Endangered species: conservation: California State Safe Harbor Agreement Program Act.

Existing law, the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) , prohibits a person from importing, exporting, or taking, possessing, purchasing, or selling within the state, any species, or any part or product thereof, that the Fish and Game Commission determines to be an endangered species or a threatened species, with specified exceptions. These prohibitions also apply to any species designated by the commission as a candidate species if notice of its status has been given. Existing law, the California State Safe Harbor Agreement Program Act, establishes a program to encourage landowners to manage their lands voluntarily, by means of state safe harbor agreements approved by the Department of Fish and Wildlife, to benefit endangered, threatened, or candidate species, or declining or vulnerable species, without being subject to additional regulatory restrictions as a result of their conservation efforts. The act authorizes the department to authorize specified acts that are or may become otherwise prohibited pursuant to CESA by entering into a state safe harbor agreement. Under existing law, the act remains in effect until January 1, 2020, and as of that date is repealed. Existing law makes it a crime to submit, or conspire to submit, any false, inaccurate, or otherwise misleading information on any application or other document offered or otherwise presented to the department for any purpose, including, but not limited to, obtaining a license, tag, permit, or other privilege or entitlement pursuant to the Fish and Game Code or regulations adopted pursuant to the code. This bill would delete the January 1, 2020, repeal date of the California State Safe Harbor Agreement Program Act, thereby extending the operation of the act indefinitely. Because submission of false, inaccurate, or misleading information on an application for a state safe harbor agreement under the act would be a crime, this bill would extend the application of a crime, thus imposing 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.