Environment (Conservation)

Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to administer various programs, such as the Electric Program Investment Charge program, that are funded by a charge on electrical ratepayers. Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to require electrical corporations to implement various programs, such as energy efficiency programs, that are funded by electrical ratepayers. Under its authority, the Governor has issued an executive order directing the Energy Commission and the PUC to examine electrical ratepayer-funded programs under their respective jurisdictions and to identify programs and regulations that may be unduly adding to electricity rates for which the benefits provided may not be justified by the costs imposed on electrical ratepayers. The executive order requires those 2 commissions to report back to the Governor by January 1, 2025. This bill would require the Energy Commission and the PUC, by July 1, 2025, to each submit to the Legislature a report containing certain information required by the executive order. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law requires the State Water Resources Control Board, in coordination with the Department of Water Resources, to adopt long-term standards for the efficient use of water and performance measures for commercial, industrial, and institutional water use (CII water use) , among other water uses, before June 30, 2022. Existing law requires the department, in coordination with the board, to conduct necessary studies and investigations and make recommendations, no later than October 1, 2021, for purposes of those standards and performance measures for CII water use. This bill would require the department and the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications to include, within the Save Our Water Campaign, a statewide "water wise" designation to be awarded to businesses in the CII sector that meet or exceed the recommendations for CII water use best management practices pursuant to those performance measures.

This measure would recognize the 2nd Saturday of January each year as World Desert Day in California, and would encourage local jurisdictions to partner with organizations, agencies, or community groups to host educational programs and community celebrations highlighting desert conservation.

Existing law provides that mitigation banks and conservation banks provide for the conservation of important habitats and habitat linkages, take advantage of economies of scale that are often not available to individualized mitigation projects, and simplify the state regulatory compliance process while achieving conservation goals. Existing law provides that no conservation bank, mitigation bank, or conservation and mitigation bank is operative, vested, or final, nor bank credits issued, until the Department of Fish and Wildlife has approved in writing and a conservation easement has been recorded on the site. Existing law authorizes banks to issue and sell bank credits to private and public entities. Existing law defines "conservation bank" and "mitigation bank" for these purposes. This bill would expand the definition of "conservation bank" and "mitigation bank" to include marine artificial reefs. The bill would authorize a person to, after completion of a full environmental review in compliance with applicable California and federal laws and regulations, create a marine artificial reef for purposes of establishing a mitigation or conservation bank. The bill would clarify that both nonprofit and for-profit organizations are authorized to establish and operate a conservation bank, mitigation bank, or conservation and mitigation bank. The bill would provide that if a marine artificial reef is located on state sovereign land then a lease is required from the State Lands Commission, as provided. The bill would provide that the lease from the commission would satisfy the requirements for a bank enabling instrument and for the department to grant a conservation easement.

Existing law establishes the California Farmland Conservancy Program in the Department of Conservation and authorizes the program to offer financial assistance, including grants or contracts, for projects and activities on agricultural lands that support agricultural conservation and sustainable land management. Existing law creates the California Farmland Conservancy Program Fund and requires moneys in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act, to be used for purposes of the program. Notwithstanding that provision, existing law continuously appropriates moneys in the fund from federal grants and gifts and donations to the department for purposes of the program. This bill would require the Controller to transfer $20,000,000 on July 1 of each fiscal year, commencing with the 2025–26 fiscal year, from the General Fund to the California Farmland Conservancy Program Funding Account, which the bill would create within the California Farmland Conservancy Program Fund. The bill would continuously appropriate moneys in the account to the department for expenditure as provided. The bill would require that the funding only be awarded for agricultural conservation easements on agricultural land, as defined.

Existing law establishes the Natural Resources Agency, composed of departments, boards, conservancies, and commissions responsible for the restoration, protection, and management of the state's natural and cultural resources. This bill would establish in the agency the California Trails Conservancy Program. The bill would require the program to have specified purposes, including promoting enhanced and expanded environmentally sound greenways and trail networks. If the agency determines that it would benefit these purposes, the bill would authorize the agency to establish an ad hoc working group with specified members, including a representative from the Department of Parks and Recreation. The bill would authorize the agency to delegate administration of the program to the agency's Deputy Secretary for Access. The bill would also authorize the agency to administer funding for priority projects, as defined, through existing or new grants or competitive grant programs and would require that no less than 35% percent of the funding administered by the agency for the purposes of the program be allocated to projects benefiting disadvantaged communities, as defined. This bill would make these provisions operative only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes.

Existing law authorizes various conservancies to acquire, manage, direct the management of, and conserve lands in the state. This bill, upon appropriation by the Legislature or approval of a general obligation bond, as provided, would establish the Huron Hawk Conservancy within the Natural Resources Agency for specified purposes related to the Huron Hawk area, as defined, including to acquire and manage public lands within the Huron Hawk area and to provide recreational, open space, wildlife habitat restoration and protection, and lands for educational uses within the area. The bill would require the conservancy to be governed by a board of directors composed of designated membership, including certain members appointed by certain local agencies. The bill would set forth the powers, duties, and limitations of the board of directors and the conservancy, as provided. The bill would create the Huron Hawk Conservancy Fund and would make moneys in the fund available for expenditure by the conservancy, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the purposes of these provisions. The bill would authorize the conservancy to accept revenue generated and contributed to the conservancy by member agencies, as defined, which the bill would require to be deposited into the fund. The bill would also authorize the conservancy to accept revenue, money, grants, goods, and services contributed to the conservancy by a public agency, private entity, or person, and would require the revenue, money, and grants to be deposited into the fund. By imposing new duties on local agencies, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

The Wildlife Conservation Law of 1947 establishes the Wildlife Conservation Board within the Department of Fish and Wildlife to investigate, study, and determine what areas within the state are most essential and suitable for wildlife production and preservation, among other things. Under existing law, the board administers various habitat conservation programs. This bill would require the board to establish and administer, through the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Diablo Range Conservation Program and, pursuant to the program, to approve projects to acquire, preserve, restore, and enhance habitat within the Diablo Range, as defined, consistent with conservation strategies approved by the department. The bill would authorize the board to provide grants to local public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and California Native American tribes to be used for various purposes, including the acquisition, restoration, and enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat and other natural resources within and adjacent to the Diablo Range. The bill would establish the Diablo Range Conservation Fund in the State Treasury and would make moneys in the fund available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of the program. The bill would authorize the board to accept moneys, grants, goods, or services contributed to it by public agencies or private entities or persons and would require those moneys to be deposited in the Donation Account, which the bill would establish in the fund. The bill would continuously appropriate the moneys in the account to the board for purposes of the program, thereby making an appropriation.

(1) The California Wildlife, Coastal, and Park Land Conservation Act, an initiative measure approved by the voters in the June 7, 1988, statewide primary election, provided bond funds for wildlife, coastal, and parkland conservation. The initiative measure authorizes the act to be amended by 2 3 "?> a 23 vote of the Legislature if the amendment is consistent with the purposes of the act. Existing law requires an applicant receiving state funds under the act to maintain any property acquired in perpetuity, as specified, to use the property only for the purposes stated in the act, and to make no other use, sale, or other disposition of the property except as authorized by a specific act of the Legislature. Existing law authorizes the County of San Bernardino to sell or exchange property it owns within the Chino Agricultural Preserve that was purchased with grant funds if it meets certain conditions. Among those conditions, existing law requires the county to preserve all lands and conservation easements acquired or dedicated as authorized by the act in perpetuity for open-space conservation purposes or agricultural preservation, and specifies that agricultural conservation includes community gardens, agricultural heritage projects, agricultural and wildlife education, or wildlife habitat. This bill would additionally authorize preservation of those lands or easements for park and recreational purposes, and would explicitly include, to the extent they are consistent with the purposes of the act, playgrounds, recreational venues, and preservation of historical resources as appropriate purposes. (2) Existing law prohibits the county from selling, exchanging, or otherwise acquiring replacement land or conservation easements unless and until the Board of Supervisors for the County of San Bernardino adopts a detailed land plan. Existing law requires the land plan to, among other things, identify each parcel of property acquired with grant funds and show the specific parcels the county will sell, exchange, purchase, or retain. Existing law requires the land plan to be approved by the Department of Parks and Recreation, as specified. Existing law authorizes the county to propose a plan to the department for the expenditure of any unexpended proceeds from the sale or exchange of land under the land plan for the acquisition of land or easements, or capital improvements to land or easements purchased with grant funds. This bill would eliminate the explicit authorization and procedures specifically applicable to the expenditure of the unexpended proceeds. Existing law authorizes the county to use all income generated from the properties it owns within the preserve that were purchased with grant funds, or that were acquired by exchange or purchase as authorized, except revenues from the sale or exchange of land, for the acquisition of additional replacement land within the preserve pursuant to the land plan or for the improvement, operation, and maintenance of existing or replacement land within the preserve. This bill would authorize the county to use the revenues from the sale or exchange of land for these purposes, and would specify new purposes for which that revenue, and all income generated from the properties the county owns within the preserve that were purchased with grant funds or that were acquired by exchange or purchase, may be used. The bill would prohibit the revenues and income from being granted to a private entity, except as provided. The bill would declare that these requirements are an amendment of the act within the meaning of Section 6 of the act and is consistent with the act.

Existing law, the Farmer Equity Act of 2017, requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to ensure the inclusion of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, as defined, in the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of food and agriculture laws, regulations, and policies and programs, as specified. This bill would authorize the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to establish 2 advisory committees, known as the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Producer Advisory Committee and the Small-Scale Producer Advisory Committee, for the purpose of advising the secretary and the department with respect to their responsibilities under the Farmer Equity Act of 2017. The bill would authorize the advisory committees to advise the secretary and the department on programs, policies, education, outreach, technical assistance, and general needs for small-scale producers, medium-scale producers, and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers in California. The bill would require the members of the advisory committees to be small-scale or medium-scale socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, as provided.