Natural community conservation planning.

The Natural Community Conservation Planning Act authorizes the Department of Fish and Game to enter into agreements with any person or public entity for the purpose of preparing a natural community conservation plan to provide comprehensive management and conservation of multiple wildlife species. The act requires a plan to identify and provide for those measures necessary to conserve and manage natural biological diversity within the plan area while allowing compatible and appropriate economic development, growth, and other human uses. The act requires each natural community conservation plan to include an implementation agreement governing specified matters. Existing law exempts from specified provisions of the act any natural community conservation plan or subarea plan initiated on or before January 1, 2000, or amendment thereto, by Sweetwater Authority, Helix Water District, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Santa Fe Irrigation District, or the San Diego County Water Authority, which the department determines is consistent with the approved San Diego Multiple Habitat Conservation Program or the San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program, if the department finds that the plan has been developed and is otherwise in conformance with the act. Existing law deems certain lands designated as open-space lands as of January 1, 2008, to be dedicated land under the City Charter of San Diego. This bill would deem those lands designated as open-space lands as of January 1, 2013, to be dedicated land under the city charter.