BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 559
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Date of Hearing: April 22, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
559 (Lopez) - As Introduced February 23, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable:
SUMMARY:
This bill authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW)
to take actions to conserve Monarch butterflies and their
AB 559
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habitats. Specifically, this bill:
1)Authorizes DFW to take actions to conserve Monarch butterflies
and the unique habitats they depend on for successful
migration. Specifies that such actions may include, but are
not limited to habitat restoration on department lands,
education programs, and voluntary agreements with private
landowners.
2)Authorizes DFW to partner with federal agencies, nonprofit
organizations, academic programs, private landowners, and
others that undertake actions to conserve Monarch butterflies
and aid their migration, including the Monarch Joint Venture.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)Minimal state costs. DFW currently has broad authority for
activities including those listed in the bill.
2)Potential unknown cost pressures.
DFW estimates the costs of a full-scale restoration project to
be approximately $4000 per acre or higher depending on site
conditions. Partnering with other entities would result in
smaller costs per project or acre. It is unknown how many
acres or projects would be attempted under the provisions of
the bill.
However, this bill authorizes but does not require DFW to
participate in any projects. It is assumed DFW would not
initiate a project without adequate funding
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COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, there has been a rapid
decrease in the Monarch Butterfly population, which is
particularly troubling because monarchs have long been
considered both an indicator of our ecological health and a
representative of pollinator populations.
In California, drought has contributed to the lack of food
sources for the caterpillars and butterflies. The decrease in
monarchs has adverse effects on the food chain for birds and
other animals. Due to the significant risk to the population,
a petition to list the Monarch butterfly as a threatened
species is currently under review by the United States Fish
and Wildlife Service.
This bill clarifies DFW has authority to take action to
conserve Monarch butterflies and their special habitats for
successful migration. This bill also encourages the DFW to
partner with other organizations that undertake actions to
protect monarchs, including the Monarch Joint Venture.
2)DFW Authority. DFW has broad authority to take actions to
conserve all wildlife. The definition of wildlife in existing
law includes all wild animals and related ecological
communities including the habitat upon which they depend.
Since butterflies and other insects are part of the animal
kingdom, and are part of the ecological communities of other
wildlife, DFW has existing authority to take actions to
conserve them. This bill expressly grants DFW authority to
take action to conserve Monarch butterflies.
3)Monarch Joint Venture. The Monarch Joint Venture is a
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partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental
organizations and academic programs that are working together
to support and coordinate efforts to protect the monarch
migration across the lower 48 states.
The Monarch Joint Venture reports that the largest factors
impacting monarch populations in North America are loss of
habitat for breeding, migrating and overwintering, in addition
to pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and climate change.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
319-2081