AB 1205, as amended, Gomez. The California River Revitalization and Greenway Development Act of 2015.
Existing law establishes various plans and programs to preserve, protect, and rehabilitate lands adjacent to rivers in the state.
The 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.
This 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 andbegin delete that provide forend deletebegin insert
to prioritize funding for projects that provide the greatest level ofend insert 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.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
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 these
12river systems, an integrated program must be developed to
13maximize the carbon management of the systems as well as
14effectively use existing state and regional funding.
Chapter 10.5 (commencing with Section 5845) is added
16to Division 5 of the Public Resources Code, to read:
17
This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as
22CalRIVER.
It is the intent of the Legislature that, in an effort to
24reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase greenhouse gas
25sequestration, the state shall protect, restore, and enhance a network
26of river systems and their riparian corridors to increase water
27retention, improve water quality,begin delete improvedend deletebegin insert improveend insert urban greening
28and urban reforestation, reduce the heat-island effect, and improve
29mobility by decreasing vehicle miles traveled.
(a) The Natural Resources Agency shall establish a grant
31program for eligible applicants to develop projects on or adjacent
32to riparian corridors that assist the state in implementing the
33California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Division 25.5
P3 1(commencing with Section 38500) of the Health and Safety Code)
2andbegin delete that provide for the followingend deletebegin insert shall prioritize funding pursuant
3to this chapter for projects that provide the greatest level of the
4followingend insert cobenefits:
5(1) Recreational access and improved human
interactions,
6especially in urban corridors and park-starved communities.
7(2) Transportation mobility, especially pedestrian, bicycle, and
8public transit.
9(3) Economic viability by promoting appropriate development,
10
especially in an urban setting.
11(4) Development of visitor-serving and interpretive facilities.
12(5) Access and development of pocket parks, community
13gardens, demonstration gardens, and other urban greening.
14(6) Species protections and the protection of habitat strongholds,
15including improved wildlife corridors.
16(7) Improved resiliency in the face of unavoidable impacts from
17climate change.
18(8) Improved water supply and water quality.
19(9) Job training and workforce development, especially projects
20that involve disadvantaged
youth and veterans.
21(10) Improved stormwater retention.
22(11) Improvements along impaired water bodies.
23(b) Projects receiving funding pursuant to this chapter shall be
24consistent with all of the following:
25(1) The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006
26(Division 25.5 (commencing with Section 38500) of the Health
27and Safety Code).
28(2) The California Water Action Plan published by the Governor.
29(3) The Safeguarding California Plan published by the Natural
30Resources Agency.
31(4) Chapter 830 of the Statutes of 2012.
32(c) The Natural Resources Agency shallbegin insert alsoend insert prioritizebegin delete awarding begin insert funding pursuant to this chapter forend insert projects with the
33moneys toend delete
34following characteristics:
35(1) Are consistent with a parkway, greenway, or urban greening
36plan.
37(2) Leverage moneys from the Water Quality, Supply, and
38Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, approved by the voters
39as Proposition 1 at the November 4, 2014, statewide general
40election.
P4 1(3) Provide recreational access to a major metropolitan area of
2the state.
The CalRIVER fund is hereby created in the State
4Treasury to be administered by the Natural Resources Agency.
5The moneys in the CalRIVER Fund, upon appropriation by the
6Legislature, shall be expended by the Natural Resources Agency
7in accordance with this chapter. The Legislature may transfer
8moneys to the fund from bond proceeds and special funds,
9including, but not limited to, river parkway and urban creek
10programs and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created by
11Section 16428.8 of the Government Code.
O
96