State highway system: wildlife connectivity.

All amendments to Government Code Section 65302 were dropped. This removed requirements that local cities and counties must update their general plan conservation elements (on or after January 1, 2028) to identify connectivity areas, analyze wildlife connectivity improvements, consider development impacts on wildlife movement, avoid or mitigate barriers to wildlife, and consult with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and Native American tribes.

Amendments to Streets and Highways Code Sections 158 (definitions), 158.2, and 158.3 were dropped from the enrolled version, removing changes to how connectivity areas, natural landscape areas, permeability, and wildlife connectivity improvements are defined and how Caltrans assesses potential barriers to wildlife.

The bill's title changed from amending six Streets and Highways Code sections plus two Government Code sections to only adding one Government Code section (14526.4.1) and amending three Streets and Highways Code sections (158.1, 158.5, 164.6).

The enrolled version retains the requirement for Caltrans to prepare and publish a supplemental list of wildlife connectivity improvements on its website in connection with each revision of the asset management plan, and to submit that list to the California Transportation Commission for review and comments before final publication.

Removed the direct amendment to Government Code Section 14526.4 that would have required wildlife connectivity assets to be included in the asset management plan itself and required the California Transportation Commission to adopt targets and performance measures specifically for wildlife connectivity assets.

Changed the Department of Fish and Wildlife's role in establishing the connectivity needs inventory from a joint partner (Caltrans would 'jointly establish and update' with DF&W) to a consultative role (Caltrans acts 'in consultation with' DF&W and other appropriate agencies).

Added new flexibility provisions for local agencies updating their conservation elements: they may incorporate existing plans by reference, meet requirements in a separate 'wildlife connectivity element,' consult with DF&W, Native American tribes, and open-space districts, and consider best available science including peer-reviewed literature and government reports.

Added new Section 14526.4.1 requiring Caltrans to prepare and publish a supplemental list of wildlife connectivity improvements on its internet website in connection with each four-year revision of the asset management plan. The list must include improvements identified for implementation under Streets and Highways Code Sections 158.1 and 158.2, plus improvements completed on or after January 1, 2023.

Added a new requirement that local conservation elements analyze and consider opportunities to remediate existing barriers to wildlife connectivity and restore degraded habitat and open space (new paragraph (E) of the conservation element update requirements).

Added a new pre-publication review step: Caltrans must submit the supplemental list to the California Transportation Commission for review and comments before the final list is published on its website. The commission must also review and approve the supplemental list.

Replaced the term 'wildlife passage features' with 'wildlife connectivity improvements' throughout the bill, and changed the definition in Section 14526.4.1 to cross-reference Section 158 of the Streets and Highways Code rather than providing a standalone definition.

New Section 14526.4.1 of the Government Code requires Caltrans to prepare and publish a supplemental list of wildlife connectivity improvements on the state highway system with each four-year revision of the asset management plan, including both planned and completed (since January 1, 2023) improvements, published within six months and approved by the Transportation Commission.

The bill now amends Government Code Section 65302 to require local governments to address wildlife connectivity in their general plan conservation elements upon adoption or next revision on or after January 1, 2028. This includes identifying connectivity areas and natural landscape areas, analyzing existing and planned wildlife passage features, considering development impacts on habitat connectivity, avoiding or mitigating barriers to wildlife movement, and analyzing opportunities to remediate barriers and restore degraded habitat.

Local governments preparing conservation element updates may consult with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Native American tribes on the Native American Heritage Commission contact list with traditional lands in the jurisdiction, and open-space districts. They must also consider best available science including peer-reviewed literature, publicly available datasets, habitat linkages, wildlife corridors, and movement barriers from multiple sources.

Cities and counties may satisfy the new conservation element wildlife connectivity requirements in a separate component of the general plan entitled a 'wildlife connectivity element' rather than integrating them into the existing conservation element.

The bill's scope expanded to amend additional Streets and Highways Code sections (158, 158.2, 158.3, and 164.6) beyond the previously amended 158.1 and 158.5, though the full text of these amendments is not visible in the truncated diff.

The definition of 'wildlife connectivity asset' was narrowed. The Senate version included broad ecological language ('links fragmented habitats, reduces roadkill, maintains species movements, or improves overall ecosystem health'). The Assembly version limits it to 'a physical infrastructure asset on or within the right-of-way of transportation infrastructure that facilitates wildlife passage across transportation infrastructure and reduces wildlife-vehicle collisions.'

The inventory of connectivity needs must now be jointly established and updated by Caltrans and the Department of Fish and Wildlife (previously 'in consultation with'), and the biennial update must be based on an analysis of transportation assets within priority route segments identified by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Caltrans is now required to include wildlife connectivity as an objective in the State Highway System Management Plan (SHSMP).

The term 'wildlife passage features' is recharacterized as 'wildlife connectivity improvements' throughout the Streets and Highways Code provisions.

The definition of 'wildlife connectivity asset' in Government Code Section 14526.4(d)(2) was narrowed from a broad functional standard (any asset that links fragmented habitats, reduces roadkill, maintains species movements, or improves ecosystem health) to a specific physical standard: it must be a physical infrastructure asset on or within the right-of-way of transportation infrastructure that facilitates wildlife passage across that infrastructure and reduces wildlife-vehicle collisions.

A new subsection (e) was added to Government Code Section 14526.4 stating that nothing in the section requires developer fees to fund local road improvements whose sole purpose is wildlife passage across transportation infrastructure. This protects developers from being charged for purely wildlife-passage road projects.

The performance measure requirement in Section 14526.4(c)(1)(B) was clarified to specify that it applies to wildlife crossings 'on the state highway system,' making explicit the geographic scope of the commission's targets and performance measures.

Section 158.1(a) was changed from 'It is the intent of the Legislature that the department shall review...' to simply 'The department shall review...'. This removes the aspirational 'legislative intent' framing and makes the requirement for Caltrans to review the full state highway system for wildlife connectivity needs a direct, binding obligation rather than a statement of purpose.

Section 158.1(c)(1) was narrowed to require only the joint publication of the inventory established under subdivision (b). The requirement to publish a list of funded transportation projects with wildlife passage features was moved to its own separate paragraph (c)(2), making it Caltrans's individual responsibility rather than a joint obligation with the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Section 14526.4(b) was restructured from two separate numbered paragraphs into a single introductory sentence ('The department shall include both of the following in the asset management plan') followed by sub-items (1) and (2). This clarifies that both complete streets assets and wildlife connectivity assets must be included, but does not change the underlying obligation.

Senators Blakespear and Stern were added as coauthors of the bill.