State Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Board, And Authority Funding - - CA Public Resources

Section § 80110

This law section outlines how $767 million will be divided and used for various environmental and conservation projects in California. The funds will be distributed as follows: $30 million goes to the Salton Sea Authority for air quality and habitat projects, including $10 million for the New River Water Quality Program. $180 million is allocated to several conservancies, with specific amounts set for each, such as $6 million for the Baldwin Hills Conservancy and $30 million for the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. $137 million is designated for the Wildlife Conservation Board. In addition, $20 million is allocated to the State Coastal Conservancy for San Francisco Bay restoration, with a requirement for matching grants.

The sum of seven hundred sixty-seven million dollars ($767,000,000) shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, as described in this chapter.

(a) Thirty million dollars ($30,000,000) shall be available to the Salton Sea Authority for capital outlay projects that provide air quality and habitat benefits and that implement the Natural Resources Agency’s Salton Sea Management Program. Of this amount, not less than ten million dollars ($10,000,000) shall be available to the Salton Sea Authority for purposes consistent with the New River Water Quality, Public Health, and River Parkway Development Program, as described in Section 71103.6.

(b) One hundred eighty million dollars ($180,000,000) shall be available to the following conservancies according to their governing statutes for their specified purposes in accordance with the following schedule:

(1) Baldwin Hills Conservancy, six million dollars ($6,000,000).

(2) California Tahoe Conservancy, twenty-seven million dollars ($27,000,000).

(3) Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, seven million dollars ($7,000,000).

(4) Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy, twelve million dollars ($12,000,000).

(5) San Diego River Conservancy, twelve million dollars ($12,000,000).

(6) San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, thirty million dollars ($30,000,000).

(7) San Joaquin River Conservancy, six million dollars ($6,000,000).

(8) Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, thirty million dollars ($30,000,000).

(9) Sierra Nevada Conservancy, thirty million dollars ($30,000,000).

(10) State Coastal Conservancy, twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) for grants pursuant to Section 66704.5 of the Government Code for the purpose of San Francisco Bay restoration in accordance with the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority Act (Title 7.25 (commencing with Section 66700) of the Government Code). Notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 66704.5 of the Government Code, the State Coastal Conservancy shall establish a matching grant requirement for a grant awarded pursuant to this paragraph.

Salton Sea Management Program New River Water Quality air quality projects habitat benefits Baldwin Hills Conservancy California Tahoe Conservancy Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy Delta Conservancy San Diego River Conservancy San Gabriel Rivers Conservancy San Joaquin River Conservancy Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Sierra Nevada Conservancy State Coastal Conservancy San Francisco Bay restoration

(Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 852, Sec. 3. Approved in Proposition 68 at the June 5, 2018, election.)

Section § 80111

This law outlines how funds are allocated by the Wildlife Conservation Board for conservation efforts. First, $5 million is set aside for regional conservation strategies that don't get funding from other laws. Another $52 million goes to acquiring and improving habitats as part of community conservation plans to balance conservation with economic activities. This money can't replace mandatory mitigation but can boost conservation efforts.

Up to $10 million can be given to the University of California Natural Reserve System for buying land and improving research facilities, with matching funds required. The rest of the money is for projects protecting recreation areas near cities or acquiring federal lands offered for sale, and for other Board projects in line with its goals.

The amount available to the Wildlife Conservation Board pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 80110 is allocated as follows:

(a) Five million dollars ($5,000,000) shall be available for the development of regional conservation investment strategies that are not otherwise funded pursuant to Section 800 of the Streets and Highways Code or any other law.

(b) At least fifty-two million dollars ($52,000,000) shall be available for the acquisition, development, rehabilitation, restoration, protection, and expansion of habitat that furthers the implementation of natural community conservation plans adopted pursuant to the Natural Community Conservation Planning Act (Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 2800) of Division 3 of the Fish and Game Code) to help resolve resource conflicts by balancing communitywide conservation, planning, and economic activities or other large-scale habitat conservation plans that resolve resource conflicts with provisions for conservation, planning, and economic activities. Funding pursuant to this paragraph shall not be used to offset mitigation obligations otherwise required, but may be used as part of a funding partnership to enhance, expand, or augment conservation efforts required by mitigation.

(c) Up to ten million dollars ($10,000,000) may be granted to the University of California Natural Reserve System for matching grants for acquisition of land, construction and development of research facilities to improve the management of natural lands, for preservation of California’s wildlife resources, and to further research related to climate change. The Wildlife Conservation Board shall establish a matching grant requirement for grants awarded pursuant to this subdivision.

(d) The remainder of the amount available shall be available to the Wildlife Conservation Board to provide funding for the following projects:

(1) Projects to protect and enhance national recreation areas serving heavily urbanized areas or, in coordination with the State Lands Commission, to acquire an interest in federal public lands that may be proposed for sale or disposal.

(2) Projects according to the Wildlife Conservation Board’s governing statutes for its specified purposes.

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(Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 852, Sec. 3. Approved in Proposition 68 at the June 5, 2018, election.)

Section § 80112

Entities specified in Section 80110(b) are required to create a strategic master plan. This plan should outline priorities and criteria for choosing which projects will receive funding. Additionally, the plan must include strategies to ensure public access to conserved lands, as long as it's feasible, and align with the project's goals and objectives.

A receiving entity listed in subdivision (b) of Section 80110 shall develop and adopt a strategic master plan that identifies priorities and specific criteria for selecting projects for funding. The strategic plan shall include strategies for providing public access to conserved lands wherever feasible and be consistent with project goals and objectives.

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(Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 852, Sec. 3. Approved in Proposition 68 at the June 5, 2018, election.)

Section § 80113

This law encourages entities using funds from this chapter to collaborate with local governments, nonprofits, and other organizations to obtain open spaces and develop urban greenways whenever possible.

Entities, in expending the funding available under this chapter, shall endeavor, where practical, to partner with cities, counties, nonprofit organizations, joint powers authorities, and nongovernmental organizations to acquire open space and create urban greenway corridors.

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(Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 852, Sec. 3. Approved in Proposition 68 at the June 5, 2018, election.)

Section § 80114

This law allocates $200 million for the Natural Resources Agency to support voluntary projects aimed at improving water quality, water supply, and watershed protection across California. The goal is to blend regulatory and voluntary efforts while upgrading water quality controls in the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to benefit the environment.

The funds can be used for a variety of projects, such as wetland and river restoration, improving fish habitats, or enhancing streamflows. Projects should be collaborative, involving federal, state, and local agencies, as well as other organizations, to create ecological and water supply benefits.

Funds are not to be used for Delta conveyance facility construction. If no voluntary agreement is submitted by June 1, 2018, leftover funds can be redirected to other related water projects. There is also a requirement for annual financial reporting.

(a) Of the amount made available pursuant to Section 80110, two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) is available to the Natural Resources Agency for implementation of voluntary agreements that provide multibenefit water quality, water supply, and watershed protection and restoration for the watersheds of the state to achieve the objectives of integrating regulatory and voluntary efforts, implementing an updated State Water Resources Control Board’s San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary Water Quality Control Plan, and ensuring ecological benefits. Expenditure of funds provided in this section shall be in accordance with the following:

(1) For the purposes of this section, watershed restoration includes activities to fund wetland habitat, salmon, steelhead, and fishery benefits, improve and restore river health, modernize stream crossings, culverts, and bridges, reconnect historical flood plains, install or improve fish screens, provide fish passages, restore river channels, restore or enhance riparian, aquatic, and terrestrial habitat, improve ecological functions, acquire from willing sellers conservation easements for riparian buffer strips, improve local watershed management, predation management, hatchery management, and remove sediment or trash.

(2) For purposes of this section, funds may be used for projects that measurably enhance streamflows at a time and location necessary to provide fisheries or ecosystem benefits or improvements that improve upon existing flow conditions. Project types that may be eligible include, but are not limited to, water transactions such as lease, purchase, or exchange, change of use petitions to benefit fish and wildlife, surface storage to be used to enhance streamflow, forbearance of water rights, changes in water management, groundwater storage and conjunctive use, habitat restoration projects that reshape the stream hydrograph, water efficiency generally, irrigation efficiency and water infrastructure improvements that save water and enable reshaping of the stream hydrograph, reconnecting flood flows with restored flood plains, and reservoir reoperations both at existing and new storage sites.

(b) The funds authorized by this section are available for direct expenditures and local assistance grants by the Natural Resources Agency, in consultation with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, that satisfy all of the following:

(1) Implement voluntary agreements executed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife with federal and state agencies, local government, water districts and agencies, and nongovernmental organizations that improve ecological flows and habitat for species, create water supply and regulatory certainty for water users, and foster a collaborative approach to facilitate implementation of the State Water Resources Control Board’s Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan.

(2) Implement a voluntary agreement submitted by the Department of Fish and Wildlife to the State Water Resources Control Board on or before June 1, 2018, for consideration.

(3) Implement a voluntary agreement that is of statewide significance, restores natural aquatic or riparian functions or wetlands habitat for birds and aquatic species, protects or promotes the restoration of endangered or threatened species, enhances the reliability of water supplies on a regional or interregional basis, and provides significant regional or statewide economic benefits.

(c) Funds provided by this section shall not be expended to pay the costs of the design, construction, operation, mitigation, or maintenance of Delta conveyance facilities.

(d) If the Department of Fish and Wildlife submits a voluntary agreement that satisfies paragraph (2) of subdivision (b), unencumbered funds available pursuant to this section to implement that voluntary agreement shall no longer be available 15 years after the date the State Water Resources Control Board approves the submitted agreement, at which point funds remaining available pursuant to this section shall become available to the Natural Resources Agency for the purposes of Sections 79732 and 79736 of the Water Code. If no voluntary agreements are submitted on or before June 1, 2018, any remaining funds shall be available to the Natural Resources Agency for the purposes of Sections 79732 and 79736 of the Water Code. The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency shall ensure an annual reporting of the funds pursuant to Section 80012.

Natural Resources Agency voluntary agreements watershed restoration water quality improvement San Francisco Bay Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecological benefits stream restoration fish habitats fisheries Department of Fish and Wildlife Delta conveyance facilities water efficiency federal and state agencies water infrastructure improvements

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 497, Sec. 237. (AB 991) Effective January 1, 2020.)

Section § 80115

This section of the law allocates $50 million to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for fixing overdue maintenance issues. The department is encouraged to work with nonprofits and other organizations to help decide how to spend the money, improve visitor experiences, and boost involvement with young people and disadvantaged communities.

Of the amount made available pursuant to Section 80110, fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) shall be available to the Department of Fish and Wildlife for capital improvements that address the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s backlog of deferred maintenance. Where practical, the Department of Fish and Wildlife shall partner with nonprofit organizations and nongovernmental organizations to inform the expenditure of these funds, enhance visitor experience, and where feasible, increase engagement with youth and disadvantaged communities.

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(Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 852, Sec. 3. Approved in Proposition 68 at the June 5, 2018, election.)

Section § 80116

This law allocates $170 million to the Natural Resources Agency for restoration projects at the Salton Sea, specifically those outlined in the Salton Sea Management Program's 10 Year Plan from March 2017 and any updates to that plan.

Of the amount made available pursuant to Section 80110, one hundred seventy million dollars ($170,000,000) shall be available to the Natural Resources Agency for restoration activities identified in the Salton Sea Management Program Phase I: 10 Year Plan, dated March 2017, the final management plan report, and any subsequent revisions to this plan.

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(Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 852, Sec. 3. Approved in Proposition 68 at the June 5, 2018, election.)