Environment (Parks & Recreation)

(1) Existing law, until January 1, 2030, 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 the director's designee to engage in various enforcement activities with regard to dreissenid mussels. Existing law requires any person, or federal, state, or local agency, district, or authority that owns or manages a reservoir, as defined, where recreational, boating, or fishing activities are permitted, except as specified, to develop and implement a program designed to prevent the introduction of nonnative dreissenid mussel species, as provided. Under existing law, except as otherwise provided, any violation of the Fish and Game Code, or of any rule, regulation, or order made or adopted under the code, is a crime. This bill would expand the scope of the above-described provisions relating to dreissenid mussels to instead apply to invasive mussels, defined to mean any nonnative detrimental mussel species, as provided. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires a public or private agency that operates a water supply system to cooperate with the Department of Fish and Wildlife to implement measures to avoid infestation by dreissenid mussels and to control or eradicate any infestation that may occur in a water supply system, and, if dreissenid mussels are detected, to prepare and implement a plan, as specified, to control or eradicate dreissenid mussels within the system. Existing law requires any person or entity that manages any aspect of the water in a reservoir, as defined, where recreational, boating, or fishing activities are permitted, to be eligible to receive a grant for the reasonable regulatory costs incident to the implementation of a dreissenid mussel infestation prevention plan. This bill would instead apply the above-described provisions to invasive mussels, as defined. The bill would require the department to, on or before December 31, 2026, review all approved plans and require all plans that do not specifically address all invasive mussel species known to be present in bodies of water in the state as of January 1, 2026, to be updated or revised, as provided. The bill would require every invasive mussel species to be addressed in a plan within a specified timeframe. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to either approve the plan or provide written comments and suggestions on plan review deficiencies, as provided. Existing law requires the owner of a vessel, as described, to register the vessel in accordance with prescribed requirements governing the registration and transfer of vessels. Existing law requires vessel registration to be renewed every 2-year period, as specified. Existing law establishes a registration fee and a renewal fee for vessels, and imposes an additional fee, known as the quagga and zebra mussel infestation prevention fee, in specified amounts, as determined by the Division of Boating and Waterways in the Department of Parks and Recreation, on a vessel required to pay the registration fee or renewal fee. Existing state regulations require the quagga and zebra mussel infestation prevention fee to be payable in specific instances of vessel registration or renewal. Existing law requires that all revenues collected from the quagga and zebra mussel prevention fee be deposited into the Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund created in the State Treasury, and, upon appropriation by the Legislature, expended for specified purposes. This bill would instead apply the above-described provisions to invasive mussels, as defined, including renaming the quagga and zebra mussel infestation prevention fee as the invasive mussel infestation prevention fee. The bill would, for invasive mussel infestation prevention fees due in the 2026 calendar year, and each year thereafter, increase the fee in specified amounts, and would require the amounts to be adjusted for inflation, as provided. Existing law authorizes a vessel operator to be issued a citation for operating a recreational vessel in nonmarine waters without a valid state-issued quagga and zebra mussel infestation prevention sticker. This bill would instead rename the quagga and zebra mussel infestation prevention sticker the invasive mussel infestation prevention sticker and would require the department to issue the sticker upon payment of the invasive mussel infestation prevention fee. (2) Existing law, the Farmer Equity Act of 2017, requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to ensure the inclusion of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, as defined, in the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of food and agriculture laws, regulations, and policies and programs, as specified. This bill would require the department, in consultation with certain entities, to establish the Regional Farmer Equipment and Cooperative Resources Assistance Pilot Program as part of the Farmer Equity Act of 2017 to provide financial and technical assistance to support regional farm equipment sharing and enhance cooperative benefits for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, with preference to be provided under the program in accordance with specified requirements. The bill would specify the entities eligible for financial assistance under the program and would require that applications for financial assistance to develop and expand equipment sharing programs include certain information. The bill would make the operation of the program contingent upon the Legislature making an appropriation for purposes of the program. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2030. (3) Existing law establishes in the Natural Resources Agency the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL-FIRE) under the control of an executive officer known as the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection. Existing law requires CAL-FIRE, in accordance with a plan approved by the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, to, among other things, provide fire prevention and firefighting implements, organize crews and patrols, and employ people to effect the plan. Existing law requires CAL-FIRE, subject to an appropriation of funds, to begin to employ sufficient permanent firefighting personnel to increase the base period hand crew staffing levels. This bill would instead require CAL-FIRE, subject to an appropriation of funds, to begin to employ sufficient permanent firefighting personnel to increase the base period staffing levels, without the limitation to hand crew staffing levels. (4) The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that the lead agency proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA exempts from its requirements activities or approvals necessary to the bidding for, hosting or staging of, and funding or carrying out of an Olympic Games under the authority of the International Olympic Committee, except for the construction of facilities necessary for the Olympic Games. This bill would revise the above-described exemption to exempt from CEQA activities or approvals for the bidding, hosting or staging of, and funding of an Olympic Games or a Paralympic Games under the authority of the International Olympic Committee or the International Paralympic Committee. The bill would also exempt from CEQA the construction of temporary facilities, as defined, for the 2028 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The bill would require public notice of any confirmed changes to the location of competition venues of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as specified. Because a lead agency would be required to determine whether a project qualifies for this exemption, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law, the California Coastal Act of 1976, among other things, requires anyone wishing to perform or undertake any development in the coastal zone, except as specified, in addition to obtaining any other permit required by law from any local government or from any state, regional, or local agency, to obtain a coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission or a local government, as provided. The act provides that a coastal development permit is not required for specified types of development in specified areas, including, among other things, any proposed development that the executive director of the commission finds to be a temporary event that does not have any significant adverse impact on coastal resources, as provided. This bill would specify that all temporary development undertaken under the authority of the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, or the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games as part of hosting, staging, and carrying out the 2028 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games are considered temporary events and are exempt from the requirement to obtain a coastal development permit. The bill would require those temporary developments to avoid and minimize significant impacts to coastal resources to the extent feasible. The bill would specify that the exemption does not apply to development intended to last after December 31, 2028. The bill would be repealed by its own terms on January 1, 2029. To the extent this bill would create additional duties for a local government, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (5) The Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 (act) , approved by the voters as Proposition 4 at the November 5, 2024, statewide general election, authorized the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for safe drinking water, drought, flood, and water resilience, wildfire and forest resilience, coastal resilience, extreme heat mitigation, biodiversity and nature-based climate solutions, climate-smart, sustainable, and resilient farms, ranches, and working lands, park creation and outdoor access, and clean air programs. Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, sets forth the requirements for the adoption, publication, review, and implementation of regulations by state agencies. This bill would authorize certain regulations needed to effectuate or implement the programs of the act to be adopted as emergency regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, as provided. The bill would require those emergency regulations to be filed with the Office of Administrative Law and would require the emergency regulation to remain in effect until repealed or amended by the adopting state agency. The act makes $135,000,000 available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for deposit into the California Ocean Protection Trust Fund for grants to increase resilience from the impacts of climate change, as specified. This bill would instead make those funds available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Ocean Protection Council for those purposes. The act requires $20,000,000, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to be deposited into the Invasive Species Account for purposes of funding invasive species projects and activities recommended by the Invasive Species Council of California, as specified. This bill would instead make those funds available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Department of Food and Agriculture for those purposes. The act makes $870,000,000 available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Wildlife Conservation Board for grant programs to protect and enhance fish and wildlife resources and habitat and achieve the state's biodiversity, public access, and conservation goals, as provided. This bill would appropriate the sum of $20,000,000, pursuant to the above provision, from the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Fund to the Wildlife Conservation Board to be granted to the Department of Fish and Wildlife for the 2025–26 fiscal year to address invasive mussel infestations, including the golden mussel. (6) This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the 2028 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. (7) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 21080 of the Public Resources Code proposed by AB 1156 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1156 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. (8) 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (9) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.

This measure would urge the President of the United States and Congress of the United States to immediately restore full and consistent funding and staffing for the National Park Service.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA exempts from its requirements a change in use approved by a lead agency that is a park district or the Great Redwood Trail Agency to allow public access to preexisting paved and natural surface roads, preexisting trails, preexisting pathways, preexisting disturbed areas for vehicle parking, as specified, and rail lines converted by the Great Redwood Trail Agency into trails known as the Great Redwood Trail, in areas used exclusively for nonmotorized recreation, if certain conditions are met, including that the change in use is consistent with a plan adopted by the park district or the Great Redwood Trail Agency, as applicable, and does not involve a physical alteration of the affected area. Existing law requires, before making a determination to approve or carry out a change in use that is determined to be exempt from CEQA, the lead agency to, among other things, make a finding that the above-described criteria are met. Existing law requires the lead agency, if the lead agency determines that a change in use is not subject to CEQA pursuant to this exemption and determines to approve or carry out the activity, to file a notice with the State Clearinghouse in the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and with the county clerk of the county in which the land is located, as provided. This bill would extend the above exemption to a lead agency that is a county park agency. The bill would remove the condition that the change in use is consistent with a plan adopted by the park district or the Great Redwood Trail Agency, as applicable, and would instead require the lead agency, before making the exemption determination, to adopt a natural resource management plan, or equivalent document, that includes appropriate identification of resources and management strategies for the affected area, as specified. The bill would instead require, as a condition of this exemption, that the change in use only involves minimal physical alterations and minimal improvements to the affected area, as specified. The bill would require the lead agency to make an additional finding that there is sufficient funding to implement the natural resource management plan, or equivalent document, and would require the finding, as well as the finding that the above-described criteria are met, to be based on substantial evidence. The bill would provide that its provisions do not apply where it is reasonably foreseeable that the provision of public access within a park or open space area will have a significant or cumulatively considerable effect on the environment. By imposing duties on public agencies related to the exemption, this bill would create 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.

(1) Existing law prohibits a conservation bank, mitigation bank, or conservation and mitigation bank from being operative, vested, or final unless the Department of Fish and Wildlife has approved the bank in writing and, if applicable, a conservation easement has been recorded on the site. Existing law requires a person interested in establishing any bank with the department to submit a bank prospectus to the department, as specified, and if the department determines the bank prospectus is acceptable, allows the person to submit a bank agreement package that, among other things, is required to contain estimates of financial assurances and proposed forms of security, as specified. This bill would authorize surety bonds to be proposed forms of security for the above purposes. (2) Existing law requires all funds derived from the sale of state duck hunting validations and state duck stamps, and related items, to be deposited into the State Duck Stamp Account in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund, as provided. Existing law requires the funds in the account to be used for projects or endowments approved by the Fish and Game Commission for the purpose of protecting, preserving, restoring, enhancing, and developing migratory waterfowl breeding and wintering habitat, evaluating habitat projects, and conducting waterfowl resource assessments and other waterfowl-related research. Existing law authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife to enter into contracts or grant funds for fish and wildlife habitat preservation, restoration, and enhancement with public and private entities whenever the department finds that the contract will assist in meeting the department's duty to preserve, protect, and restore fish and wildlife. This bill would require that the department be subject to the above-described provisions in making grants or entering into agreements pursuant to the State Duck Stamp Account, as provided. (3) Existing law, the Water Conservation District Law of 1931, authorizes a water conservation district to be organized and established by a county board of supervisors, with specified powers and purposes. The law permits a water conservation district to levy groundwater charges and requires a district to annually make an engineering investigation and report on groundwater conditions of the district that includes, among other things, an estimate of the annual overdraft for the current water year and for the ensuing water year. Existing law defines "water year" for purposes of these provisions to mean July 1 of one calendar year to June 30 of the following calendar year. This bill would redefine "water year" to mean the period beginning October 1 of one calendar year and ending September 30 of the following calendar year for purposes of the above-described provisions. (4) Existing law authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to enter into contracts with natural persons, corporations, partnerships, and associations for the construction, maintenance, and operation of concessions within units of the state park system. Existing law requires all contracts authorizing occupancy of any portion of the state park system for a period of more than 3 years to be awarded to the best responsible bidder. Existing law requires public notice to be given to bidders of all proposed contracts authorizing the occupancy of property in the state park system for a period of more than 2 years, as specified, including requiring the department to publish an advertisement for bid at least once per week for 2 consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the concession is to operate and in a major daily newspaper in the closest metropolitan area. This bill would instead require public notice to bidders to be given of all proposed contracts authorizing the occupancy of property in the state park system for a period of more than 3 years, as specified. The bill would delete the requirement that the department publish an advertisement in a newspaper, as described above. Existing law requires a concession contract to contain certain provisions, including the provision that every concessionaire submit to the department all sales and use tax returns and, at the request of the department, provide an annual financial statement prepared or audited by a certified public accountant. This bill would instead require every concessionaire to submit to the department an annual financial statement prepared or audited by a certified public accountant. (5) This bill would make corresponding changes and changes to update obsolete place names and would make other nonsubstantive changes, including by repealing obsolete laws.