Wildlife Connectivity and Climate Adaptation Act of 2024: wildlife corridors: fish passage.

(1) Existing law requires the Natural Resources Agency, in implementing actions to achieve the goal to conserve at least 30% of the state's lands and coastal waters by 2030 established by executive order, to prioritize specified actions. Existing law requires the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to prepare and submit an annual report to the Legislature on the progress made during the prior calendar year toward achieving that goal, as provided. Existing law requires that annual report to include certain information, including, among other information, the progress made in the prior calendar year to address equity as part of the above-described goal. This bill, the Wildlife Connectivity and Climate Adaptation Act of 2024, would additionally require the agency, as part of that report, to include an update on the state's progress towards addressing the priority wildlife corridors, as defined, identified in the Restoring California's Wildlife Connectivity report by the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and goals for wildlife corridor protection in the next five years. The bill would also make related findings and declarations. (2) The Wildlife Conservation Law of 1947 requires the Wildlife Conservation Board to acquire real property, rights in real property, water, or water rights as necessary for a program to acquire lands and facilities suitable for recreational purposes and adaptable for the conservation, propagation, and utilization of state fish and game resources. The law establishes the program and makes a policy statement regarding the program and its purposes. This bill would additionally make it the policy of the state to preserve, protect, and restore wildlife habitats and biodiversity through the acquisition and restoration of blocks of habitat and natural lands that are connected by wildlife corridors, as defined, and the infrastructure that supports wildlife corridors. This bill would also require the board to identify priority projects for the acquisition, development, rehabilitation, restoration, protection, and expansion of wildlife corridors and open space. The bill would authorize the board to give priority for this purpose to projects that protect wildlife corridors, including wildlife corridors threatened by urban development, as specified. (3) Existing law requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife, contingent upon funding being provided by the Wildlife Conservation Board, or from other appropriate bond funds, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to investigate, study, and identify those areas in the state that are most essential as wildlife corridors and habitat linkages, as specified. Under existing law, it is the policy of the state to encourage, wherever feasible and practicable, voluntary steps to protect the functioning of wildlife corridors through various means, as specified. Existing law authorizes those means to include, but not be limited to, acquisition or protection of wildlife corridors as open space through conservation easements. This bill would remove from the contingency requirement that appropriate funds be from bonds and would specify that the department not only investigate, study, and identify, but also track the protection and conservation of the above-described areas. The bill would also revise and recast various provisions involving voluntary steps to protect the functioning of these wildlife corridors to additionally include, among other means, acquisition or protection of wildlife corridors as open space through fee title acquisitions.