BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1089
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Date of Hearing: April 29, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
1089 (Eduardo Garcia) - As Introduced February 27, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable:
SUMMARY:
This bill expands the jurisdiction of the Coachella Mountains
Conservancy (Conservancy) to include the lands of the cities of
Coachella and Indio, and expands the membership of the governing
board to include representatives from these cities.
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FISCAL EFFECT:
Minor, absorbable cost increases of less than $1,000 per year.
Conservancy board members are entitled to a $75 per diem for
board meetings, The Conservancy typically meets 6 times per
year.
COMMENTS:
1)Rationale. When the Conservancy was first established in
1990, its mission was to acquire and protect open space in the
mountainous lands surrounding the Coachella Valley and natural
community conservation lands within the Valley. The purpose
of protecting such open space is to provide for the protection
of wildlife resources and provide public educational and
recreational opportunities.
The cities of Indio and Coachella, located on the Valley
floor, were not originally included within the Conservancy's
jurisdictions.
In 1997, the boundaries of the Conservancy were expanded to
coincide with the boundaries of the Coachella Valley Multiple
Species Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Communities
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Conservation Plan (MSHCP). The MSHCP identified an additional
160,000 acres of land to be acquired to create a total system
of 725,000 acres of conserved lands.
This bill expands the membership of the board to include
representation from Coachella and Indio and revises the
Conservancy's boundaries to be consistent with the MSHCP.
2)Conservancy Board. The Board currently consists of 21 voting
members including the Mayor or Members of the City Council
from Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, La
Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage.
State representatives include the Department of Fish and
Wildlife, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the
Department of Finance, the Natural Resources Agency, the
University of California, and the Wildlife Conservation Board.
Federal representatives include the Bureau of Land Management,
the National Park Service, and the U.S. Forest Service.
The remaining board members include the Chairperson of the
Tribal Council of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
and three public members appointed by the Governor, Senate
Rules Committee and Speaker of the Assembly.
3)State Conservancies. There are currently 10 state
conservancies located within the Natural Resources Agency: a)
Sierra Nevada Conservancy; b) California Tahoe Conservancy; c)
State Coastal Conservancy; d) San Joaquin River Conservancy;
e) Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy; f) Coachella
Mountains Conservnacy; g) San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles
Rivers Conservancy; h) Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy; i)
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Baldwin Hills Conservancy; and j) San Diego River Conservancy.
4)Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) and Natural Communities
Conservation Plans (NCCPs). HCPs and NCCPs are cooperative
efforts designed to protect species and their habitats through
an ecosystem approach. These programs help identify and
provide for large area-wide protection of plants, animals, and
their habitats while allowing for compatible and appropriate
economic activity.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
319-2081