BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 763
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 1, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                   AB 763 (Buchanan) - As Amended:  April 10, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              Water, Parks and  
          Wildlife     Vote:                            15-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           
          SUMMARY  

          This bill designates the Department of Boating and Waterways  
          (DBW) as the state lead agency for controlling invasive plants  
          in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.  As lead agency, DBW would  
          coordinate local, state and federal efforts to identify, control  
          and eradicate invasive species.

          The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) is required to perform  
          a risk-assessment on identified species to consider threats to  
          the state's environment, fisheries, economy, navigation and  
          recreational use of waterways.  This risk-assessment will guide  
          DBW in coordinating efforts to control or eradicate the species.  


           FISCAL EFFECT  

          To the extent that new invasive and pest aquatic plants are  
          identified and require herbicide treatment:

          1)Significant initial costs to DBW and DFW of over $500,000 for  
            required state and federal environmental impact review for  
            every plant species (special fund).

          2)An estimated $500,000 every five years to update biological  
            assessment and federal and state environmental impact review  
            (special fund.)

          3)Significant annual costs, in the low hundreds of thousands, to  
            purchase herbicide and monitor water quality for each new  
            plant species requiring treatment, depending on its location  








                                                                  AB 763
                                                                  Page  2

            and infestation level.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale.   DBW is currently designated as the lead agency of  
            the state for controlling water hyacinth, egeria densa, and  
            the South American spongeplant.  The bill will allow DBW to  
            avoid future legislative authorization every time a new  
            invasive species is identified in the Delta.  

          2)Background.   Controlling invasive species is an increasing  
            resource management challenge for the state, including control  
            of aquatic invasive plant species in the Delta and its  
            tributaries.  Invasive aquatic plant species can clog  
            waterways, interfering with navigation, obstructing water  
            supply infrastructure, depleting sunlight and nutrients, and  
            competing with other native species.  Early assessment and  
            response is widely recognized as essential for cost effective  
            control of invasive species before they become established or  
            too wide spread. 

            Under current law, the DBW has lead authority for implementing  
            control measures for three identified invasive aquatic plant  
            species in the Delta, but new legislation and a statutory  
            change is required each time a new invasive aquatic plant  
            species is identified.  

            Most recently, AB 1540 (Buchanan) gave DBW lead agency  
            authority over South American Spongeplant in 2012,  
                 
            3)Governor's Re-organization.    On July 1, 2013, DBW will no  
            longer be a separate state department and will instead become  
            a division of the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR).    
            However, DBW will continue all of its existing functions as a  
            division of DPR.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081