BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1716|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1716
Author: McCarty (D) and Cooley (D), et al.
Amended: 8/2/16 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE: 6-2, 6/28/16
AYES: Pavley, Allen, Hertzberg, Hueso, Jackson, Monning
NOES: Stone, Vidak
NO VOTE RECORDED: Wolk
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 5-2, 8/11/16
AYES: Lara, Beall, Hill, McGuire, Mendoza
NOES: Bates, Nielsen
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 59-20, 6/1/16 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT: Lower American River Conservancy Program
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill establishes the American River Conservancy
Program within the Wildlife Conservation Board.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1) Recognizes the American River Parkway (Parkway) in both the
Urban American River Parkway Preservation Act and the Bushy
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Lake Preservation Act. The Parkway was established in 1959 by
Sacramento County to provide recreational, flood control,
water supply, water quality, and wildlife habitat to the
greater Sacramento region.
2) Designates the Lower American River as part of the
California Wild and Scenic Rivers System and the National
Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
3) Requires the American River Parkway Plan (Plan) to serve as
the management plan for the Lower American River under the
California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
4) Defines the "American River Parkway 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.
5) Defines the "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.
6) Allows the Plan to be amended through a local amendment
process, provided such amendments are consistent with the
Plan.
This bill:
1) Establishes the American River Conservancy Program as a
program within the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB).
2) Creates an advisory board consisting of three supervisors
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from the County of Sacramento, two representatives of the
City of Sacramento, the mayor or a councilmemember from the
City of Rancho Cordova, and the Secretary of the Natural
Resources Agency, the Director of Finance, the Director of
Parks and Recreation, the Executive Officer of the State
Lands Commission, or their designees.
3) Includes three public members on the advisory committee.
4) Requires the advisory committee to meet at least twice a
year, and its meetings are subject to the Bagley-Keen Open
Meeting Act.
5) Directs the WCB to coordinate its activities with the County
of Sacramento, each city that includes a portion of the
Parkway, and appropriate local and regional flood control
districts, and relevant state agencies.
6) Requires the WCB to consult with the County as to whether
the proposed actions are consistent with the Plan prior to
expending funds.
7) Provides that for projects that involve fee acquisition of
lands, the WCB must give preference to projects in which the
County would either be the fee owner or the long-term manager
of the property.
8) Provides that the WCB may provide grants to local public
agencies and nonprofit organizations for various acquisition
and restoration projects along the American River including
those that expand public access that does not have
significant adverse impacts on wildlife or wildlife habitat.
It may also fund interpretative and educational facilities
related to the Parkway, and the control of invasive species,
and the propagation of native species and it may also provide
stormwater capture and treatment grants.
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9) Provides that the WCB is prohibited from funding projects on
land with the written consent of the landowner, and managing,
regulating, or controlling the use of any land owned or
leased by another public agency or private party except as
provided pursuant to a written agreement with such agency or
party. It may also not levy any tax or special assessment, or
provide any grants or take other actions inconsistent with
the above-referenced statutes. It may also not own or acquire
land.
10)Requires the WCB, to the extent feasible, to use the
California Conservation Corps or a community conservation
corps for projects.
11)Establishes the Lower American River Conservancy Program
Fund.
12)Retains in the County the responsibility of the County of
Sacramento or another responsible entity to land management,
and not the WCB.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Yes Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
According to Senate Appropriations Committee, approximately
$300,000 (special fund) to the WCB with other significant costs
pressures (various special funds) to fund programs and projects
in the program area within existing resources.
SUPPORT: (Verified8/11/16)
American River Parkway Foundation
Audubon California
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California Association of Local Conservation Corps
California Trout
City of Sacramento
County of Sacramento
Friends of the River
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones
Planning and Conservation League
Regional Water Authority
Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates
Sacramento Environmental Commission
Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps
Save the American River Association
Sierra Club California
The River District Business Association
Two individuals
OPPOSITION: (Verified8/11/16)
None received
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: According to the author, the American
River and the American River Parkway are vitally important to
the people, economy, and culture of Sacramento and West
Sacramento, and other communities in Sacramento County.
The Parkway encompasses 5,000 acres of riverfront accessible by
cyclists and pedestrians. Nearly eight million people visit the
Parkway each year generating $364 million for the local economy.
It is particularly important in the Sacramento region to
recognize the importance of urban rivers to promote the health
and welfare of a modern city. The Parkway not only provides
physical exercise such as hiking, fishing, and bicycling, but
much of the Parkway provides an opportunity to be in a natural
setting only minutes from urban congestion.
The City of Sacramento points out that as a program of the WCB,
the American River would be eligible for additional funding. It
states that of the $740 million of state bond and general funds
allocated to rivers since 1996, $660 million has gone to rivers
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with state conservancies, but the American River has received
only $3 million.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 59-20, 6/1/16
AYES: Alejo, Travis Allen, Arambula, Atkins, Baker, Bloom,
Bonilla, Bonta, Brown, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chiu,
Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier,
Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez,
Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Roger Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones,
Jones-Sawyer, Lackey, Levine, Lopez, Low, Maienschein,
McCarty, Medina, Mullin, Nazarian, O'Donnell, Quirk,
Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Mark Stone,
Thurmond, Ting, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, Wood, Rendon
NOES: Achadjian, Bigelow, Brough, Chang, Chávez, Dahle, Beth
Gaines, Gallagher, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Kim, Mathis, Mayes,
Melendez, Obernolte, Olsen, Patterson, Steinorth, Wagner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Linder
Prepared by:William Craven / N.R. & W. / (916) 651-4116
8/15/16 20:26:54
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