Department of Transportation: transfer of property: Blues Beach property.

Existing law vests the Department of Transportation with full possession and control of all state highways and all property and rights on property acquired for state highway purposes. Various provisions of existing law specifically provide for the acquisition, transfer, and use of property owned by the department. This bill would authorize the department, upon terms, standards, and conditions approved by the California Transportation Commission, to transfer the Blues Beach property located in the unincorporated community of Westport in the County of Mendocino to a qualified nonprofit corporation, which the bill would define as a nonprofit corporation that is organized by one or more California Native American tribes for the purpose of environmental protection. The bill would authorize the department to enter into a cooperative agreement with a qualified nonprofit corporation that is transferred the Blues Beach property to provide funding for future maintenance of the property. The bill would require a nonprofit corporation that is transferred the Blues Beach property to be responsible for the future maintenance of the property, would require the property to only be used for natural habitat purposes, and would require the property to revert to the department if the property is not maintained.