BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1716 Page 1 ASSEMBLY THIRD READING AB 1716 (McCarty and Cooley) As Amended April 26, 2016 Majority vote ------------------------------------------------------------------ |Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------| |Natural |6-0 |Williams, Cristina | | |Resources | |Garcia, Gomez, | | | | |McCarty, Mark Stone, | | | | |Wood | | | | | | | |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------| |Appropriations |14-2 |Gonzalez, Bloom, |Bigelow, Gallagher | | | |Bonilla, Bonta, | | | | |Calderon, Daly, | | | | |Eggman, Eduardo | | | | |Garcia, Roger | | | | |Hernández, Holden, | | | | |Quirk, Santiago, | | | | |Weber, Wood | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------ SUMMARY: Establishes the Lower American River Conservancy in AB 1716 Page 2 the Natural Resources Agency (NRA), which is created for the purpose of receiving and expending proceeds from bonds or other appropriations for the benefit of the American River Parkway (Parkway). Specifically, this bill: 1)Establishes a 15 voting member governing board (Board) that consists of: a) Three members of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors; b) Two representatives of the City of Sacramento; c) One representative of the City of Rancho Cordova; d) The Secretary of NRA, or his or her designee; e) The Director of Finance, or his or her designee; f) The Director of Parks and Recreation, or his or her designee; g) The Director of Fish and Wildlife, or his or her designee; h) The Executive Director of the Wildlife Conservation Board, or his or her designee; i) The Executive Officer of the State Lands Commission, or AB 1716 Page 3 his or her designee; and, j) Three members of the public at large, one appointed by the Governor, one appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and one appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. 2)Establishes Board policies, procedures, and Conservancy authorities and priorities. EXISTING LAW: 1)Establishes ten conservancies in NRA to acquire, manage, direct the management of, and conserve public lands in the state. 2)Defines "American River Parkway Plan" (Plan) to mean the management plans for the Lower American River adopted by the County of Sacramento on September 10, 2008, by Resolution No. 2008-0946, and by the City of Sacramento on November 6, 2008, by Resolution No. 2008-731, and endorsed by the City of Rancho Cordova on September 15, 2008, by Resolution No. 110-2008. 3)Defines "Lower American River" to mean the portion of the American River between Nimbus Dam and the confluence of the American River with the Sacramento River and the adjacent lands as described in the Plan. 4)Declares that the Legislature has adopted the Plan in order to provide coordination with local agencies in the protection and management of the Parkway. AB 1716 Page 4 5)Requires land use decisions of state and local agencies to be consistent with the Plan. 6)Permits the Plan to be amended through a local amendment process. Specifies that area plans can only be amended if they are consistent with the plan. Specifies amendments to area plans will conducted by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors through a process outlined in the Plan. 7)Declares it is the intent of the Legislature that the duties and responsibilities required by adoption of the Plan be accomplished by utilizing existing staff resources and that no additional funding be provided, other than that which is appropriated by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act. FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee: 1)Increased cost pressures, potentially in the millions of dollars, for general obligation bonds or other state funding to benefit the American River Parkway. 2)Increased annual administrative costs of approximately $250,000 to $350,000 (Environmental License Plate Fund). COMMENTS: There are ten Conservancies in the NRA, which include the Baldwin Hills, Tahoe, Coachella Valley Mountains, Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta (Delta), San Diego River, San Gabriel & Lower Los Angeles Rivers & Mountains, San Joaquin River, Santa Monica Mountains, Sierra Nevada, and Coastal. These conservancies have different missions, but common themes are to enhance and restore important habitat lands, provide for public recreation, educational opportunities, and undertake AB 1716 Page 5 watershed restoration activities. Most conservancies focus on strategic acquisition of land from willing sellers in order to preserve the land. The Legislature created the Santa Ana Conservancy and the San Francisco Bay Conservancy within the Coastal Conservancy. Originally, the authors creating these programs tried to create new conservancies, but both authors later pursued programs within the Coastal Conservancy to reduce the cost of their legislation. None of the ten existing conservancies cover the Sacramento Valley. The Delta Conservancy borders Sacramento, but does not include the Parkway. This bill creates a different type of Conservancy. The Conservancy is prohibited from acquiring land and actions would primarily be providing grants. Analysis Prepared by: Michael Jarred / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092 FN: 0003104