Public resources.

(1) The California Endangered Species Act requires the Fish and Game Commission to establish a list of endangered species and a list of threatened species, and requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife to recommend, and the commission to adopt, criteria for determining if a species is endangered or threatened. Under the act, an interested person may petition the commission to add a species to, or remove a species from, either the list of endangered species or the list of threatened species, and existing law requires the commission to consider the petition at a meeting, as prescribed. Existing law, until January 1, 2017, establishes additional procedures for the review of a petition, including public hearings and public comment. This bill would extend those additional procedures indefinitely. (2) Existing law generally prohibits a person from possessing, importing, shipping, or transporting in the state, or from placing, planting, or causing to be placed or planted in any water within the state, dreissenid mussels, and authorizes the Director of Fish and Wildlife or his or her designee to engage in various enforcement activities. Existing law provides that a person who violates or resists, delays, obstructs, or interferes with the implementation of these provisions is subject to a penalty, in an amount not to exceed $1,000, that is imposed administratively by the department. Existing law exempts certain entities from enforcement activities, or from civil or criminal liability, under prescribed circumstances. These provisions are repealed on January 1, 2017. This bill would extend these provisions to January 1, 2020. Under existing law, a violation of these provisions is a crime. By extending the operation of these provisions, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) Existing law authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to enter into an agreement to accept funds from any person, educational institution, tribal government, corporation, or other business entity or organization for the maintenance, operation, restoration, repair, development, improvement, or enhancement of a designated state park system unit or facility, or for research, educational, interpretive, recreational, or visitor services provided on or for a designated state park system unit or facility, and requires that any funds so received be deposited in a separate account in the State Park Contingent Fund. This bill would require the department, for each agreement entered into pursuant to those provisions, to provide an accounting of all expenditures made from the donated funds, as specified. (4) Existing law establishes the State Parks Revenue Incentive Subaccount in the State Parks and Recreation Fund, and continuously appropriates funds in the subaccount to the Department of Parks and Recreation for activities, programs, and projects that are consistent with the mission of the department and that increase the department's capacity to generate revenue and implement a revenue generating program. Existing law requires that activities, programs, and projects funded by the subaccount include, among other things, a projection of costs, including design, planning, construction, operation, staff, maintenance, marketing, and information technology. This bill would require a projection of costs to include that information only if appropriate. (5) Existing law requires that, following classification or reclassification of a unit of the state park system by the State Park and Recreation Commission, and prior to the development of any new facilities in any previously classified unit, the Department of Parks and Recreation prepare a general plan or revise any existing plan for the unit in accordance with prescribed procedures. This bill would require the department, in consultation with the commission, by January 1, 2018, to provide the Legislature with specified recommendations for improving the state park planning and approval process, as prescribed. (6) Existing law authorizes the Director of Parks and Recreation to award a concession contract authorizing occupancy of any portion of the state park system for a period of more than 2 years to the best responsible person or entity submitting a proposal for the contract, if the director determines that it is in the best interest of the state and subject to certain requirements and procedures. If the concession contract is expected to involve a total investment or gross sales in excess of $500,000, existing law requires that the contract meet certain other requirements for entry into contract that are applicable to contracts that are expected to involve a total investment or estimated annual gross sales in excess of $1,000,000. This bill would instead require those concession contracts to meet those other requirements if the contract is expected to involve a total investment or gross sales in excess of $1,000,000. (7) 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.