BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 498
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
498 (Levine)
As Amended April 28, 2015
Majority vote
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|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
|----------------+------+---------------------+---------------------|
|Water |8-5 |Levine, Dodd, |Bigelow, Dahle, Beth |
| | |Cristina Garcia, |Gaines, Harper, |
| | |Gomez, Lopez, |Mathis |
| | |Medina, Rendon, | |
| | |Williams | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+---------------------+---------------------|
|Appropriations |12-5 |Gomez, Bloom, Bonta, |Bigelow, Chang, |
| | |Calderon, Daly, |Gallagher, Jones, |
| | |Eggman, Eduardo |Wagner |
| | |Garcia, Holden, | |
| | |Quirk, Rendon, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY: Declares the policy of the state to promote the
protection of wildlife corridors. Specifically, this bill:
1)States legislative findings and declarations regarding the
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importance of wildlife corridors to assist with climate change
adaptation, protect ecosystem health and biodiversity, and
improve the resiliency of wildlife and their habitats to climate
change. Further finds and declares that preserving, restoring,
and connecting high-quality habitat for wildlife can create
habitat strongholds that support wildlife in being more
resilient to increasing pressures from climate change and
development.
2)Declares it is the policy of the state to promote the voluntary
protection of wildlife corridors and habitat strongholds in
order to enhance the resiliency of wildlife and their habitats
to climate change, protect biodiversity, and allow for migration
and movement of species between habitat lands. Further states
that it is the policy of the state with regard to projects
proposed in an area identified as a wildlife corridor, to
encourage the project proponent to consult with the Department
of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) and, wherever feasible and
practicable, take voluntary steps to promote, protect or restore
the functioning of the wildlife corridor through various means,
as specified.
3)Defines a wildlife corridor as a habitat linkage that joins two
or more areas of wildlife habitat, allowing for the movement of
wildlife from one area to another.
4)Defines a habitat stronghold as high-quality habitat that
supports wildlife in being more resilient to increasing
pressures on species due to climate change and land development.
5)States legislative intent that state agencies and other
conservation planners be encouraged to access publicly available
database tools developed by DFW and other conservation partners
to support and assist conservation planning and facilitate
identification, mapping, and prioritization of wildlife
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corridors and other habitat connectivity linkages, as specified.
6)States that this bill shall not be construed to create new
regulatory requirements or modify the requirements of the
California Environmental Quality Act.
7)States legislative findings and declarations regarding existing
programs, including programs involving working landscapes such
as timber lands, agricultural lands, and range lands, that are
already working to achieve these objectives.
8)Expands the definition of a conservation bank to include sites
that, to the extent practicable, maximize habitat connectivity
for affected fish and wildlife resources.
EXISTING LAW:
1)States legislative findings and declarations regarding the
importance of connectivity between wildlife habitats for the
long-term viability of the state's biodiversity.
2)Required the DFW to investigate, study, and identify those areas
in the state that are most essential as wildlife corridors and
habitat linkages, as well as the impacts to those wildlife
corridors from climate change. Requires the DFW to prioritize
vegetative mapping in these areas.
3)States legislative intent that the Wildlife Conservation Board
use funds to work with the DFW to complete a statewide analysis
of wildlife corridors and connectivity to support conservation
planning and climate change adaptation activities.
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FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, no direct state costs.
COMMENTS: This bill articulates a statewide policy to protect
wildlife corridors and habitat strongholds in order to enhance the
resiliency of wildlife and their habitats to climate change. It
also encourages proponents of projects proposed in areas
identified as wildlife corridors to consult with DFW and, where
feasible and practicable, take voluntary steps to protect or
restore the functioning of the wildlife corridor. This bill also
defines wildlife corridors and habitat strongholds for these
purposes, and expands the definition of a conservation bank to
include sites that, to the extent practicable, maximize habitat
connectivity for affected fish and wildlife resources.
As a result of legislation enacted in 2008, DFW and the Department
of Transportation jointly commissioned the California Essential
Habitat Connectivity project, which included a statewide
assessment of natural habitat blocks that support native
biodiversity, and areas essential for ecological connectivity
between them. The report states that a functional network of
connected wild lands is essential to the continued support of
California's diverse natural communities in the face of human
development and climate change. The report is intended to make
transportation and land use planning more efficient and less
costly, while helping to reduce dangerous wildlife-vehicle
collisions. The importance of wildlife corridors and habitat
connectivity linkages has also been recognized by groups such as
the Western Governors' Association, which unanimously approved a
policy to protect wildlife migration corridors in 2007.
There is currently no definition of wildlife corridors in statute,
and no clearly articulated statewide policy to protect wildlife
corridors.
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Prior related legislation includes AB 2785 (Ruskin), Chapter 333,
Statutes of 2008, which directed DFW to investigate, study, and
identify those areas in the state most essential as wildlife
corridors and habitat linkages, and to prioritize vegetative data
mapping of those areas. AB 2785 also called on the Wildlife
Conservation Board to work with the DFW to fund a statewide
analysis of wildlife corridors to support conservation planning
and climate change adaptation activities.
Supporters of this bill note that by setting a statewide policy to
promote and protect wildlife corridors and habitat strongholds
this bill will ensure that state efforts are coordinated to
preserve the habitat most valuable to climate change adaptation.
They note that climate change is a significant threat to wildlife
and biodiversity in California. As the state works to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and stop the acceleration of climate
change, supporters assert it must also promote policies that adapt
to the impacts climate change is already having on communities and
ecosystems in California. Some supporters also note that many
wildlife and game species migrate between large habitat blocks
within California on a seasonal basis. Without sufficient
corridors to link up these areas, habitat blocks may become
isolated and their value to wildlife reduced. Supporters indicate
this bill would help facilitate protection and enhancement of
wildlife corridors by ensuring greater communication and outreach
between DFW, which has the expertise and statutory authority to
identify wildlife corridors, and project proponents on potential
adverse impacts to wildlife species. Such a proactive approach
would not only provide greater wildlife conservation benefits, but
also reduce the possibility of project delays.
Opponents of this bill object to the definition of wildlife
corridors which they view as overly broad, question the need for a
state policy on protecting wildlife corridors since mitigation of
project impacts on listed species is already routinely required
through the California Environmental Quality Act process, and are
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concerned this bill could lead to additional regulation and
litigation over what constitutes a wildlife corridor or
appropriate consultation. They are also concerned this bill could
lead to pressure on developers to incorporate additional
protections for wildlife corridors into proposed development
projects.
Analysis Prepared by:
Diane Colborn / W., P., & W. / (916) 319-2096 FN:
0000290