This law section establishes the title of this chapter as the “Urban Waterfront Restoration Act of 1981.” It allows people to refer to it by this name.

This law emphasizes that California's urban waterfronts, often the first to develop and decay in urban areas, need restoration to revive their role as essential economic and cultural community hubs. The goal is to transform these areas into environmentally friendly spaces featuring parks, open spaces, facilities for visitors, and housing for people of all income levels. This transformation aims to boost tourism, ensure public access, and support private sector growth, ultimately benefitting both state citizens and local communities.

This law section states that the conservancy is responsible for managing the regulations in this chapter. It must also work with both state and federal agencies to ensure their programs affecting urban waterfronts in California are efficient and don't overlap with one another.

This law directs the conservancy to work with various groups, including commissions and organizations, to create guidelines and criteria for urban waterfront restoration projects. These guidelines help in evaluating and prioritizing the projects that can receive funding.

Once feedback from these groups and the public is considered, the conservancy finalizes these guidelines. Public agencies and nonprofit organizations can then submit their project proposals following these criteria for possible state or federal funding.

This law section encourages the review process for grant applications and urban waterfront restoration plans to focus on promoting excellent design. It also aims to inspire projects that creatively and sensitively blend man-made structures with the natural coastal surroundings.

This section outlines how capital projects and programs for coastal management will be proposed and funded in California. It specifies that the conservancy is responsible for proposing these projects to receive federal grants under the Coastal Zone Management Improvement Act. The commission cannot forward any project applications unless proposed by the conservancy.

It also clarifies that the commission maintains its authority to determine how federal financial assistance is allocated among various coastal-related activities, including research, energy impact, and resource management. However, the commission and the conservancy must agree on allocations for specific projects related to public access, resource enhancement, and urban waterfront restoration before making decisions.

The commission must consult with other agencies, including the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, to ensure adequate federal assistance for meeting their responsibilities under the California Coastal Management Program.

This law allows the conservancy to give grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations to help restore urban coastal waterfront areas.

This section explains that the conservancy can fully fund urban waterfront projects, including local parts of federally funded projects, but it may ask for local financial participation too. Several factors influence how much funding a project gets, such as available funds for urban waterfront projects, the financial situation of the applicant, the project's urgency, how well the project meets specific goals, and other factors set by the conservancy to decide a project's eligibility and priority effectively.

If a proposed urban waterfront project is approved, the conservancy can provide up to $100,000 to help cover the cost of creating plans for urban waterfront restoration. Additionally, they can offer loans to public agencies or nonprofits for the entire cost of creating these plans, provided two conditions are met: The loans must be funded by the state budget, and the plan's cost must be part of a project already approved for funding. The loans need to be repaid when the bonds for the project are sold, with interest that covers the state's funding costs.

This law allows a state conservancy to secure an option to purchase real estate for urban waterfront projects if the Legislature gives the necessary funding. The cost to secure this option cannot be more than $600,000.

This law states that when a grant is given for building or expanding facilities for the commercial fishing industry, the financial terms and how the grant might be paid back should focus on ensuring the industry's long-term financial health.

This law requires that local public agencies and nonprofit organizations involved in urban waterfront restoration projects must follow the rules set out in Division 24 of the Health and Safety Code. This means these projects need to comply with established health and safety regulations.

This law states that if, after completing an urban waterfront project, there is any leftover money, it must be sent back to the state. The funds will then be held by a special agency and can be used later, but only if the Legislature decides to release them for similar programs.

This law is about plans for the Port of San Francisco. It focuses on using port property that’s not needed for maritime purposes to enhance visitor experiences, create open spaces, and improve public access along the waterfront. It also includes plans for setting up commercial fishing areas and fixing old docks and piers.

Once these plans get approval from the State Coastal Conservancy, funding for these projects will be prioritized to boost tourism and public access, as well as help maintain these facilities and areas over time.

This law section authorizes the conservancy to manage state funds specifically allocated for upgrading fishing harbor infrastructure on public trust lands. This occurs when such funds are provided to the conservancy for urban waterfront restoration projects.

This section allows the conservancy to undertake projects and give grants for activities that support the preservation, restoration, or enhancement of ocean, coastal, or watershed resources within its jurisdiction. These projects can also focus on environmental education related to these resources. Examples of activities include educational exhibits or events about coastal and ocean resources or maritime history, as well as developing facilities and infrastructure that align with these goals.