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: 8/19/16 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 Lower American River
Conservancy Program within the Wildlife Conservation Board.
Senate Floor Amendments of 8/19/16 add three public members to
the Lower American River Conservancy Program (Program) proposed
to be included in the Wildlife Conservation Board (Board) and
add a provision that another local public entity, in addition to
Sacramento County, may hold title to lands acquired by this
program. The amendments also make numerous clarifying changes.
AB 1716
Page 2
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1) Recognizes the American River Parkway (Parkway) in the Urban
American River Parkway Preservation Act and the Bushy Lake
Preservation Act. The Parkway was established in 1959 with
support from Sacramento County, the state, and other entities
to provide recreational, flood control, water supply, water
quality, and wildlife habitat to the greater Sacramento
region.
2) Includes the Lower American River as part of the California
Wild and Scenic Rivers System and the National Wild and
Scenic Rivers System.
3) Designates the American River Parkway Plan as the management
plan for the Lower American River under the California Wild
and Scenic Rivers Act. The above-referenced statutes define
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.
4) Defines the "Lower American River" is defined 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.
5) Permits the Plan to be amended through a local amendment
process, provided such amendments are consistent with the
Plan.
AB 1716
Page 3
This bill:
1) Contains numerous finding regarding the attributes and
contributions of the Lower American River to the greater
Sacramento area for numerous recreational, environmental, and
educational purposes.
2) Establishes the Program within the Board.
3) Establishes an advisory committee consisting of three county
supervisors or their designees, two City of Sacramento
representatives or their designees, a representative of the
City of Rancho Cordova, state representation from the Natural
Resources Agency, the Department of Finance, and the State
Lands Commission, and three public members, one appointed by
the Governor, one appointed by the Senate Rules Committee,
and one appointed by the Speaker. The advisory committee is
subject to the Bagley-Keene Open Meetings Act.
4) Requires the Board to coordinate and consult with the County
of Sacramento as to whether the Board's proposed actions are
consistent with the Plan.
5) Contains administrative criteria regarding the
administration of the Program by the Board.
6) Requires that title to any acquisition projects be held by
the County or another local public entity wiling to hold
title.
7) Contains numerous provisions regarding the uses of funding
that may become available through a bond measure or other
sources.
8) Provides that the County remains the management entity of
the Parkway and also prohibits the Board from owning land.
AB 1716
Page 4
9) Establishes a preference, where feasible, for the Board to
give a preference to projects that utilize the California
Conservation Corps or Community Conservation Corps.
10)Establishes the Lower American River Conservancy Program
Fund which is subject to appropriation by the Legislature.
11)Contains other administrative and technical provisions.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Yes Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, approximately
$300,000 (special fund) to the Board plus other potentially
significant cost pressures (various special funds) to fund
programs and projects in the program area within existing
resources.
SUPPORT: (Verified8/20/16)
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones
American River Parkway Foundation
Audubon California
California Association of Local Conservation Corps
California Trout
City of Sacramento
County of Sacramento
Friends of the River
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
AB 1716
Page 5
OPPOSITION: (Verified8/20/16)
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
Board, 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 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,
AB 1716
Page 6
Melendez, Obernolte, Olsen, Patterson, Steinorth, Wagner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Linder
Prepared by:William Craven / N.R. & W. / (916) 651-4116
8/22/16 22:59:18
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