BILL ANALYSIS Ó Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary Senator Kevin de León, Chair SB 1390 (Correa) - Santa Ana River Conservancy Program. Amended: April 29, 2014 Policy Vote: NR&W 9-0 Urgency: No Mandate: No Hearing Date: May 12, 2014 Consultant: Marie Liu This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: SB 1390 would establish the Santa Ana River Conservancy Program within the State Coastal Conservancy to address the resource and recreational goals of the Santa Ana River corridor. Fiscal Impact: One-time costs of up to $100,000 from the Proposition 84 (General Fund) to the State Coastal Conservancy to develop a Santa Ana River Parkway and Open Space Plan. Ongoing cost pressures in the millions of dollars to existing and future bond and General Fund monies for projects under the Santa Ana River Conservancy Program. Background: Existing law establishes a number of conservancies that generally have the mission to enhance and restore important habitat lands, provide for public restoration, educational opportunities, and restore watersheds. All but one conservancy have its own board of directors and staff. The exception, the San Francisco Bay Conservancy, is housed within the State Coastal Conservancy. The State Coastal Conservancy was created in 1976 to purchase, protect, restore, and enhance coastal resources, and to provide access to the shore. The conservancy's jurisdiction is mostly the coastal zone, which extends from the Oregon to Mexico borders and from the state's ocean border (3 miles seaward) to an inland border that varies between 1,000 yards and five miles from the mean high tide line. Proposed Law: This bill would create the Santa Ana River Conservancy Program (program) within the Coastal Conservancy for the purposes including providing recreational opportunities, SB 1390 (Correa) Page 1 open space, wildlife habitat and species restoration and protection, wetland restoration and protection, protection of the Sana Ana River, and agricultural land restoration and protection. Under the program, the Coastal Conservancy would be required to prepare a Santa Ana River Parkway and Open Space Plan. The plan would be required to identify underused existing public open spaces and recommend ways to provide better public use of those lands and to identify and prioritize additional low-impact recreational and open-space needs. This bill would establish various powers and limitations for the Coastal Conservancy in regards to the program. This bill would establish the Santa Ana River Conservancy Program Account within the State Coastal Conservancy Fund. The account may receive deposits from grants and donations received for this program. This bill would require the Coastal Conservancy to report annually on the progress in the program beginning in 2016. Related Legislation: SB 1048 (Sher) Chapter 896, Statutes of 1997 - created the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program within the Coastal Conservancy. AB 496 (Correa, 2003) - proposed the creation of the Santa Ana River Conservancy (Held on the Senate Appropriations suspense file). Staff Comments: According to the Coastal Conservancy, substantial amounts of the planning that would be required to prepare a Santa Ana River Parkway and Open Space Plan has already been completed as part of the Coastal Conservancy's existing authorities and responsibilities. However, additional planning would be needed to make a comprehensive plan. The Coastal Conservancy estimates one-time costs of up to $100,000. Staff notes that by creating an additional program within the Coastal Conservancy, this bill puts costs pressures on the Coastal Conservancy's existing and future funds, which are largely from bonds. However, this cost pressure is somewhat mitigated because some priorities projects of this program are SB 1390 (Correa) Page 2 likely to be priorities of the Coastal Conservancy under their existing mission even if this program was not created. Staff notes that Proposition 84 allocated $45 million to the Santa Ana River Parkway. These monies are managed by the Coastal Conservancy. Approximately $32.7 million remains.