BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 238 Page 1 SENATE THIRD READING SB 238 (Liu) As Introduced August 6, 2013 Majority vote SENATE VOTE :26-9 NATURAL RESOURCES 5-3 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Ayes:|Chesbro, Garcia, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra, | | |Muratsuchi, Skinner, | |Bradford, | | |Stone | |Ian Calderon, Campos, | | | | |Eggman, Gomez, Hall, | | | | |Holden, Pan, Quirk, Weber | | | | | | |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------| |Nays:|Grove, Bigelow, Patterson |Nays:|Harkey, Bigelow, | | | | |Donnelly, Linder, Wagner | ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY : Authorizes the Supervisor of the Angeles National Forest (normally an ex officio, nonvoting member of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (Conservancy)) to vote on matters relating to projects located within, adjacent to, or substantially affecting, the Angeles National Forest. EXISTING LAW : 1)Establishes the Conservancy within the Natural Resources Agency to acquire and protect lands within the Santa Monica Mountains Zone, which is an area of approximately 650,000 acres, generally encompassing the mountain areas of eastern Ventura County, western Los Angeles County, and the mountain areas surrounding the San Fernando, La Crescenta, and Santa Clarita Valleys. 2)Established nine voting members on the Conservancy, three ex officio members, and six legislative members. 3)Requires the three ex officio members to be a representative from the California Coastal Commission (CCC), a representative from the State Coastal Conservancy, and the Supervisor of the Angeles National Forest. SB 238 Page 2 4)Authorizes the ex officio members from the CCC to vote on matters pertaining to a project undertaken within the coastal zone portion of the Santa Monica Mountains Zone. 5)Does not authorize the Supervisor of the Angeles National Forest to vote on matters before the Conservancy. FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, negligible state costs. COMMENTS : The Conservancy was established by the California State Legislature in 1980. Since that time, it has helped to preserve over 69,000 acres of parkland in both wilderness and urban settings, and improved more than 114 public recreational facilities throughout Southern California. Additionally, it has given grants to nonprofit organizations for educational and interpretation programs that have served hundreds of thousands of children and other park visitors. The voting rights of the Supervisor of the Angeles National Forest were apparently never a discussed topic when the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy was established. With the special resource study of the area known as the "Rim of the Valley," the Conservancy agrees that Supervisor of the Angeles National Forest should be included in the discussion as a voting member. The purpose of this study is to determine if any portion of the Valley Corridor is eligible to be considered a unit of the national park system, or added to an existing national park. The Valley Corridor is the area that generally includes the mountains encircling the San Fernando, La Crescenta, Santa Clarita, Simi and Conejo Valleys of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties in southern California. The study will also explore other ways that private or governmental entities can protect resources and provide more outdoor recreation opportunities. By allowing the Supervisor of the Angeles National Forest to vote on matters that affect the Angeles National Forest, this bill will allow the Supervisor to have a similar role played by the CCC on Conservancy projects related to the coastal zone. Analysis Prepared by : Mario DeBernardo / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092 SB 238 Page 3 FN: 0001557