BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                      



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                  SB 1201|
          |Office of Senate Floor Analyses   |                         |
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  SB 1201
          Author:   De León (D)
          Amended:  5/29/12
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER COMM  :  5-2, 4/10/12
          AYES:  Pavley, Kehoe, Padilla, Simitian, Wolk
          NOES:  La Malfa, Cannella
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Evans, Fuller

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  5-2, 5/24/12
          AYES:  Kehoe, Alquist, Lieu, Price, Steinberg
          NOES:  Walters, Dutton


           SUBJECT  :    Los Angeles River

           SOURCE  :     Friends of the Los Angeles River


           DIGEST  :    This bill creates the Los Angeles River 
          Interagency Access Council, consisting of state and local 
          representatives, in order to coordinate those agencies 
          efforts in developing and administering public access and 
          safety policies for the Los Angeles River.

           ANALYSIS  :    Existing law establishes in state government 
          the Natural Resources Agency, consisting of various 
          departments, including the State Lands Commission.  The Los 
          Angeles County Flood Control Act establishes the Los 
          Angeles County Flood Control District and authorizes the 
          district to control and conserve the flood, storm, and 
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          other wastewater of the district.

          This bill establishes the Los Angeles River Interagency 
          Council comprised of state and local representatives, to 
          conduct various duties including promoting public access to 
          and enhancing safety features along the river, developing 
          and providing safety warning systems, and coordinating 
          permitting processes for public access to the river.  This 
          bill also modifies the Los Angeles County Flood Control Act 
          of 1915 to provide for public use of navigable waterways 
          for recreational and educational purposes.

           Background
           
          Multiple state agencies have jurisdiction over elements of 
          the Los Angeles River and its tributaries including the 
          Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the River and Mountains 
          Conservancy, the State Lands Commission, the Mountain and 
          Rivers Conservation Authority, the Department of Fish and 
          Game, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the State 
          Coastal Conservancy, the Regional Water Quality Control 
          Board, the Department of Water Resources, and Department of 
          Transportation. Additionally, numerous local agencies have 
          jurisdiction over elements of the Los Angeles River 
          including the County of Los Angeles and the 13 cities which 
          the river passes through. 

          There is strong, long-standing interest in the 
          revitalization and promotion of the re-integration of the 
          Los Angeles River and its tributaries into the adjacent 
          neighborhoods. The Los Angeles County's River Master Plan, 
          completed in 1996, described how economic growth could be 
          spurred along the river through zoning changes and the 
          development of open space, recreational, cultural, 
          artistic, educational, and other opportunities.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes   
          Local:  No

          According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, ongoing 
          costs of $70,000 from the General Fund, starting in 2013, 
          for staffing and travel needs by the Natural Resources 
          Agency, State Lands Commission, and the California 
          Environmental Protection Agency.

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           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  5/29/12)

          Friends of the Los Angeles River (source)
          Trust for Public Land
          California League of Conservation Voters
          Santa Monica Bay Keeper
          Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy

           OPPOSITION  :    (Verified  5/29/12)

          Los Angeles County

           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    According to the author, "SB 1201 
          establishes the Los Angeles River Interagency Council to 
          ensure that open and accessible areas of the LA River are 
          identified for recreational purposes. This measure provides 
          the framework and policy goals needed to identify and 
          eliminate the barriers to public use.  Many areas 
          surrounding the LA River have limited access to open space 
          and there are significant disparities in park access in 
          lower-income neighborhoods, as they have dramatically less 
          access to park space than more affluent areas. Without bike 
          pathways, pocket parks or other recreational amenities, 
          many of our communities are further challenged to live 
          healthier, more prosperous lives. This measure ensures that 
          we use an existing resource for the public benefit and that 
          we address the public needs in this process."

          According to the Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR), 
          "?since channelization of the river Ý?] agency policies 
          generally exclude the public from river access and use 
          except under a restrictive and difficult permit process.  
          In spite of this, we are now witnessing rapidly increasing 
          public interest in the Los Angeles River accompanied by a 
          significant increase in actual use for a number of 
          recreational purposes."  FoLAR continues that public access 
          to and use of the river is "greatly complicated by a 
          multiplicity of federal, state and local agencies with 
          river-related jurisdiction" and current coordination 
          policies are inadequate.

           ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION  :    The Los Angeles County Board of 
          Supervisors opposed an earlier version of this bill.  Of 

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          continuing relevance, the Executive Officer states "The 
          proposed Council Ý...] would duplicate current, successful 
          local efforts of the County and other entities that 
          directly address environmental, recreational and other 
          issues relating to the Los Angeles River watershed.  
          Specifically, the effectiveness of the existing Los Angeles 
          River Master Plan is the direct result of the collaboration 
          of public and private sector stakeholders, 
          local/state/federal agencies, and environmental 
          organizations interested in the future of the Los Angeles 
          River. It addresses the recreational, flood management and 
          water conservation, environmental quality, economic 
          development, aesthetic, public access, and jurisdictional 
          considerations of all communities along the river.  It also 
          provides a mechanism for the coordination of local projects 
          by the County of Los Angeles and the many cities along the 
          River and the Tujunga Wash.  The effectiveness of the 
          Master Plan is complemented by the City of Los Angeles' own 
          similar river revitalization master plan, and by the River 
          Cooperation Committee, a collaborative undertaking of the 
          Los Angeles County Flood Control District and the City of 
          Los Angeles, with the Army Corps of Engineers serving in an 
          advisory capacity."


          CTW:nl  5/29/12   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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