AB 1205,
as amended, Gomez. begin deletePark access. end deletebegin insertThe California River Revitalization and Greenway Development Act of 2015.end insert
Existing law establishes various plans and programs to preserve, protect, and rehabilitate lands adjacent to rivers in the state.
end insertbegin insertThe California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The state board is required to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020.
end insertbegin insertThis bill would require the Natural Resources Agency to establish a grant program for eligible applicants to develop projects on or adjacent to riparian corridors that assist the state in implementing the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 and that provide for specified cobenefits. The bill would create the CalRIVER Fund in the State Treasury, with moneys in the fund to be available upon appropriation to implement the grant program.
end insertExisting law provides various sources of funds for community parks. Existing law creates the Active Transportation Program in the Department of Transportation for the purpose of encouraging increased use of active modes of transportation, including biking and walking, and provides for funding of various types of projects, including recreational trails, trailheads, and park projects that facilitate trail linkages or connectivity to nonmotorized corridors.
end deleteExisting law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the State Air Resources Board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism relative to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, commonly known as cap and trade revenues, to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, and to be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for specified purposes.
end deleteThis bill would create a program in the Department of Transportation to develop pathways between community parks, including local parks and state parks, and to connect those parks to public transportation systems, for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The bill would provide for moneys to be available to the department for the program from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The bill would also state the intent of the Legislature to create a park access program to increase access to community parks.
end deleteVote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
begin insertThe Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:end insert
3(a) Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance
4carbon sequestration on river systems will have significant
5economic, social, and environmental cobenefits and can aid
6progress on efforts to prepare for climate change risks.
7(b) Investing in river systems allows for cobenefits, including
8protection of water supply and water quality, air quality, species
9habitat, recreation, jobs, flood protection, reduced heat-island
10effects, and reduced energy use.
11(c) To ensure resilience and proper carbon management of
12these river systems, an integrated program must be developed to
P3 1maximize the carbon management of the systems as well as
2effectively use existing state and regional funding.
begin insertChapter 10.5 (commencing with Section 5845) is added
4to Division 5 of the end insertbegin insertPublic Resources Codeend insertbegin insert, to read:end insert
5
This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as
10CalRIVER.
It is the intent of the Legislature that, in an effort to
12reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase greenhouse gas
13sequestration, the state shall protect, restore, and enhance a
14network of river systems and their riparian corridors to increase
15water retention, improve water quality, improved urban greening
16and urban reforestation, reduce the heat-island effect, and improve
17mobility by decreasing vehicle miles traveled.
(a) The Natural Resources Agency shall establish a
19grant program for eligible applicants to develop projects on or
20adjacent to riparian corridors that assist the state in implementing
21the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Division
2225.5 (commencing with Section 38500) of the Health and Safety
23Code) and that provide for the following cobenefits:
24(1) Recreational access and improved human interactions,
25especially in urban corridors and park-starved communities.
26(2) Transportation mobility, especially pedestrian, bicycle, and
27public transit.
28(3) Economic viability by promoting appropriate development,
29
especially in an urban setting.
30(4) Development of visitor-serving and interpretive facilities.
31(5) Access and development of pocket parks, community gardens,
32demonstration gardens, and other urban greening.
33(6) Species protections and the protection of habitat strongholds,
34including improved wildlife corridors.
35(7) Improved resiliency in the face of unavoidable impacts from
36climate change.
37(8) Improved water supply and water quality.
38(9) Job training and workforce development, especially projects
39that involve disadvantaged youth and veterans.
40(10) Improved stormwater retention.
P4 1(11) Improvements along impaired water bodies.
2(b) Projects receiving funding pursuant to this chapter shall be
3consistent with all of the following:
4(1) The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006
5(Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500) of the Health
6and Safety Code).
7(2) The California Water Action Plan published by the
8Governor.
9(3) The Safeguarding California Plan published by the Natural
10Resources Agency.
11(4) Chapter 830 of the Statutes of 2012.
12(c) The Natural Resources Agency shall prioritize awarding
13moneys to
projects with the following characteristics:
14(1) Are consistent with a parkway, greenway, or urban greening
15plan.
16(2) Leverage moneys from the Water Quality, Supply, and
17Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, approved by the voters
18as Proposition 1 at the November 4, 2014, statewide general
19election.
20(3) Provide recreational access to a major metropolitan area
21of the state.
The CalRIVER fund is hereby created in the State
23Treasury to be administered by the Natural Resources Agency.
24The moneys in the CalRIVER Fund, upon appropriation by the
25Legislature, shall be expended by the Natural Resources Agency
26in accordance with this chapter. The Legislature may transfer
27moneys to the fund from bond proceeds and special funds,
28including, but not limited to, river parkway and urban creek
29programs and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created by
30Section 16428.8 of the Government Code.
Section 39719.5 is added to the Health and Safety
32Code, to read:
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to create a park
34access program to increase access to community parks.
35(b) A program is hereby created in the Department of
36Transportation to develop pathways between community parks,
37including local parks and state parks, and to connect those parks
38to public transportation systems, for the purpose of reducing
39greenhouse gas emissions. Upon appropriation in the annual Budget
P5 1Act, moneys from the fund shall be available to the department
2for the program.
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