funds under this chapter shall submit a report to the board that summarizes the completed activities and indicates whether the purposes of the project have been met. The report shall include information collected by the recipient in accordance with the project monitoring and reporting plan, including a determination of the effectiveness of the project in preventing or reducing pollution, and the results of the monitoring program. The board shall make the report available to the public, watershed groups, and federal, state, and local agencies.

(f) Not more than 25 percent of a grant may be awarded in advance of actual expenditure.

(g) An applicant for funds under this chapter shall inform the board of any necessary public agency approvals, entitlements, and permits that may be necessary to implement the project. The application shall certify to the board, at the appropriate time, that those approvals, entitlements, and permits have been granted.

(h) Where recovery plans for coho salmon, steelhead trout, or other threatened or endangered aquatic species exist, projects funded under this chapter shall be consistent with those plans and, to the extent feasible, shall seek to implement actions specified in those plans.

(i) The board shall appoint a Clean Beaches Task Force comprised of individuals representing the breadth and diversity of coastal communities. All proposals for funding shall be reviewed by the task force. The task force may recommend projects to the board for funding consideration.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 620, Sec. 1. (SB 790) Effective January 1, 2010.)


kind: section

code: PRC

text: The board shall provide opportunity for public review and comment in awarding funds pursuant to this chapter, and may, in consultation with the State Coastal Conservancy, adopt regulations to implement this chapter.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 727, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2003.)

chapter: 3. Clean Beaches Program

path: 20.4. WATERSHED, CLEAN BEACHES, AND WATER QUALITY ACT > 3. Clean Beaches Program


text:
(a) The purpose of this chapter is to provide authorization for projects that restore and protect the water quality and environment of marine managed areas, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 36602, including areas of special biological significance, as defined in the California Ocean Plan adopted pursuant to Section 13170.2 of the Water Code.

(b) The board shall give priority to projects that treat or otherwise remove existing waste discharges, or prevent probable waste discharges, into areas of special biological significance.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 714, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2005.)

chapter: 3.5. Marine Managed Areas Program

path: 20.4. WATERSHED, CLEAN BEACHES, AND WATER QUALITY ACT > 3.5. Marine Managed Areas Program


text:
(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature for that purpose, funds may be expended by the board, in consultation with the State Coastal Conservancy, the California Coastal Commission, and, as appropriate, the Department of Fish and Game, to award grants, not to exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000) per project, to local public agencies and nonprofit organizations for the purposes of this chapter.

(b) The projects funded to carry out this chapter shall demonstrate the capability of contributing to sustained, long-term water quality or environmental restoration or protection benefits for a period of 20 years, address the causes of degradation rather than the symptoms, and be consistent with water quality control plans and resource protection plans prepared, implemented, or adopted by the board, the applicable regional board, the Department of Fish and Game, and the State Coastal Conservancy.

(c) An applicant for funds to carry out this chapter shall be required to submit to the board a monitoring and reporting plan that does all of the following:

(1) Identifies the sources of pollution to be prevented or reduced by the project.

(2) Describes the baseline water quality or environmental quality to be addressed.

(3) Describes the manner in which the project will be effective in preventing or reducing pollution and in demonstrating the desired environmental results.

(4) Describes the monitoring program, including, but not limited to, the methodology, frequency, and duration of monitoring.

(d) Upon completion of the project, a recipient of funds to carry out this chapter shall submit a report to the board that summarizes the completed activities and indicates whether the purposes of the project have been met. The report shall include information collected by the recipient in accordance with the project monitoring and reporting plan, including a determination of the effectiveness of the project in preventing or reducing pollution, and the results of the monitoring program. The board shall make the report available to the public, watershed groups, and federal, state, and local agencies.

(e) The board may not award more than 25 percent of a grant to carry out this chapter in advance of the expenditure of funds by a grantee.

(f) An applicant for funds to carry out this chapter shall inform the board of any necessary public agency approvals, entitlements, and permits that may be necessary to implement the project. The applicant shall certify to the board, at the appropriate time, that those approvals, entitlements, and permits have been granted.

(g) Where recovery plans for coho salmon, steelhead trout, or other threatened or endangered coastal and marine aquatic species exist, projects funded to carry out this chapter shall be consistent with those plans and, to the extent feasible, shall seek to implement actions specified in those plans.

(h) The board, in consultation with the California Coastal Commission, shall appoint a marine managed areas water quality task force comprised of individuals representing the breadth and diversity of coastal communities, interested nonprofit groups, and marine resource users. All proposals for grant funding to carry out this chapter shall be reviewed by the task force. The task force may recommend projects to the board for funding consideration.

(i) The board shall provide opportunity for public review and comment in awarding funds to carry out this chapter.

division: 20.4. WATERSHED, CLEAN BEACHES, AND WATER QUALITY ACT


text:
(a) For the purposes of this article, “small community” means a municipality with a population of 20,000 persons or less, a rural county, or a reasonably isolated and divisible segment of a larger municipality where the segment of the population is 20,000 persons or less, with a financial hardship, as determined by the board.

(b) The board may award grants under this article to assist small communities in meeting water pollution control requirements.

(c) The board may award grants under this article to projects that meet the definition of “eligible project” in Section 79120 of the Water Code.

(d) The board shall give priority to both of the following types of projects:

(1) Projects to install or replace sewer systems in communities that lack adequate sewers.

(2) Projects to assist communities with population growth pressures, to assist in the redesign and expansion of existing wastewater collection and treatment systems.

chapter: 4. Integrated Clean Water Programs

path: 20.4. WATERSHED, CLEAN BEACHES, AND WATER QUALITY ACT > 4. Integrated Clean Water Programs > 1. Small Community Wastewater Grant Program


text: The board may award grants under this article to local public agencies for projects designed to implement stormwater runoff pollution reduction and prevention programs, including, but not limited to, diversion of dry weather flows to publicly owned treatment works for treatment, acquisition, and development of constructed wetlands and the implementation of approved best management practices, as required by stormwater permits issued by the state board or a regional board.

article: 2. Urban Storm Water Grant Program

path: 20.4. WATERSHED, CLEAN BEACHES, AND WATER QUALITY ACT > 4. Integrated Clean Water Programs > 2. Urban Storm Water Grant Program


text:
(a) The board may award grants under this article to local public agencies and nonprofit organizations for projects that protect the beneficial uses of water throughout the state through the control of nonpoint source pollution.

(b) Except as authorized under subdivision (g), grants may be awarded only for projects that are one or more of the following:

(1) Consistent with local watershed management plans and with regional water quality control plans.

(2) Broad-based nonpoint source pollution projects, including, but not limited to, projects identified in the board’s “Initiatives in NPS Management,” dated September 1995, and in the nonpoint source technical advisory committee reports.

(3) Consistent with the “Integrated Plan for Implementation of the Watershed Management Initiative” prepared by the board and the regional boards.

(4) A project that implements watershed best management practices and measures.

(5) Consistent with the requirements of Section 6217(g) of the federal Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990 and has been identified as a needed project by the board under the 15-year implementation strategy and five-year implementation plan of the board’s nonpoint source pollution control program.

(6) A project that improves the quality of drinking water supplies and addresses contamination by pathogens, organic carbon, or salinity.

(c) Projects funded under this article shall demonstrate a capability of sustaining water quality benefits for a period of not less than 20 years. Categories of nonpoint source pollution addressed by projects may include, but need not be limited to, silviculture, agriculture, urban runoff, mining, hydromodification, grazing, onsite disposal systems, boatyards and marinas, and animal feeding operations.

(d) Projects to address nonpoint source pollution may include, but need not be limited to, wildfire management, installation of vegetative systems to filter or retard pollutant loading, incentive programs or large-scale demonstration programs to reduce commercial reliance on polluting substances or to increase acceptance of alternative methods and materials, and engineered features to minimize impacts of nonpoint source pollution.

(e) Projects funded under this article shall have defined water quality or beneficial use goals.

(f) A local public agency or nonprofit organization that has a project funded under this article shall submit to the board a monitoring and reporting plan that does all of the following:

(1) Identifies one or more nonpoint sources of pollution.

(2) Describes the baseline water quality of the body of water impacted.

(3) Describes the manner in which the proposed practices or measures are implemented.

(4) Determines the effectiveness of the proposed practices or measures in preventing or reducing pollution.

(g) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the board may award grants for demonstration projects that are intended to prevent, reduce, or treat nonpoint source pollution.

(h) A grant recipient shall submit a report to the board, upon completion of the project, that summarizes completed activities and indicates whether the purposes of the project have been met. The report shall include information collected by the grant recipient in accordance with the project monitoring and reporting plan, including, but not limited to, a determination of the effectiveness of the best management practices or management measures implemented as part of the project in preventing or reducing nonpoint source pollution. The board shall make the report available to watershed groups, and federal, state, and local agencies.

path: 20.4. WATERSHED, CLEAN BEACHES, AND WATER QUALITY ACT > 4. Integrated Clean Water Programs > 3. Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program


text:
(a) The board may award grants to public agencies or nonprofit organizations for the purposes of improving agricultural water quality through monitoring, demonstration projects, research, construction of agricultural drainage improvements, and for projects to reduce pollutants in agricultural drainage water through reuse, integrated management, or treatment. Grants made pursuant to this section may be used to provide matching funds for federal grant programs. The board, in consultation with the Department of Food and Agriculture and the program advisory review board established pursuant to Section 593 of the Food and Agricultural Code, shall develop criteria for evaluating projects considered for grants under this section.

(b) (1) On or before June 30, 2005, the board, in consultation with the Department of Food and Agriculture, shall adopt guidelines for a dairy water quality improvement grant program that provides competitive grants for projects, including water quality planning and regional and on-farm projects, and projects undertaken by dairy operators, to reduce threats to, or impairment of, water quality from dairy operations.

(2) In order to be eligible for a grant pursuant to this subdivision, a dairy operator shall have completed the environmental stewardship short course of the dairy quality assurance program, unless the board finds and determines that the operator has taken other similar actions to mitigate adverse environmental effects of its dairy operation.

(c) The board shall specify a matching fund requirement, as a condition of providing grants under subdivision (a) or (b).

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 230, Sec. 16. Effective August 16, 2004.)

path: 20.4. WATERSHED, CLEAN BEACHES, AND WATER QUALITY ACT > 4. Integrated Clean Water Programs > 4. Agricultural Water Quality Grant Program


text: The purpose of this article is to establish a program for integrated watershed management to improve water quality, protect and restore habitat and fisheries, reduce flooding, control erosion and sedimentation, and improve local water supply reliability through better groundwater monitoring, river corridor recreation, forest land and fuel management, and hydropower management.

path: 20.4. WATERSHED, CLEAN BEACHES, AND WATER QUALITY ACT > 4. Integrated Clean Water Programs > 5. Integrated Watershed Management Programs


text: The California Environmental Protection Agency shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Resources Agency to ensure that the program established under this chapter is coordinated with other programs administered by those agencies, including, but not limited to, the grant process set forth in Section 30947. The memorandum of understanding shall establish a stakeholder advisory process to assist in setting priorities and allocating funds. The memorandum of understanding shall be completed and executed on or before April 30, 2003.

article: 5. Integrated Watershed Management Programs


text:
(a) The Integrated Watershed Management Program is hereby established. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, funds allocated to the program may be used by the board, subject to the terms of the memorandum of understanding executed pursuant to Section 30946 to award grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for the development of local watershed management plans that meet the requirements of subdivision (c) of Section 79078 of the Water Code, and for the implementation of watershed protection and water management projects that include one or more of the following elements:

(1) Stormwater capture and treatment.

(2) Nonpoint source pollution reduction, management, and monitoring.

(3) Groundwater recharge and management projects.

(4) Water banking, exchange, and reclamation, and improvement of water quality.

(5) Vegetation management to improve watershed efficiency, aquatic and terrestrial habitat, the creation and enhancement of wetlands, and the acquisition, protection, and restoration of open space.

(6) Planning and implementation of multipurpose flood control programs that protect property and improve water quality and stormwater capture and percolation, and protect or improve wildlife habitat.

(7) Watershed management planning and implementation.

(8) Demonstration projects to develop new water treatment distribution and nonpoint source pollution control methods.

(9) Erosion sediment control and stream enhancement projects, and permit coordination programs to facilitate watershed restoration projects that implement board approved management measures for polluted runoff.

(10) Monitoring, collection, and analysis of water quality and pollutant transport in groundwater and surface water.

(11) Native fisheries enhancement or improvement projects, and projects to restore other threatened species.

(12) Water conservation, water use efficiency, and water supply reliability.

(13) An enforceable waste discharge program, by a person who is subject to Article 4 (commencing with Section 13260) of Chapter 4 of Division 7 of the Water Code and for whom the board has a name and address, that implements best management practices and includes all of the following:

(A) A clear description of how a project will achieve and maintain water quality standards.

(B) A monitoring component that assesses the effectiveness of adopted practices.

(C) Submission of a report of waste discharge to the appropriate regional water quality control board.

(b) Upon completion of the project, the grantee shall submit a report to the board that summarizes the completed activities and indicates whether the purposes of the project have been met. The report shall include information collected by the grantee in accordance with the project monitoring and reporting plan, including, but not limited to, a determination of the effectiveness of the project in preventing or reducing pollution and the results of the monitoring program. The board shall make the report available to the public, watershed groups, and federal, state, and local agencies.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 493, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2004.)


text:
Consistent with Section 30947, the board shall establish an accelerated selection and contracting procedure for projects that meet all of the following criteria:

(a) The project is part of an approved watershed management plan consistent with Section 30947.

(b) The project is fully permitted and ready to be implemented.

(c) Funding for the project includes matching funds or services donated from nonstate sources.


text: No more than 50 percent of the funds made available to the board for the purposes of this article shall be used for the purposes of Section 30948.


text:
(a) For the purposes of this article, “small community” means a municipality with a population of 20,000 persons or less, a rural county, or a reasonably isolated and divisible segment of a larger municipality where the segment of the population is 20,000 persons or less, with a financial hardship, as determined by the board.

(b) The board may award grants under this article to assist small communities in complying with groundwater contaminant level requirements.

(c) The board may award grants under this article to local public agencies and private not-for-profit water companies.

(d) The board shall give priority to the following types of projects:

(1) Projects to provide an alternate source of water or to treat water where the existing supply of groundwater exceeds the maximum contaminant level of arsenic.

(2) Projects to provide an alternate source of water or to treat water where the existing supply of groundwater exceeds the maximum contaminant level for nitrate.

(3) Projects identified by the board, in consultation with the State Department of Health Services, as having a priority to address the needs of small community water systems.

(e) The board may make funds available under this article in each fiscal year to provide technical assistance or planning grants, or both, to small communities.

history: (History: Amended (as added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 727) by Stats. 2003, Ch. 493, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2004.)

path: 20.4. WATERSHED, CLEAN BEACHES, AND WATER QUALITY ACT > 4. Integrated Clean Water Programs > 6. Small Community Groundwater Grant Program


text: The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency shall initiate a comprehensive, long-range planning process for the use of ocean waters offshore of California, may use the advisory panel appointed pursuant to Section 6231 as the planning committee, and may use the California Sea Grant Program to promote sound scientific data analysis and assessment in this planning process.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 561, Sec. 207. (AB 1516) Effective January 1, 2018.)

division: 20.5. OCEAN USE PLANNING

path: 20.5. OCEAN USE PLANNING


text: This division shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Sea Level Rise Mitigation and Adaptation Act of 2021.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 236, Sec. 5. (SB 1) Effective January 1, 2022.)

division: 20.6.5. CALIFORNIA SEA LEVEL RISE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION ACT OF 2021


text:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) California has 1,264 miles of coastline, and, if small bays and inlets are included, it has up to 3,000 miles of coastline located on the western seaboard of the United States, all of which is prone to the severe and pervasive effects of sea level rise.

(b) According to the “State of California Sea-Level Rise Guidance Document” issued by the Natural Resources Agency and the Ocean Protection Council, the impacts of sea level rise on the state will be significant and pervasive, and could occur as soon as within the next decade.

(c) (1) As with most impacts from climate change, the impacts of sea level rise are both environmental and economic, including losses to publicly owned infrastructure, such as airports, rail lines, streets and highways, pipelines, waste water treatment plants, schools, hospitals, and other facilities.

(2) For example, the catastrophic inundation, flooding, and property damage from a small rise in sea level, combined with a 1-in-10 likelihood of a Pacific storm, could amount to tens of billions of dollars in uninsured losses of structures and properties.

(3) A 2015 assessment by the Risky Business Project, led by former United States Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson and other business leaders, found that between eight billion dollars ($8,000,000,000) and ten billion dollars ($10,000,000,000) of existing property in the state is likely to be underwater by the year 2050 if current trends continue.

(4) According to the 2015 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report, The National Significance of California’s Coastal Economy, “California’s 19 coastal counties generated $662 billion in wages and $1.7 trillion in GDP in 2012” and “California’s ocean-related activities represent a substantial portion of the U.S. ocean economy as a whole—13 percent of the establishments, 14 percent of the employment and wages, and 12 percent of the GDP in 2012,” all of which would be adversely affected by sea level rise.

(5) Recent reports in periodicals, such as the Los Angeles Times, state succinctly that “Destruction from sea level rise in California could exceed worst wildfires and earthquakes.”

(d) For the economy, the natural environment, and the people of California, it is urgent that the state enact new statutes to plan for, anticipate, and respond to sea level rise.

(e) The purpose of this division is to establish new planning, assessment, funding, and mitigation tools for California to address and respond to sea level rise.

path: 20.6.5. CALIFORNIA SEA LEVEL RISE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION ACT OF 2021


text:
(a) (1) There is hereby created within the Ocean Protection Council the California Sea Level Rise State and Regional Support Collaborative.

(2) In its role as the collaborative, the Ocean Protection Council shall coordinate with the other state planning and coastal management agencies, including, but not limited to, the Office of Planning and Research, the Strategic Growth Council, the State Lands Commission, the California Coastal Commission, the State Coastal Conservancy, and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, to administer the grants and on the kind of information and support it provides local, regional, and other state agencies consistent with their statutory authority.

(b) The collaborative shall provide state and regional information to the public and support to local, regional, and other state agencies for the identification, assessment, planning, and, where feasible, the mitigation of the adverse environmental, social, and economic effects of sea level rise within the coastal zone and the area under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, pursuant to Section 66610 of the Government Code. The support the collaborative provides to local and regional agencies shall include, but not be limited to, technical assistance on updating local and regional land use plans to take into account sea level rise.


text:
(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act, the collaborative shall expend not more than one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) annually from appropriate bond funds and other sources for the purposes of making grants to local and regional governments to update local and regional land use plans to take into account sea level rise, and for directly related investments to implement those plans. Priority shall be given to those local and regional governments that have agreed most effectively and urgently to plan for and implement actions to address sea level rise.

(b) As part of the adoption of the annual Budget Act, the Secretary of Environmental Protection and the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency shall annually appear before the budget committees of both houses of the Legislature regarding the implementation of this division.


text:
(a) A local government lying, in whole or in part, within the coastal zone or within the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission shall develop a sea level rise plan as part of either of the following, as applicable:

(1) A local coastal program that is subject to approval by the California Coastal Commission consistent with the guidelines established pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 30985.2.

(2) A subregional San Francisco Bay shoreline resiliency plan that is subject to approval by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission consistent with the guidelines established pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 30985.2.

(b) The sea level rise plan required pursuant to subdivision (a) shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:

(1) The use of the best available science.

(2) A vulnerability assessment that includes efforts to ensure equity for at-risk communities.

(3) Sea level rise adaptation strategies and recommended projects.

(4) Identification of lead planning and implementation agencies.

(5) A timeline for updates, as needed, based on conditions and projections and as determined by the local government in agreement with the California Coastal Commission or the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, as applicable.

(c) A timeline for sea level rise plan updates, as required pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (b), shall include economic impact analyses of, at a minimum, costs to critical public infrastructure and recommended approaches for implementing the sea level rise adaptation strategies and recommended projects pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (b).

(d) All local governments subject to the requirements of subdivision (a) shall comply with this section by January 1, 2034.

(e) For purposes of this section, “critical public infrastructure” includes, but is not limited to, transit, roads, airports, ports, water storage, and conveyance, wastewater treatment facilities, landfills, powerplants, and railroads.

(f) The California Coastal Commission or the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission may deem existing sea level rise information or sea level rise plans prepared by a local government to satisfy one or all of the requirements of subdivisions (b) and (c).

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 286, Sec. 1. (AB 996) Effective January 1, 2026. Conditionally operative pursuant to Section 30985.6.)

division: 20.6.9. SEA LEVEL RISE PLANNING AND ADAPTATION


text:
(a) On or before December 31, 2024, the California Coastal Commission, in close coordination with the Ocean Protection Council and the California Sea Level Rise State and Regional Support Collaborative, shall establish guidelines for the preparation of the sea level rise plan required pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 30985. The guidelines shall recognize and build upon the baseline policies as described in the “Sea Level Rise Working Group: 2021 Work Products” as published by the California Coastal Commission on December 3, 2021.

(b) On or before December 31, 2024, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, in close coordination with the California Coastal Commission, the Ocean Protection Council, and the California Sea Level Rise State and Regional Support Collaborative, shall establish guidelines for the preparation of the sea level rise plan required pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 30985. The guidelines shall recognize and build upon the “guiding principles of the joint platform” as described on page 16 of the “Bay Adapt Regional Strategy for a Rising Bay Joint Platform” adopted by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission on October 21, 2021.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 384, Sec. 2. (SB 272) Effective January 1, 2024. Conditionally operative pursuant to Section 30985.6.)

path: 20.6.9. SEA LEVEL RISE PLANNING AND ADAPTATION


text: This division does not reduce, alter, or diminish the authority of a state or local agency.


text: Local governments that receive approval by the California Coastal Commission or the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, as applicable, pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 30985 shall be prioritized for funding, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the implementation of sea level rise adaptation strategies and recommended projects in the local government’s approved sea level rise plan.


text: The operation of this division is contingent upon an appropriation for its purposes by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 384, Sec. 2. (SB 272) Effective January 1, 2024.)


text:
(a) A local government is encouraged to consult with the California Coastal Commission, on or before January 1, 2029, in preparation of a local coastal program or an amendment to a local coastal program pursuant to this division to ensure that, upon formal submission of the local coastal program or an amendment to the local coastal program to the California Coastal Commission, the materials are sufficient for a thorough and complete review.

(b) A local government’s participation in an early consultation pursuant to this section is voluntary. An early consultation is intended to help a local government to timely meet the requirements of this division. Participation in an early consultation at any time shall not prevent a local government from submitting a sea level rise plan as required by this division.

(c) If a local government seeks to engage in an early consultation at any time with the California Coastal Commission, the following shall occur:

(1) A local government shall initiate the early consultation by notifying California Coastal Commission staff in writing that the local government seeks to engage in a consultation. After providing this notification, the local government shall provide the California Coastal Commission a summary report on the status of its efforts to develop a sea level rise plan pursuant to Section 30985, including any draft components as outlined in subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 30985, and may provide a draft local coastal program or an amendment to a local coastal program that is intended to satisfy the requirement of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 30985.

(2) An early consultation may include a singular meeting or regular meetings. The meeting schedule shall be mutually agreed upon by the local government and the California Coastal Commission.

(3) California Coastal Commission staff shall offer written recommendations to a local government about what may preclude certification of a local coastal program or an amendment to a local coastal program, including, but not limited to, information about what satisfies the requirements of subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 30985.

(4) California Coastal Commission staff shall provide recommendations in a reasonable timeframe that is mutually agreed upon by both the local government and the commission.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 286, Sec. 2. (AB 996) Effective January 1, 2026. Conditionally operative pursuant to Section 30985.6.)


text:
For purposes of this division, the following definitions apply:

(a) “California Sea Level Rise State and Regional Support Collaborative” means the California Sea Level Rise State and Regional Support Collaborative created pursuant to Section 30972.

(b) “Coastal zone” has the same meaning as defined in Section 30103.

(c) “Jurisdiction of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission” means the area described in Section 66610 of the Government Code.

(d) “Local coastal program” has the same meaning as defined in Section 30108.6.

(e) “Local government” has the same meaning as defined in Section 30109.


text:
(a)The Legislature finds and declares that Santa Monica Bay is a public trust for present and future generations of Californians, and an invaluable element in the ecosystem of southern California.

(b) The biological health and recreational resources of Santa Monica Bay are threatened by the historical accumulation of DDT, PCBs and other toxic pollutants, pathogens, nutrients, stormwater and urban runoff, nonpoint pollutant sources, oil spills, and industrial discharges, increasing with population pressures in the region.

(c) Santa Monica Bay’s Palos Verdes Shelf has been identified as a federal Superfund site, and designated under the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program. Since 1988, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has designated the former Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project as an agency to plan for the Santa Monica Bay’s restoration, and to oversee implementation of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Plan. The State of California has expended millions of dollars for the administration of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project, and the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2000 (the Villaraigosa-Keeley Act; Chapter 1.692 (commencing with Section 5096.300) of Division 5 of the Public Resources Code) earmarks up to twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000) for Santa Monica Bay restoration projects, as identified by the former Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project.

(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission be a nonregulatory, locally based state government entity that will monitor, assess, coordinate, and advise all state programs, and oversee funding that affects the beneficial uses, restoration, and enhancement of Santa Monica Bay and its watershed.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 598, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2003.)

division: 20.7. SANTA MONICA BAY RESTORATION

path: 20.7. SANTA MONICA BAY RESTORATION


text:
(a) The Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project is hereby renamed the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission. The commission shall independently execute the duties described in this section, and the State Water Resources Control Board shall provide administrative services to the commission. Any reference in any statute to the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project shall be deemed to be a reference to the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission.

(b) (1) The Secretary for Environmental Protection, the Secretary of the Resources Agency, and the Chair of the Bay Watershed Council of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission shall enter into a memorandum of understanding that ensures the coordination of state programs affecting Santa Monica Bay, and that delineates the authority of that commission, and its governance structure with respect to the implementation of those state programs. The commission membership shall be prescribed in the memorandum of understanding, and shall include federal, state, and local public agency officials and employees, and representatives of other stakeholder interests.

(c) The commission may do all of the following:

(1) Request and receive federal, state, local, and private funds from any source, and expend those moneys for the restoration and enhancement of Santa Monica Bay and its watershed.

(2) Award and administer grants for the restoration and enhancement of Santa Monica Bay and its watershed.

(3) Enter into contracts and joint powers authority agreements, as necessary, to carry out the purposes of the commission.

(4) Monitor, assess, and coordinate activities among federal, state, and local agencies and, where appropriate, private firms, to restore and enhance Santa Monica Bay and its watershed.

(d) (1) The Santa Monica Bay Restoration Account is hereby created in the State Treasury, and moneys in the account may be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to support the activities of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission.

(2) The balance of any funds previously appropriated by the Legislature, prior to January 1, 2003, from the General Fund or from bond proceeds to support the activities of the former Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project shall be transferred into the account.

(3) (A) Funds transferred to the account that are derived from an appropriation from the General Fund are available for expenditure only for the duration originally authorized and only for a purpose authorized by this division as it read on December 31, 2002.

(B) Funds transferred to the account that are derived from an appropriation of bond proceeds are available for expenditure only for the duration originally authorized and may be expended for any purpose authorized by this division on and after January 1, 2003.

history: (History: Repealed and added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 598, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 2003.)


text:
The Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission shall prioritize in its educational, monitoring, and bond proceeds expenditure decisions, proposals, or projects designed to achieve bay restoration objectives including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(a) The reduction or elimination of stormwater, urban runoff, and point and nonpoint source pollution.

(b) The reduction or prevention of the threat of oil and sewage spills and leaks.

(c) The reduction and prevention of beach erosion.

(d) The reduction and prevention of public health threats from pollution.

(e) The prevention and restoration of, and protection against, loss of wetlands, coastal and riparian habitats, and Santa Monica Bay’s natural and living resources.

(f) Effective enforcement of appropriate environmental laws.

(g) Public education and warnings of any dangers of consuming contaminated seafood.

(h) Increased public education concerning the Santa Monica Bay in collaboration with universities and grades K-12 schools.

(i) Assuring that ocean resources are accessible to all Californians regardless of socioeconomic status, and are preserved and enhanced for future generations.

history: (History: Added by renumbering Section 30988.4 by Stats. 2002, Ch. 598, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2003.)


text: Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions in this chapter govern the construction of this division.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1441.)

division: 21. STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY

chapter: 1. General Provisions and Definitions

path: 21. STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY > 1. General Provisions and Definitions


text: “Certified local coastal plan or program” means any plan or program or land use plan of a local program adopted by the commission pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 30500) of Division 20.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 807.)


text: “Conservancy” means the State Coastal Conservancy.


text: “Commission” means the California Coastal Commission established under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 30300) of Division 20.


text: “Bay commission” means the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, established under Title 7.2 (commencing with Section 66600) of the Government Code.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 967, Sec. 1.)


text:
(a) “Coastal zone” means that area of the state as defined in Section 30103. Only for purposes of conservancy action in San Francisco Bay, the “coastal zone” also includes areas that are within the permit jurisdiction of the bay commission, as described in Section 66610 of the Government Code, with the exception of Contra Costa County lands from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge north and east to the termination of the bay commission boundary, except as provided in subdivision (b), as well as any uplands, wetlands, marshes, diked lands, and other watershed lands that significantly affect the environmental quality of the bay or are directly related to the public’s use and enjoyment of the bay, and other watershed lands within the nine counties adjacent to the bay that have waters that flow directly into the bay or the ocean.

(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), with respect to lands within Contra Costa County that are included within the permit jurisdiction of the bay commission, as described in Section 66610 of the Government Code, or that consist of any uplands, wetlands, marshes, diked lands, or other watershed lands that significantly affect the environmental quality of the bay or are directly related to the public’s use and enjoyment of the bay, the local public agency having jurisdiction over any such lands may formally request conservancy action by resolution.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 896, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1998.)


text: “Coastal restoration project” means an action taken by a public agency, including the conservancy, or a nonprofit organization, to correct undesirable development patterns in the coastal zone.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 958, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2003.)


text: “Coastal resource enhancement project” means an action taken by a public agency, including the conservancy, or a nonprofit organization, to restore, as nearly as possible, degraded natural areas to their original condition or to enhance the resource values of a coastal zone.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 958, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2003.)


text: “Department” means the Department of Parks and Recreation.


text: “Local public agency” includes, but is not limited to, a city, county, city and county, district, association of governments, or joint powers agency.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 958, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2003.)


text: Any funds received by the department pursuant to this division shall be deposited in the State Parks and Recreation Fund. Unless otherwise provided in this division, any funds received by the conservancy pursuant to this division shall be deposited in the State Coastal Conservancy Fund. The conservancy and the Controller shall establish separate accounts within the State Coastal Conservancy Fund for the purpose of separating deposits into the fund according to their origin.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1984, Ch. 1551, Sec. 2.)


text:
(a) The Coastal Trust Fund is hereby established in the State Treasury, to receive and disburse funds paid to the conservancy in trust, subject to the right of recovery to fulfill the purposes of the trust, as provided in this section.

(b) (1) There is in the Coastal Trust Fund the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program Account, which shall be expended solely for the purposes of Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 31160).

(2) The conservancy shall deposit in the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program Account all funds received by the conservancy for the purposes of the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program established under Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 31160), from sources other than the state or federal government and not provided for in subdivision (a) of Section 31164. These funds include, but are not limited to, private donations, fees, penalties, and local government contributions.

(c) (1) There is in the Coastal Trust Fund the Coastal Program Account. Funds in the Coastal Program Account shall be expended solely for their specified trust purposes.

(2) Upon approval of the Department of Finance, the conservancy shall deposit in the Coastal Program Account all funds paid to the conservancy in trust for purposes of this division, except those funds identified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b). The funds that shall be deposited in the Coastal Program Account, upon that approval, include, but are not limited to, funds that are paid to the conservancy in trust for purposes of mitigation, for settlement of litigation, instead of other conditions of coastal development permits or other regulatory entitlements, or for other trust purposes consistent with this division and specified by the terms of a gift or contract. Funds in the Coastal Program Account shall be separately accounted for according to their source and trust purpose. Funds shall not be deposited in the Coastal Program Account without the Department of Finance’s approval.

(d) (1) There is in the Coastal Trust Fund the California Climate Resilience Account. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, and except as provided in paragraph (6), funds in the account are continuously appropriated to the conservancy, as follows, without regard to fiscal year. Funds shall be expended by the conservancy, the California Coastal Commission, and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission for coastal zone management planning and implementation activities to address the risks and impacts of climate change, sea level rise, and associated extreme events to coastal and bay communities and natural resources. The purpose of the account is to support project implementation, capital outlay, and local assistance grants. Up to 10 percent of the funds shall be available for administrative costs.

(2) Except as specified by an instrument imposing conditions on the use or expenditure of the specific funds provided, funds appropriated for these purposes shall be allocated as follows:

(A) To the California Coastal Commission, 20 percent of the funds deposited in the account during each fiscal year.

(B) To the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, 20 percent of the funds deposited in the account during each fiscal year.

(C) To the conservancy, 60 percent of the funds deposited in the account during each fiscal year.

(3) Funds in the account shall be expended solely for their specified purposes.

(4) Funds that may be deposited into the California Climate Resilience Account include, but are not limited to, appropriations and grants, funds from the federal government, regional planning agencies, and local governments, fees, litigation settlements, permits, and mitigation requirements, and private donations that are eligible to be spent for the purposes of the account.

(5) Nothing in this section shall apply to funds eligible for deposit in the Bay Fill Clean-Up and Abatement Fund pursuant to Section 66647 of the Government Code or to any funds collected pursuant to the California Coastal Act of 1976 (Division 20 (commencing with Section 30000)).

(6) To the extent that any funds are appropriated into the account by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act, those funds shall be segregated for purposes of accounting. Funds appropriated into the account by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act shall not be continuously appropriated and are subject to the provisions of Section 16304 of the Government Code.

(e) Interest that accrues on funds in the Coastal Trust Fund shall be retained in the Coastal Trust Fund and available for expenditure by the conservancy for the trust purposes.

(f) The conservancy shall maintain separate accountings of funds within the Coastal Trust Fund, pursuant to its fiduciary duties, for the purpose of separating deposits and interest on those deposits, according to their trust purposes.

(g) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, and except as provided in subdivision (d), all funds in the Coastal Trust Fund are continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal year, to the conservancy to fulfill the trust purposes for which the payments of funds were made.

(h) The conservancy shall provide an annual accounting to the Department of Finance of the conservancy’s expenditures from, and other activities related to, the Coastal Trust Fund.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 35, Sec. 148. (SB 861) Effective June 20, 2014.)


text: “Nonprofit organization” means any private, nonprofit organization that qualifies under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 469, Sec. 8. (SB 785) Effective January 1, 2020.)


text: “Bay plan” means the San Francisco Bay Plan as adopted by the bay commission.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 967, Sec. 3.)


text: “Suisun Marsh Protection Plan” means the plan approved as provided in Division 19 (commencing with Section 29000).

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 967, Sec. 4.)


text: “Local plan” means any land use plan of a local public agency, port district, regional park or open-space district, or recreation and park district whose jurisdiction is included, in whole or in part, within the jurisdiction of the conservancy within San Francisco Bay in the areas described in Section 31006.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 967, Sec. 4.5.)


text: “Public agency” includes, but is not limited to, local public agencies, state agencies, federal agencies, colleges and universities, intergovernmental bodies, and federally recognized Indian tribes.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 958, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 2003.)


text: The Legislature finds and declares that the agricultural lands located within the coastal zone contribute substantially to the state and national food supply and are a vital part of the state’s economy.

path: 21. STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY > 2. Declaration of State Policy and General Provisions


text: The Legislature further finds and declares that agricultural lands located within the coastal zone should be protected from intrusion of nonagricultural uses, except where conversion to urban or other uses is in the long-term public interest.

chapter: 2. Declaration of State Policy and General Provisions


text: The Legislature further finds and declares that lands within the coastal zone, principally in rural areas, are vacant or improperly utilized because of inadequate circulation patterns, poor lot layout, scattered ownerships, lack of recreation and open space, and other conditions which adversely affect the coastal environment and reduce opportunities for orderly development.


text: The Legislature further finds and declares that important fish and wildlife habitat, natural areas, and scenic and environmental resources within the coastal zone have been degraded due to indiscriminate dredging, filling, and the intrusion of incompatible land uses.


text: It is the policy of the state and the intent of the Legislature to provide for the State Coastal Conservancy, which should report to the Governor and to the Legislature, with responsibility for implementing a program of agricultural protection, area restoration, and resource enhancement in the coastal zone within policies and guidelines established pursuant to Division 20 (commencing with Section 30000).


text: No funds may be expended or granted under this division, unless and until such funds are appropriated by the Legislature.


text:
(a) The conservancy is not required to provide funding for projects within the San Francisco Bay in the areas described in Section 31006, until the Legislature appropriates funds for such purposes.

The conservancy shall expend funds specifically identified for the San Francisco Bay, whether from public or private sources, in the San Francisco Bay.

(b) The bay commission may annually prepare and adopt a list of priority areas and concerns which are essential to the orderly implementation of the bay plan and the Suisun Marsh Protection Plan. The priority list shall provide guidance to the conservancy in its selection of San Francisco Bay projects.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 967, Sec. 5.)


text:
There is in the Resources Agency the State Coastal Conservancy, consisting of the following seven members:

(a) The chairperson of the commission.

(b) The Secretary of the Resources Agency.

(c) The Director of Finance.

(d) Four members of the public, of which two shall be appointed by the Governor, one shall be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and one shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. Of the members appointed by the Governor, not more than one may be an elected official of a local government, and the official shall have been elected to an office in a local government whose territory is located wholly or partially in the coastal zone.

Except for members appointed pursuant to subdivision (d), the members of the conservancy may designate one of their employees to serve on the conservancy in their absence.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1985, Ch. 1224, Sec. 1.)

path: 21. STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY > 3. Establishment and Functions of the State Coastal Conservancy


text: Three Members of the Senate, appointed by the Senate Rules Committee, and three Members of the Assembly, appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, shall meet with the conservancy and participate in its activities to the extent that such participation is not incompatible with their respective positions as Members of the Legislature.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1979, Ch. 930.)

chapter: 3. Establishment and Functions of the State Coastal Conservancy


text:
(a) The members appointed under subdivisions (a) and (d) of Section 31100 shall serve for a term of four years. However, if a member is appointed under subdivision (d) by reason of his or her status as a locally elected official, his or her membership shall cease 60 days after his or her term of office as a locally elected official ceases, and the Governor may appoint another person to complete the remainder of his or her term. Any person appointed under subdivision (d) of Section 31100 shall not be disqualified for membership and may complete his or her term in the event he or she is elected to a local office after his or her appointment.

(b) Members appointed under subdivisions (a) and (d) of Section 31100 shall be compensated for attendance at regular meetings of the conservancy at the rate of one hundred dollars ($100) per day, and shall be reimbursed for the actual and necessary expenses, including traveling expenses, incurred in the performance of their duties.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 248, Sec. 210.)


text: The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency shall select one of the public members to serve as the chair of the conservancy. The public member shall serve as chair at the pleasure of the secretary. A majority of the total authorized membership of the conservancy shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business under this division. The conservancy shall adopt its own regulations.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 213, Sec. 20. (AB 2768) Effective January 1, 2011.)


text: The conservancy shall determine the qualifications of, and it shall appoint and fix the salary of, the executive officer of the conservancy, who shall be exempt from civil service, and shall appoint such other staff as may be necessary to carry out the powers and functions set forth in this division. To the maximum extent possible, the conservancy shall utilize the staff of the commission for purposes of planning and project evaluation, and the staff of the Real Estate Services Division of the Department of General Services in carrying out acquisition, leasing, disposal, and other real property transactions authorized under this division.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1441.)


text:
Pursuant to Section 1090 of the Government Code, an officer or employee of the conservancy shall not be deemed to be financially interested in a contract made in their official capacity when all of the following conditions are met:

(a) The financial interest in question is limited to the individual’s salary, per diem, or reimbursement for expenses as an officer or employee of the conservancy.

(b) The individual is performing staff functions for the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority as part of their employment by the conservancy.

(c) The contract involves a grant of funds by the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority to the conservancy.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 258, Sec. 25. (SB 155) Effective September 23, 2021.)


text: The conservancy may apply for and accept federal grants and receive gifts, donations, subventions, rents, royalties, and other financial support from public and private sources.


text: The conservancy shall serve as a repository for lands whose reservation is required to meet the policies and objectives of the California Coastal Act of 1976 (Division 20 (commencing with Section 30000)), a certified local coastal plan or program, or the San Francisco Bay Plan as implemented by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission pursuant to Title 7.2 (commencing with Section 66600) of the Government Code. Pursuant to that authority, the conservancy may accept dedication of fee title, easements, development rights, or other interests in lands, including interests required to provide public access to recreation and resources areas in the coastal zone.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 110, Sec. 1. Effective June 27, 1994.)


text: The conservancy is the designated agency in the state for planning and coordinating federal surplus land sales in the coastal zone.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 505, Sec. 1. Effective July 13, 1982.)


text:
On an annual basis or as may be required, the executive officer of the conservancy shall report to the Director of General Services regarding privately owned properties within the conservancy’s jurisdiction which have special significance and which might appropriately be the subject of trades for lands owned by the state for the purposes of preserving natural resources and moderating the impacts of regulation with the coastal zone. A particular property shall be included in any report only upon agreement of the owner.

For purposes of this section, “special significance” means having importance because of the land’s value for (1) public access, (2) public recreation, (3) wetlands, riparian, or other natural habitat, (4) open space, or (5) agricultural use.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 1481, Sec. 3.)


text: The conservancy is authorized to acquire, pursuant to the Property Acquisition Law (Part 11 (commencing with Section 15850), Division 3, Title 2 of the Government Code) real property or any interests therein for all of the purposes specified in this division.


text: The State Public Works Board may, pursuant to Section 31105, use the power of eminent domain for the purposes specified in this division.


text: Notwithstanding other provisions of law, the Director of General Services, when so requested by the conservancy, shall lease, rent, sell, exchange, or otherwise transfer any land, interest therein, or option acquired pursuant to this division, pursuant to an implementation plan approved by the conservancy. Leases entered into pursuant to the provisions of this division shall not provide for a period longer than 10 years. Proceeds from any such lease, rental, sale, exchange, or transfer of land, interest therein, or option thereon, shall be deposited with the conservancy and shall be available for expenditure when appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose of funding the programs specified in this division.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1980, Ch. 667, Sec. 1.)


text: The Department of General Services and the conservancy shall jointly develop and implement appropriate procedures to ensure that land acquisition, leasing, options to purchase, land disposal, and other property transactions undertaken in accordance with the provisions of this division are carried out efficiently and equitably and with proper notice to the public.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 807.)


text:
On January 2, three years after the most recent report was submitted, the conservancy shall prepare and submit to the Governor and to the Legislature a report describing progress in achieving the objectives of this division and shall prepare and submit an additional report every three years thereafter. The report shall include the following:

(a) An evaluation of the effectiveness of the conservancy’s programs in preserving agricultural lands, restoring coastal habitat, providing public access to the coastline, and in undertaking other functions prescribed in this division.

(b) Identification of additional funding, legislation, or other resources required to more effectively carry out the objectives of this division.

(c) A discussion of its progress in addressing the goals, priority areas, and concerns referenced in subdivision (a) of Section 31163, including, but not limited to, any funds that are received or disbursed for purposes related to addressing those goals, priority areas, and concerns.

(d) A discussion of its progress in implementing the Lower Cost Coastal Accommodations Program established pursuant to Section 31412.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 755, Sec. 3. (AB 1570) Effective January 1, 2022.)


text: The conservancy shall not expend any fees received pursuant to Section 30526, except to restore, replace, or improve resources or ecological systems in a manner that is consistent with the certified local coastal program of the local public agency in whose jurisdiction the development is located, or in whose jurisdiction the site of the mitigation project is to be located, as the case may be, and only after full consultation and consent of that local public agency.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 198, Sec. 2.)


text: Where certification of a local coastal plan or program is required under this division as a condition of action by the conservancy, the conservancy may take such action, including the funding of projects prior to certification, when the action is identified in a local issue identification and work program which has been approved by the California Coastal Commission. However, in undertaking actions prior to certification of a local coastal plan or program, the conservancy shall follow other applicable project review and approval requirements set forth in this division.


text:
In implementing this division, the conservancy may fund and do all of the following:

(a) Prepare plans and feasibility studies.

(b) Provide technical assistance.

(c) Award grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for the purposes of subdivisions (a) and (b).

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 701, Sec. 1. (SB 367) Effective January 1, 2020.)


text: When granting funds appropriated by Assembly Bill 74 (Chapter 23 of the Statutes of 2019) for purposes of addressing transboundary flows and pollution in the Tijuana River Valley, the conservancy is encouraged to prioritize those projects identified in the studies described in subdivision (b) of Section 5907.5, to the extent feasible.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 381, Sec. 1. (SB 690) Effective January 1, 2020.)


text:
(a) In implementing this division, the conservancy may award a grant to a for-profit entity to accomplish the removal or alteration of the San Clemente Dam if the conservancy finds that the project is of regional or statewide significance and that a grant to a public agency or nonprofit organization would not achieve removal or alteration of the San Clemente Dam.

(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), total expenditures of state moneys for the removal or alteration of the San Clemente Dam and related activities shall not exceed thirty million dollars ($30,000,000).

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 664, Sec. 6. (AB 1478) Effective September 27, 2014.)


text: With respect to its publications, the conservancy may accept subscriptions and nonpolitical advertising, and proceeds from them. All proceeds shall be deposited into the State Coastal Conservancy Fund and be available for expenditure upon appropriation by the Legislature.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 958, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2003.)


text:
(a) The Climate Ready Program is hereby established and shall be administered by the conservancy to address the impacts and potential impacts of climate change on resources within the conservancy’s jurisdiction.

(b) In implementing this division, the conservancy may undertake projects within its jurisdiction, including, but not limited to, those that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, address extreme weather events, sea level rise, storm surge, beach and bluff erosion, salt water intrusion, flooding, and other coastal hazards that threaten coastal communities, infrastructure, and natural resources.

(c) Pursuant to the Climate Ready Program, the conservancy may award grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for activities authorized pursuant to subdivision (b). In awarding the grants, the conservancy shall, to the extent allowed, prioritize projects that maximize public benefits and that accomplish either of the following:

(1) Reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, reduce hazards to harbors and ports, preserve and enhance coastal wetlands and natural lands, conserve biodiversity, and provide recreational opportunities.

(2) Reduce flood risk and enhance fish and wildlife habitat, including projects with multiple benefits that remove sediment where the excavated material can be used to enhance shorelines or ecosystems.

(d) (1) The conservancy shall do all of the following:

(A) Prioritize projects that use natural infrastructure in coastal communities to help adapt to climate change.

(B) Prioritize projects that provide multiple public benefits, including, but not limited to, protection of communities, natural resources, and recreational opportunities.

(C) Give consideration to projects in a variety of ecosystems along the state’s coastline, including, but not limited to, the protection and expansion of coastal estuaries and lagoons that provide critical feeding and nursery habitat for juvenile fish species and foraging habitat for migratory waterfowl and other waterbirds, including eelgrass habitat.

(2) The conservancy shall provide information to the Office of Planning and Research on any projects funded pursuant to this subdivision to be considered for inclusion into the clearinghouse for climate adaption information, established pursuant to Section 71360.

(3) The conservancy may provide technical assistance to coastal communities to better assist them with their projects that use natural infrastructure.

(4) For purposes of this subdivision, “natural infrastructure” means using natural ecological systems or processes to reduce vulnerability to climate change related hazards, or other related climate change effects, while increasing the long-term adaptive capacity of coastal and inland areas by perpetuating or restoring ecosystem services. This includes, but is not limited to, the conservation, preservation, or sustainable management of any form of aquatic or terrestrial vegetated open space, such as beaches, dunes, tidal marshes, reefs, seagrass, parks, rain gardens, and urban tree canopies. It also includes systems and practices that use or mimic natural processes, such as permeable pavements, bioswales, and other engineered systems, such as levees that are combined with restored natural systems, to provide clean water, conserve ecosystem values and functions, and provide a wide array of benefits to people and wildlife.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 60, Sec. 38. (AB 203) Effective June 30, 2022.)


text: When a state agency that owns or manages land or water areas within the coastal zone has identified sensitive resource values and locations and types of development pursuant to Section 30525, and when the commission has certified that acquisition of less than fee title in land or water areas within the coastal zone is consistent with the provisions of Division 20 (commencing with Section 30000) and is necessary to ensure protection of sensitive resource values, the conservancy may award a grant or grants to such state agency for the purpose of acquisition of less than fee title in such land or water areas pursuant to the Property Acquisition Law (commencing with Section 15850 of the Government Code). Grants made pursuant to this section may not be used as a method of acquisition of land or water areas that are intended to be an integral part of a public land holding.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1979, Ch. 930.)


text: Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the conservancy may undertake projects in the City of San Juan Capistrano pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 31150) and Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 31350).

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 505, Sec. 2. Effective July 13, 1982.)


text:
(a) Funds may be granted to a nonprofit organization under this division if the nonprofit organization enters into an agreement with the conservancy, subject to terms and conditions specified by the conservancy.

(b) In the case of a grant for land acquisition, the agreement shall provide all of the following:

(1) The purchase price of any interest in land acquired by the nonprofit organization may not exceed fair market value as established by an appraisal approved by the conservancy.

(2) The conservancy shall approve the terms under which the interest in land is acquired.

(3) The interest in land acquired pursuant to a grant from the conservancy may not be used as security for any debt to be incurred by the nonprofit organization unless the conservancy approves the transaction.

(4) The transfer of land acquired pursuant to a conservancy grant shall be subject to the approval of the conservancy and a new agreement sufficient to protect the interest of the people of California shall be entered into with the transferee.

(5) If any essential term or condition is violated, title to all interest in real property acquired with state funds shall immediately vest in the state.

(6) If the existence of the nonprofit organization is terminated for any reason, title to all interest in real property acquired with state funds shall immediately vest in the state unless another appropriate public agency or nonprofit organization is identified by the conservancy and agrees to accept title to all interests in real property.

(c) Any deed or other instrument of conveyance whereby real property is being acquired by a nonprofit organization pursuant to this section shall set forth the reversionary interest of the state.

(d) The conservancy shall also require an agreement sufficient to protect the public interest in any improvement or development constructed under a grant to a nonprofit organization for improvement and development of a project under this division. The agreement shall particularly describe any real property that is subject to the agreement, and it shall be recorded by the conservancy in the county in which the real property is located.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 469, Sec. 9. (SB 785) Effective January 1, 2020.)


text: Notwithstanding any provision of this division, the executive officer shall submit any plan or project proposed to be carried out pursuant to this division within the coastal zone portion of the Santa Monica Mountains Zone, as defined in Section 33105, to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy for review at least 60 days prior to approval by the State Coastal Conservancy. If the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy has not, within 60 days from the date of submission, acted to disapprove the proposed plan or project on the grounds that the plan or project is in conflict with or jeopardizes an approved acquisition or improvement or a proposed acquisition or improvement identified in the adopted Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy workprogram, the plan or project may proceed pursuant to this division.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1616, Sec. 1.)


text: The conservancy may seek repayments of funds granted pursuant to this division on terms and conditions as it deems appropriate to carry out the provisions of this division.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1984, Ch. 1551, Sec. 3.)


text:
(a) (1) The conservancy may undertake educational projects and programs for adults and for pupils in kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive, and award grants to nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and public agencies, including federally recognized Indian tribes, for the purposes set forth in subdivisions (b) and (c).

(2) A nonprofit organization, educational institution, or public agency, including a federally recognized Indian tribe, that receives a grant under this subdivision shall comply with all of the following requirements:

(A) Document increased pupil participation in its educational programs.

(B) Provide outreach to low-income, underserved, and noncoastal areas of the state.

(C) Maintain any data necessary for the evaluation of a project or program funded with a grant, as determined by the conservancy.

(3) No General Fund moneys shall be used for grants awarded pursuant to this subdivision to public educational institutions, including community colleges.

(4) An educational program for pupils in kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive, shall deliver knowledge and skills that support the State Board of Education’s adopted content standards.

(b) Educational projects and programs funded and undertaken under subdivision (a) may include all of the following:

(1) Projects and programs relating to the preservation, protection, enhancement, maintenance, and enjoyment of coastal resources.

(2) Onsite and distance learning facilities pursuant to subdivision (c), activities, and instructional programs that support the delivery of science, history, and social science content, that further paragraph (1), including any of the following:

(A) Projects and programs that assist pupils in acquiring core knowledge and developing critical thinking skills.

(B) Projects and programs that encourage pupils to have direct contact with history, including programs that focus on the history and stewardship of the ocean and coastal resources.

(C) Projects and programs that link science to technology and societal impacts, including community health, population, natural resources, environmental quality, natural and human-induced hazards, and other global challenges.

(D) Projects and programs that support social-emotional learning and development, such as team-building and leadership skills.

(c) The conservancy may also award grants for the construction and improvement of structures and facilities used for the educational projects and programs described in subdivision (b).

(d) The conservancy shall not spend more than 10 percent of the funds received for grants for educational projects and programs under subdivision (a) for grant administrative costs, including any costs related to administering any of those projects and programs.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 701, Sec. 2. (SB 367) Effective January 1, 2020.)


text: In awarding grants to, or entering into agreements with, a federally recognized Indian tribe, the conservancy shall recognize and respect the limited sovereignty of the tribe.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 958, Sec. 7. Effective January 1, 2003.)


text: Funds not otherwise restricted may be awarded by the conservancy, on and after January 1, 2020, for funding grants to nonprofit organizations that offer scientific, educational, or heritage programs that focus on the history and stewardship of the ocean and coastal resources.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 701, Sec. 3. (SB 367) Effective January 1, 2020.)


text:
(a) The conservancy may authorize advance payments on a contract or grant awarded pursuant to this division in accordance with Section 11019.1 of the Government Code.

(b) This section shall remain in effect only until the date that Section 11019.1 of the Government Code is repealed, and as of that date is repealed.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 817, Sec. 1. (AB 882) Effective January 1, 2024. Conditionally repealed as prescribed by its own provisions.)


text:
The conservancy may acquire fee title, development rights, easements, or other interests in land located in the coastal zone in order to prevent loss of agricultural land to other uses and to assemble agricultural lands into parcels of adequate size permitting continued agricultural production. The conservancy may also undertake improvements to and development of such lands where such action is required to meet the purposes of this section.

The conservancy shall take all feasible action to return to private use or ownership, with appropriate use restrictions, all lands acquired for agricultural preservation under this division.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 807.)

chapter: 4. Preservation of Agricultural Land

path: 21. STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY > 4. Preservation of Agricultural Land


text: Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the conservancy may enter into an option to acquire an interest in real property for an agricultural preservation project, when the Legislature appropriates funds for purposes of carrying out the objectives of this division. The total cost of the option may not exceed six hundred thousand dollars ($600,000).

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 958, Sec. 8. Effective January 1, 2003.)


text: In acquiring interest in agricultural lands, as provided in this division, the conservancy shall give the highest priority to urban fringe areas where the impact of urbanization on agricultural lands is greatest.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1441.)


text:
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this division to the contrary, the conservancy shall not act to acquire any interests in lands in the coastal zone for agricultural purposes unless the conservancy finds that both of the following conditions apply to the proposed acquisition:

(a) The lands are specifically identified in a certified local coastal plan or program as agricultural lands, or, in the case of San Francisco Bay, the lands as so identified in the bay plan, the Suisun Marsh Protection Plan, or in any other local plan which the bay commission determines to be consistent with such plans.

(b) There is no other reasonable means, including the use of police power, of assuring continuous use of such lands for agricultural purposes.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1980, Ch. 967, Sec. 6.)


text: If the conservancy is unable to purchase an interest in agricultural land which meets the provisions of Section 31152, the conservancy may request the State Public Works Board to acquire the interest under the power of eminent domain pursuant to Section 31105.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 981, Sec. 1. Effective September 29, 1989.)


text:
The conservancy is authorized to lease lands acquired in accordance with the provisions of Section 31150. When such leases are made to private individuals or groups, the conservancy shall annually, upon appropriation of such amounts by the Legislature, transfer 24 percent of the gross income of such leases to the county in which such lands are situated.

The county shall distribute any payment received by it pursuant to this section to itself, to each revenue district for which the county assesses and collects real property taxes or assessments, and to every other taxing agency within the county in which the property is situated. The amount distributable to the county and each such revenue district or other taxing agency shall be proportionate to the ratio which the amount of the taxes and assessments of each on similar real property similarly situated within that part of the county embracing the smallest in area of the revenue districts or other taxing agencies other than the county, levied for the fiscal year next preceding, bears to the combined amount of the taxes and assessments of all such districts and agencies, including the county, on such property levied for that year. The county auditor shall determine and certify the amounts distributable to the board of supervisors, which shall thereupon order the making of the distribution.

Any money distributed pursuant to this section to any county, revenue district, or other taxing agency shall be deposited to the credit of the same fund as any taxes or assessments on any taxable similar real property similarly situated.

Where a county receives a payment pursuant to this section in an amount of twenty-five dollars ($25) or less in respect to any parcel of leased property, all of such payment shall be distributed to the county for deposit in the county general fund.


text: Proceeds from the sale or lease of lands acquired under the provisions of Section 31150 shall be deposited with the conservancy and, after transmission of any payments required by Section 31154, shall be available for expenditure when appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose of funding the programs specified in this division.


text: The conservancy may award grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of acquiring fee title, development rights, easements, or other interests in land located in the coastal zone in order to prevent loss of agricultural land to other uses and to assemble agricultural lands into parcels of adequate size permitting continued agricultural production. The conservancy may also award grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of undertaking improvements to and development of these lands where that action is required to meet the purposes of this section. The expenditure of any of these funds shall be consistent with the provisions of this chapter.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 958, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 2003.)


text: The San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program is established pursuant to this chapter, to be administered by the conservancy, to address the resource and recreational goals of the San Francisco Bay area, as identified in Section 31162, in a coordinated, comprehensive, and effective way.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1997, Ch. 896, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1998.)

path: 21. STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY > 4.5. San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program


text: The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the nine counties that bound San Francisco Bay constitute a region with unique natural resource and outdoor recreational needs. San Francisco Bay is the central feature in an interconnected open-space system of watersheds, natural habitats, waterways, scenic areas, agricultural lands, and regional trails.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 331, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2006.)

chapter: 4.5. San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program


text:
The conservancy may undertake projects and award grants in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area that will help achieve the following goals of the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program:

(a) To improve public access to, within, and around the bay, coast, ridgetops, and urban open spaces, consistent with the rights of private property owners, and without having a significant adverse impact on agricultural operations and environmentally sensitive areas and wildlife, including wetlands and other wildlife habitats through completion and operation of regional bay, coast, water, and ridge trail systems, and local trails connecting to population centers and public facilities, which are part of a regional trail system and are consistent with locally and regionally adopted master plans and general plans, and through the provision and preservation of related facilities, such as interpretive centers, picnic areas, staging areas, and campgrounds.

(b) To protect, restore, and enhance natural habitats and connecting corridors, watersheds, scenic areas, and other open-space resources of regional importance.

(c) To assist in the implementation of the policies and programs of the California Coastal Act of 1976 (Division 20 (commencing with Section 30000)), the San Francisco Bay Plan, and the adopted plans of local governments and special districts.

(d) To promote, assist, and enhance projects that provide open space and natural areas that are accessible to urban populations for recreational and educational purposes.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 331, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2006.)


text:
(a) The conservancy shall cooperate with cities, counties, and districts, the bay commission, other regional governmental bodies, nonprofit land trusts, nonprofit landowner organizations, and other interested parties in identifying and adopting long-term resource and outdoor recreational goals for the San Francisco Bay area, which shall guide the ongoing activities of the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program. The conservancy shall utilize the list of priority areas and concerns established by the bay commission pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 31056 as guidance in the selection of those San Francisco area projects that are within the jurisdiction of the bay commission. However, the guidance provided by the bay commission is advisory and the conservancy shall have the responsibility for making program decisions. Any acquisition of real property using funds authorized pursuant to this chapter shall be from willing sellers if the land is actively farmed or ranched. Any acquisition of real property by the conservancy pursuant to this chapter shall be from willing sellers.

(b) The conservancy shall participate in and support interagency actions and public/private partnerships in the San Francisco Bay area for the purpose of implementing subdivision (a), and providing for broad-based local involvement in, and support for, the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program.

(c) The conservancy shall utilize the criteria specified in this subdivision to develop project priorities for the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program that provide for development and acquisition projects, urban and rural projects, and open space and outdoor recreational projects. The conservancy shall give priority to projects that, to the greatest extent, meet the following criteria:

(1) Are supported by adopted local or regional plans.

(2) Are multijurisdictional or serve a regional constituency.

(3) Can be implemented in a timely way.

(4) Provide opportunities for benefits that could be lost if the project is not quickly implemented.

(5) Include matching funds from other sources of funding or assistance.

(d) (1) The conservancy shall be the lead agency in the funding and development of projects implementing the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail Plan prepared pursuant to Section 66694 of the Government Code.

(2) During the period when the plan is being prepared and after the completion of the plan, the conservancy may undertake projects and award grants that are generally consistent with and advance the preparation of the plan or achieve the implementation of the plan.

(3) To advance the preparation of the plan, the conservancy shall help coordinate a collaborative partnership with the bay commission, the Association of Bay Area Governments, and other interested persons, organizations, and agencies, including, but not limited to, interested state, county, and district departments and commissions, parks and park districts, ports, regional governmental bodies, nonprofit groups, user groups, and businesses.

(4) In developing the plan and undertaking projects to implement the plan, areas for which access is to be managed or prohibited shall be determined in consultation with resource protection agencies, the United States Coast Guard, the Water Transit Authority, the State Lands Commission, local law enforcement agencies, and through the environmental review process required by the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000)).

(5) Upon the completion of the plan, the conservancy shall consider the plan’s adoption and inclusion of the appropriate elements of the plan in the conservancy’s strategic plan.

(6) The conservancy shall not award a grant or undertake a project for the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail that would have a significant adverse impact on a sensitive wildlife area or is in conflict with the goals of subdivision (a) of Section 31162.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 538, Sec. 595. Effective January 1, 2007.)


text:
(a) The San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program Account is hereby created in the State Coastal Conservancy Fund, for the purpose of depositing and disbursing funds, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the administration and implementation of the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program. All funds that are appropriated by the Legislature for the purposes of this chapter, and all reimbursements, proceeds of sale, or other money received by the conservancy for the purposes of this chapter and derived from projects funded from this account shall be deposited in this account. Interest on funds in this account shall accrue to the General Fund. The conservancy shall account for all deposits and reimbursements of funds in this account.

(b) Funds that are derived from other sources, exclusive of state or federal funds, for the purposes of this chapter, including, but not limited to, private donations, fees, penalties, and local government contributions, shall be deposited in the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program Account in the Coastal Trust Fund pursuant to Section 31012.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 224, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2005.)


text: In order to benefit the San Francisco Bay region, the conservancy may undertake projects and award grants for activities that are compatible with the preservation, restoration, or enhancement of ocean, coastal, bay, or watershed resources, or that facilitate environmental education related to these resources. These projects or activities may include, but are not limited to, exhibits or events emphasizing coastal, watershed, or ocean resources education, or maritime history, or the development of amenities and infrastructure consistent with this chapter.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 383, Sec. 24. Effective January 1, 2006.)


text: The Santa Ana River Conservancy Program is hereby established, to be administered by the conservancy, to address the resource and recreational goals of the Santa Ana River region, as provided in this chapter.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 562, Sec. 1. (SB 1390) Effective January 1, 2015.)

path: 21. STATE COASTAL CONSERVANCY > 4.6. Santa Ana River Conservancy Program


text:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The Santa Ana River is the largest stream system in southern California, covering an area of about 2,700 square miles in parts of Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles Counties.

(b) The Santa Ana River region is home to one of the fastest growing populations in the nation, which is expected to grow from its current five million residents to ten million residents by 2050.

(c) Not all Orange County residents have equal access to green space. The communities with the worst access to parks lie along the river in north Orange County, with low-income levels and high concentrations of people of color.

(d) Despite vast areas of parkland in the region, many communities in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties are park poor, with less than three acres of green space per 1,000 residents. This is particularly true in the communities that were built out before the development boom of the past few decades. As more working class families moved to the area in search of jobs, the population in these older neighborhoods swelled but public resources for parks and recreation were not invested proportionally to the growth.

(e) The Santa Ana River is an extraordinary natural resource of statewide significance. The river has been subject to intense development and is in need of restoration, conservation, and enhancement.

(f) The establishment of the Santa Ana River Conservancy Program will provide the state with the necessary structure to plan and implement restoration and preservation projects and recreation opportunities, and enhance the overall condition of the Santa Ana River.

chapter: 4.6. Santa Ana River Conservancy Program


text:
For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) “Program” means the Santa Ana River Conservancy Program.

(b) “Program lands” means interests in real property acquired, managed, or subject to a project under this chapter.

(c) “Santa Ana River region” means those lands that are located within one-half mile on either side of the riverbed of the Santa Ana River, or any of its tributaries, from its headwaters near the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area to the Pacific Ocean at the Santa Ana River Mouth Beach in Huntington Beach and adjacent watersheds and lands as described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 31175.


text:
The conservancy may undertake projects and award grants and loans to public agencies and nonprofit organizations to help achieve all of the following goals of the program:

(a) Recreational opportunities, open space, trails, wildlife habitat and species restoration, enhancement, and protection, wetland restoration and protection, agricultural land restoration and protection, protection and maintenance of the quality of the waters in the Santa Ana River for all beneficial uses, related educational use, and natural floodwater conveyance.

(b) Public access to, enjoyment of, and enhancement of recreational and educational experience on, program lands in a manner consistent with the protection of land and natural resources and economic resources in the area.