State parks: acquired land: limits on disposition or use.

The Department of Parks and Recreation, with the consent of the Department of Finance, is authorized to acquire title to or any interest in real property that the department deems necessary or proper for the extension, improvement, or development of the state park system. The department is also authorized to accept monetary and real property gifts to be used in any connection with the state park system. This bill would prohibit land acquired for the state park system, through public funds or gifts, from being disposed of or used for other purposes incompatible with park purposes without the substitution of other land. This bill would require the State Park and Recreation Commission, following a duly noticed public hearing, to certify that all requests to dispose of or use the land for other purposes incompatible with park purposes provide for the substitution of other land meeting certain criteria. If lands that fully meet the substitution eligibility criteria cannot be acquired, the commission would be authorized, if certain conditions are met, to approve a combination of substitute park lands and monetary compensation to allow for the disposal or use of lands for other purposes incompatible with park purposes. The bill would require that the commission consider requests only if the commission determines that all practical alternatives that avoid the proposed disposal or use of park lands for other purposes incompatible with park purposes have been considered. This bill would provide that its provisions shall not apply to existing uses of state park lands that have been authorized on or before January 1, 2010, by written agreement with the Department of Parks and Recreation or by the general plan for a state park unit.