Public lands: school lands: California Desert Conservation Area.

Existing law requires the State Lands Commission to enter into a memorandum of agreement by April 1, 2012, with the United States Secretary of the Interior to facilitate land exchanges that consolidate school land parcels into contiguous holdings that are suitable for large-scale renewable energy-related projects. Existing law requires, after the memorandum of agreement is entered into, the commission to make best efforts to consolidate all school land parcels in the California desert into contiguous holdings for large-scale renewable energy-related projects. Existing law requires the commission to report to the Legislature by January 1 of each year on the status of the memorandum of agreement and school land consolidation efforts in the California desert. Existing law provides that these requirements are contingent on the cooperation of the United States Secretary of the Interior. Existing law defines "California desert" for these purposes to mean the California Desert Conservation Area as described pursuant to specified federal law. This bill would also include as part of the definition of "California desert" any other additional areas included in a specified United States Bureau of Land Management amendment, as provided.