BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1847 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 2, 2012 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Felipe Fuentes, Chair AB 1847 (Lowenthal) - As Amended: March 19, 2012 Policy Committee: Natural ResourcesVote:9-0 Local Government 9-0 Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No SUMMARY This bill grants and conveys in trust to the City of Long Beach all right, title and interest of the state in public trust lands known as the Bixby Park Trust Parcels, the Colorado Lagoon Public Trust Parcels and the Marine Stadium Channel Public Trust Parcels. FISCAL EFFECT Negligible costs, if any. COMMENTS 1)Rationale. The State Lands Commission (SLC) intends this transaction to finalize a land exchange with the city, resulting in the consolidation of management of the public trust lands within the City of Long Beach. Absent this bill, SLC and the city would continue to enter into 49-year leases for the management of the lands. 2)Background- Public Trust Lands. The Public Trust Doctrine holds that tide and submerged lands and the beds of lakes, streams, and other navigable waterways are "public trust lands" held by the state for the benefit of the people of California. These lands are to promote the public's interest in water or water-dependent activities such as commerce, navigation, fisheries, environmental preservation and recreation. The State Lands Commission is the steward of the state's public trust lands. Existing law allows SLC to lease public trust lands, enter into boundary agreements, exchange public trust lands for non-trust lands, and lift the trust AB 1847 Page 2 from public trust lands. SLC must receive equal value in any such exchange. The Legislature retains the authority to modify uses permitted on public trust lands. In keeping with existing law, the City of Long Beach independently gave title to SLC of city land currently useful for the public trust. In exchange, SLC signed long-term leases with the city specifying that it manage former tidelands held by SLC in a manner keeping with the public trust. SLC seeks to transfer title of the leased lands to the city, which agrees to continue to manage the former tidelands in keeping with the public trust, consistent with SLC oversight. 3)Support. This bill is supported by SLC, its sponsor. 4)There is no registered opposition to this bill. Analysis Prepared by : Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081