This division shall be known as and may be cited as the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Act.
Chapter 1General Provisions
Section § 33000
This law is officially called the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Act.
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Section § 33001
This section emphasizes the importance of the Santa Monica Mountains Zone, highlighting it as a vital and unique area for its economic, environmental, agricultural, scientific, educational, and recreational values. The law recognizes it as the last large undeveloped piece of land near the Los Angeles shoreline and stresses the need to preserve it for both current and future generations. It underlines that the area acts as a singular ecosystem, where changes in one part could impact other parts, emphasizing that its protection is in the public's best interest.
The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the Santa Monica Mountains Zone, as defined in Section 33105, is a unique and valuable economic, environmental, agricultural, scientific, educational, and recreational resource that should be held in trust for present and future generations; that, as the last large undeveloped area contiguous to the shoreline within the greater Los Angeles metropolitan region, comprised of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, it provides essential relief from the urban environment; that it exists as a single ecosystem in which changes that affect one part may also affect all other parts; and that the preservation and protection of this resource is in the public interest.
Santa Monica Mountains Zone economic resource environmental resource agricultural resource scientific resource educational resource recreational resource urban relief Los Angeles metropolitan region Ventura County undeveloped area ecosystem preservation public interest natural conservation shoreline protection
Section § 33002
This law highlights that before the Santa Monica Mountains Comprehensive Planning Commission developed a plan, planning efforts in the area were uncoordinated and ineffective. There were no effective systems in place for determining and resolving planning conflicts or assessing the regional impact of individual projects. As a result, fragmented development occurred, leading to the loss of open spaces and recreational areas, harm to air, land, and water systems, and negative impacts on local wildlife. The lack of coordinated planning harmed both current and future residents.
The Legislature further finds and declares that prior to the preparation of the plan by the Santa Monica Mountains Comprehensive Planning Commission, planning for the zone was fragmented and there were ineffective means of determining and resolving conflicting interjurisdictional values, or of evaluating individual projects within the zone as to their effect on the entire region; that in the absence of a governmental mechanism to perform such evaluations, piecemeal development projects were occurring within the zone which resulted in the irreplaceable loss of open space and recreational resources, in the physical and biological deterioration of air, land, and water systems within the zone, and adversely affected regional life-support systems, including fish and wildlife, therefore being harmful to the needs of the present and future population of the region.
Santa Monica Mountains comprehensive planning interjurisdictional conflicts fragmented development open space loss recreational resources environmental deterioration air land and water systems regional life-support systems impact on wildlife coordinated planning future population impacts development projects regional impact planning commission
Section § 33003
This law states that the Santa Monica Mountains' coastal zone has special resources that need protection, so specific coastal management programs should be used here. These programs come from the California Coastal Act of 1976. Local governments need to create and complete plans for managing these coastal areas. Once these plans are approved, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy's jurisdiction will expand to cover the newly certified coastal zones.
The Legislature further finds and declares that the coastal zone portion of the Santa Monica Mountains Zone has been evaluated as part of the California Coastal Zone Conservation Plan, and because of the unique, important, and threatened nature of the coastal-related resources within the coastal zone, the Legislature determined that the special coastal resources planning and management program established pursuant to the California Coastal Act of 1976 (Division 20 (commencing with Section 30000)) should apply within the coastal zone and that the local coastal program required by such act should be completed in a timely and effective manner by local governments and certified by the California Coastal Commission. It is the intent of the Legislature to facilitate early completion of local coastal programs for the coastal zone portion of the Santa Monica Mountains Zone and that accordingly the jurisdiction of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy should be extended to include, at the time of certification, those portions of the coastal zone for which a local coastal program has been certified.
Santa Monica Mountains coastal zone California Coastal Zone Conservation Plan coastal-related resources California Coastal Act of 1976 local coastal program California Coastal Commission Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy coastal management programs jurisdiction extension local government planning certification process resource protection early completion Conservancy expansion
Section § 33004
This section highlights that the Santa Monica Mountains Comprehensive Planning Commission, which includes members from the state, local governments, and the public, has created a thorough plan for preserving and developing the area. This plan aligns with conservation goals outlined in an earlier section.
The Legislature further finds and declares that the Santa Monica Mountains Comprehensive Planning Commission, composed of representatives of the state government, cities, and counties in the region, and the general public, has adopted a comprehensive plan for the conservation and development of the zone, consistent with the preservation of the resource as set forth in Section 33001.
Santa Monica Mountains Comprehensive Planning Commission conservation plan development plan state government local government public involvement resource preservation Section 33001 regional planning zone conservation development guidelines planning commission representatives environmental preservation regional collaboration
Section § 33005
This law states that federal grant money should be utilized as fully as possible to achieve the goals set out in this division.
Federal grant funds shall be used to accomplish the purposes of this division to the maximum extent possible.
federal grant funds maximize use accomplish purposes division objectives grant utilization fund allocation efficient use of funds grant purposes funding goals public resources effective grant spending maximize grant impact resource allocation fund management sustainable funding usage
Section § 33006
This law states that when giving out grants for parks, recreation, or conservation, the focus should be on areas outside the publicly owned parts of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. This applies to funds from a specific section of the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978.
It is further declared to be the intent of the Legislature that, in making grants for park, recreation, or conservation purposes from funds received pursuant to Section 507(n) of the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 (16 U. S.C. Sec. 460kk(n)), the conservancy shall primarily operate outside the public ownership area of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area as identified by the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to Section 507(d)(2) of the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. Sec. 460kk(d)(2)).
grants for parks recreation funding conservation grants Santa Monica Mountains public ownership area National Parks and Recreation Act Section 507(n) external park areas Secretary of the Interior conservancy operations federal funds distribution outdoor recreation grants grant allocation priorities park development funding recreation area management
Section § 33007
This law encourages private landowners, local governments, and public agencies to join in the programs it authorizes by offering voluntary incentives.
In accomplishing the objectives of this division, private landowners, local governments, and all other public agencies shall be encouraged to participate in the programs authorized by this division by voluntary incentives.
private landowners local governments public agencies voluntary incentives program participation incentive programs collaboration public-private partnerships land conservation community involvement
Section § 33008
This law recognizes issues like poorly sized lots, conflicting land uses, and lack of resource protection in the Santa Monica Mountains area. It states that local or federal efforts alone can't fully resolve these problems. The law emphasizes the need for state-level actions to support local government and federal land acquisition efforts.
It also clarifies that while the state has a vested interest in protecting these lands, the law does not allow state regulation of private property or interfere with local government powers over such property.
(a)CA Public Resources Code § 33008(a) The Legislature finds and declares that there are existing problems of substandard lots, incompatible land uses, conflicts with recreational use, and inadequate resource protection which, in some cases, cannot be addressed in a feasible manner by local government exercise of the police power or federal land acquisition as part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and that it is necessary to enact the provisions of this division as a complement to the full exercise of the police power by local governments and the acquisition of lands by the federal government for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
(b)CA Public Resources Code § 33008(b) The Legislature further finds and declares that the people of the State of California have an interest in the protection of resources and the use of lands acquired or managed by the conservancy pursuant to this division, and that the conservancy in carrying out its duties pursuant to this division acts on behalf of the State of California.
(c)CA Public Resources Code § 33008(c) This division does not authorize the conservancy to regulate private property, nor does it supersede or limit a local government’s exercise of the police power, over private property, derived from any other provision of existing law or any law hereafter enacted.
substandard lots incompatible land uses recreational use conflicts resource protection Santa Monica Mountains land acquisition local government police power federal acquisition state conservancy protection of resources
Section § 33009
Local governments must follow the plan mentioned in the previous section to qualify for funding. If they don't do this, they won't receive any money under this division.
In order to avoid the continuing problems identified in Section 33008, each local government’s implementation of the plan shall be a necessary condition of that local government receiving any money pursuant to this division.
local government funding plan implementation funding eligibility conditional funding funding requirements local plans government compliance money allocation funding conditions plan adherence implementation conditions
Section § 33010
This section clarifies that whenever there is a mention of the Santa Monica Mountains Comprehensive Planning Commission in legal or official documents, it should be understood as referring to the conservancy instead. This is to ensure alignment with federal law requirements.
For purposes of compliance with federal law, the references to the Santa Monica Mountains Comprehensive Planning Commission shall be deemed to mean the conservancy.
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