This is the official name of a California law from 2018 focused on addressing drought, water resources, parks, climate change, coastal protection, and providing outdoor access for everyone.

This section outlines how Californians deeply value their natural areas, but there's a significant lack of funding for local parks, especially in urban and disadvantaged communities. Efforts to improve parks and trails are seen as necessary for better health, community connection, and combating climate change. The increasing cost due to inactivity and obesity highlights the economic benefit of investing in outdoor infrastructure.

Promoting access to safe drinking water, improving water infrastructure, and encouraging conservation are critical goals. Funding is directed towards projects offering high public benefits and that can secure additional support from private or federal sources. Special attention is given to urban recreation and habitat restoration projects.

Efforts will be made to involve diverse communities and promote workforce opportunities, especially in disadvantaged areas. Projects are encouraged to consider the potential increase in housing costs from new park developments to prevent displacement.

This section explains specific terms used in a California law about managing resources like water, parks, and cultural sites. It defines a variety of terms: The "Committee" and "Fund" relate to financial aspects; "Department" refers to the Department of Parks and Recreation. "Community access" is about helping low-income communities enjoy natural and cultural resources. Terms such as "conservation actions on private lands" and "restoration" describe efforts to protect and improve natural habitats. "Preservation" and "protection" focus on maintaining natural, cultural, and historic resources. Definitions for "heavily urbanized" cities and counties, "disadvantaged" and "severely disadvantaged" communities, and the role of nonprofit organizations are also included.

This law states that up to 5% of the funds given for a particular grant program can be used to cover the administrative costs associated with running that program.

This law allows up to 10% of the funds allocated for certain programs to be used for planning and monitoring activities necessary for the projects' success. These activities can include grants, feasibility studies, and measuring greenhouse gas emissions reductions. However, if the projects benefit disadvantaged communities, more than 10% can be used if the state agency in charge decides extra funds are needed.

This section mandates how certain funds should be distributed in California, specifically for projects serving disadvantaged communities. Generally, at least 20% of funds from each chapter should go to projects benefiting severely disadvantaged communities, with Chapters 9 and 10 specifically requiring at least 15% for these projects. The law allows up to 10% of funds to be used for technical assistance to disadvantaged areas, potentially more if necessary.

Additionally, up to 5% of funds can support community access projects, such as transportation, physical activity programs, translations, and education related to the environment and public resources.

Before state agencies in California can give out competitive grants, they must create and adopt clear guidelines on how projects will be selected and evaluated. These guidelines must include reporting requirements and may limit grant amounts. The guidelines should promote efficient water use, recycled water, stormwater management, and safe drinking water for parks.

Agencies need to hold three public meetings—one in northern, central, and southern California—to get feedback before finalizing the guidelines. The draft guidelines must be posted online 30 days before these meetings.

Additionally, the guidelines must be submitted to the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to ensure they meet legal requirements and are publicly posted online. Once adopted, the guidelines are sent to the fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature. Certain government procedures for adopting these guidelines do not apply to this specific case.

This law requires the Department of Finance to conduct an independent audit of expenditures for certain projects. The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency must publish a yearly list of these projects, including details like location, objectives, project status, expected outcomes, and funding. This list should be available online and in a downloadable format.

If an audit finds any problems with funds received, state officials may conduct a full audit of related activities. Agencies giving grants must ensure proper reporting on how the funds are spent. The costs for audit activities and other oversight are covered by funds from the same division and are proportionately shared among programs.

This law states that if an entity does not use the funds given to them by a certain deadline, those funds go back to the agency in charge, which will then redistribute them as per the relevant rules.

When deciding who receives grants, projects that plan to use the California Conservation Corps or certified community conservation corps are preferred, as long as it is possible to do so.

This law section suggests that projects that incorporate water-saving features, reuse stormwater, or help absorb carbon may be more likely to receive grant funding.

This law states that funds given out under this division cannot be used to meet any legal requirements for environmental mitigation. Basically, the money has to be used for other purposes and can't be substituted to cover something that the law already requires.

This law states that when a California state agency gets funding for wildlife conservation, they should prioritize projects on public lands or voluntary private land projects when possible. If working on private lands, the projects should be assessed based on how long-lasting their conservation benefits will be. The funds can be used to make payments for improvements to habitats or conditions for endangered or threatened species, including through habitat credit exchanges. However, this rule doesn't apply to certain specified chapters related to other specific types of projects.

This law states that a state conservancy that receives funding must try to use those funds in ways that enhance, but do not repeat, the spending allowed by the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014.

This law makes it clear that any funds given under this division, and any movement or allocation of those funds, are not considered as fund transfers under a specific chapter of the Fish and Game Code.

If a grant is given for a project that helps a disadvantaged community, up to 25% of the grant amount can be given to the recipient in advance. This is to help start the project quickly. The organization giving the grant will also set rules to make sure the advance money is used correctly.

This section establishes that money from certain bonds will be placed into the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Fund. This is a fund created to manage and distribute these resources. It specifies exactly how the proceeds from these bonds, apart from refunding bonds, should be allocated. The funds are broken down as follows: $2.83 billion for various environmental chapters, $250 million for Chapter 11 projects, $80 million for Chapter 11.1, $550 million for Chapter 11.5, and $390 million for Chapter 11.6 initiatives. These allocations are aimed at diverse environmental and public access efforts within California.