BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 317|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 317
Author: De León (D), et al.
Amended: 5/5/15
Vote: 27 - Urgency
SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE: 7-1, 4/28/15
AYES: Pavley, Allen, Hertzberg, Hueso, Jackson, Monning, Wolk
NOES: Stone
NO VOTE RECORDED: Vidak
SENATE GOVERNANCE & FIN. COMMITTEE: 5-1, 5/6/15
AYES: Hertzberg, Beall, Hernandez, Lara, Pavley
NOES: Moorlach
NO VOTE RECORDED: Nguyen
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 5-1, 5/28/15
AYES: Lara, Beall, Hill, Leyva, Mendoza
NOES: Nielsen
NO VOTE RECORDED: Bates
SUBJECT: The Safe Neighborhood Parks, Rivers, and Coastal
Protection Bond Act of 2016
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill enacts the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Rivers,
and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2016 which, if approved by
the voters at the November 8, 2016 general election, authorizes
the sale of general obligation bonds to benefit state and local
parks in the amount of $2.45 billion.
ANALYSIS: Existing law (Government Code §16727) provides that
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general obligation bonds are to be used for capital purposes.
This provision aims to ensure that the benefits of a project at
least roughly match the period during which the bond must be
repaid. Bonds are best used for large, discrete capital projects
that would ordinarily not be able to be supported by ongoing
funding mechanisms and that meet a need over several decades.
Using bond funds to pay for operations and maintenance or for
short-lived projects in essence dramatically increases the cost
of that project compared to using non-bond funds.
This bill is divided into four areas of emphasis:
1)Parks ($1.45 billion)
a) $800 million to the Department of Parks and Recreation
(DPR) for the creation of neighborhood parks in park poor
communities;
b) $200 million to DPR for local park rehabilitation,
allocated on a per capita basis;
c) $200 million to DPR for restoration, preservation and
protection of regional parks;
d) $200 million to DPR for the restoration and preservation
of existing state parks; and
e) $50 million to DPR for revenue generation activities at
state parks.
2)Rivers, Lakes, and Streams ($370 million)
a) $100 million to the Natural Resources Agency for the
protection, restoration, and development of river parkways;
b) $100 million for implementation of the Lake Tahoe
Environmental Improvement Program;
c) $100 million for protection, restoration, and
development of Los Angeles River parkway projects;
d) $50 million for the Salton Sea Restoration Fund; and
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e) $20 million for urban stream restoration.
3)Coast and Ocean Protection ($350 million)
a) $300 million to the Coastal Conservancy for protection
of beaches, bays and coastal watersheds, including
protection of coastal agricultural land and California
Coastal Trail projects; and
b) $50 million to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
for the protection of coastal watersheds of the Santa
Monica Mountains.
4)Climate Resilience ($280 million)
a) $100 million to the Strategic Growth Council for the
development or implementation of regional or local
greenprints or climate adaptation plans and for the
protection of open space and agricultural resources;
b) $150 million to the Wildlife Conservation Board for the
protection and expansion of wildlife corridors; and
c) $30 million for the Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection for urban forestry grants.
In its general provisions, the following criteria will apply to
all grants made with bond funds:
1)All funds will be required to promote the state's planning
priorities and the sustainable communities strategies.
2)The wildlife conservation objectives would occur on public
lands or through voluntary projects on private lands.
3)Priority would be given to wildlife and habitat projects that
implement natural community conservation plans or endangered
species recovery plans.
4)Restoration projects would include the planning, monitoring,
and reporting necessary to ensure successful implementation of
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the project objectives.
Further explanation of the four major funding categories:
1)Parks. The largest single funding source in the proposed bond
is for the creation and expansion of safe neighborhood parks
in park-poor neighborhoods pursuant to AB 31 (De Leon, Chapter
623, Statutes of 2008) that is called "The Statewide Park
Development and Community Revitalization Act of 2008."
Although it does not have a dedicated funding source, AB 31
was major legislation that highlighted the need for new and
expanded local parks in critically underserved communities.
This need was recently re-emphasized by the Parks Forward
Commission final report. These communities are defined as
communities with less than three acres of usable parkland per
1,000 residents or a disadvantaged community which is defined
in Section 75005(g) of the Public Resources Code as a
community with a median household income less than 80% of the
statewide average.
Eligible entities that could receive grants under AB 31
include local governments, regional parks district, local
recreation and parks districts, joint powers authorities,
community service districts, nonprofit organizations, and
others.
Grants could be used to establish places for organized team
sports, outdoor recreation, nonmotorized trails, permanent
play structures, landscaping, community gardens, and many
other activities including activities tailored for youth,
seniors, and other population groups.
Grants would be awarded on a competitive basis. Joint
partnership projects between two or more agencies (including
school districts, nonprofits, and local governments) would be
encouraged. DPR is authorized to provide technical assistance
to grant applicants, which is important to communities that do
not have professional staff savvy in the ways of grant
applications.
Projects would also be designed to provide for efficient use
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of water, including storm water capture and reuse, reduced
uses of pesticides and fertilizers, permeable surfaces, and
uses of recycled materials.
This section of the bond will also fund a $200 million per
capita grants program for which all local governments may
apply for purposes of local park rehabilitation and
improvements.
It will also fund $200 million in grants for restoration,
preservation, and protection of regional parks, including
state parks that are operated by and managed by regional or
local entities.
DPR will receive $200 million for its deferred maintenance
projects that will "increase public access and to protect
natural resources."
Lastly, this article of the bond provides $50 million to DPR
for its enterprise activities that increase revenue generation
in state parks. This is also a key recommendation of the
recent Parks Forward Commission and builds on earlier
legislation that created the revenue generation program at
DPR.
2)Article 5 of the proposed bond will fund categories related to
rivers, lakes, and streams. The Natural Resources Agency will
receive $100 million for grants for the river parkways
program. The California Tahoe Conservancy will receive $100
million for California's partial fulfillment of its share of
the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program. (Nevada
recently fully funded its share in its current legislative
session.) The protection and restoration of the LA River will
receive $100 million to complement the aggressive plans of the
affected local governments in that region. The final two
categories in this article are $50 million for assisting with
the state's statutory obligations as the Salton Sea, and $20
million for urban stream restoration grants pursuant to
Section 7048 of the Water Code.
3)Article 6 of the proposed bond will allocate $300 million for
coast and ocean protection projects at the State Coastal
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Conservancy, with the provisos that this funding include
projects to protect coastal agricultural resources as well as
projects to complete the California Coastal Trail. The
existing statute requires the Conservancy to focus its
conservation efforts on agricultural lands threatened by
development. Additionally, $50 million will be allocated to
the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy for the protection of
coastal watersheds of the Santa Monica Mountains.
4)The article entitled "Climate Resilience" will allocate $100
million to the Strategic Growth Council for a wide variety
projects that will reduce vulnerability to climate change
across the state's water, forest, and agricultural resources.
These funds could also be used to develop local greenprints
which are defined as those plans for providing parks,
greenspace, and urban forestry within an urbanized area to
enhance climate resilience, improve public health, and protect
open-space lands around a developed area to support an adopted
sustainable communities strategy. The Wildlife Conservation
Board will receive $150 million for protecting and expanding
wildlife corridors, for climate adaptation projects, and for
projects to protect and improve existing open space corridors
and trail linkages related to utility or transportation
infrastructure that provides habitat connectivity and public
access or trails. Finally, $30 million will go to the
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for urban forestry
projects that are not eligible for funding from the Greenhouse
Gas Reduction Fund.
The final provisions of the bond contain the procedural
requirements that apply to the State Treasurer who will sell
these general obligation bonds, establish the committee that
will determine whether or not it is necessary or desirable to
issue bonds, and other fiscal provisions.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, there are
estimated annual costs of $159 million for 30 years to the
General Fund for a total of $4.781 billion in current dollars.
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SUPPORT: (Verified6/17/15)
Amigos de Bolsa Chica
Amigos de los Rios
Anahuak Youth Sports Association
Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association
Anza-Borrego Foundation
Association of California Water Agencies
Audubon California
Bear Yuba Land Trust
Benicia State Parks Association
Benicia Tree Foundation
Big Sur Land Trust
Bolsa Chica Land Trust
California Association of Local Conservation Corps
California Association of Park and Recreation Commissioners and
Board Members
California Association of Recreation and Park Districts
California Climate and Agriculture Network
California Council of Land Trusts
California League of Conservation Voters
California League of Parks Associations
California Park and Recreation Society
California ReLeaf
California State Parks Foundation
California State Railroad Museum Foundation
California Tahoe Alliance
California Trout
California Urban Forests Council
California Yacht Brokers Association
Californians for Western Wilderness
Canopy
Carbon Cycle Institute
Central Coast Lighthouse Keepers
Chino Hills State Park interpretive Association
Cities of Benicia, Encinitas, Lakewood, and Torrance
Clean Water Action
Common Vision
Community Services Employment Training
Conejo Recreation and Park District
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Counties of Kern
County of Placer
County of Santa Clara
Crystal Cove Alliance
Defenders of Wildlife
Ducks Unlimited
East Bay Regional Park District
Eco Farm
Empire Mine Park Association
Environment California
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Justice Coalition for Water
Fiesta de Reyes
Fort Tejon Historical Association
Friends of Balboa Park
Friends of China Camp
Friends of Lakes Folsom and Natoma
Friends of Mt. Tam
Friends of Palomar State Park
Friends of Pico State Park
Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks
Friends of Sutter's Fort
Friends of the Folsom Powerhouse Association
Friends of the Urban Forest
Hills for Everyone
Hollywood Beautification Team
Humboldt Redwoods Interpretive Association
Huntington Beach Tree Society
John Marsh Historic Trust
Just one Tree
Keep Eureka Beautiful
Koreatown Youth and Community Center
Land Trust of Santa Cruz County
Latino Outdoors
Los Angeles Conservation Corps
Malibu Creek Docents
Marin Agricultural Land Trust
Marina Recreation Association
Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Mojave River Natural History Association
Mono Lake Committee
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Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority
Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District
National Marine Manufacturers Association
National Parks Conservation Association
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Natural Resources Defense Council
Nature Conservancy
North East Trees
Occidental Arts and Ecology Center
Our City Forest
OutDoor Afro
Outdoor Outreach
Pacific Forest Trust
Palos Verdes South Bay Audubon
Paradise Recreation and Park District
Peninsula Open Space Trust
Pine Ridge Association
Placer Land Trust
Plumas-Eureka State Park Association
Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association
Poppy Reserve/Mojave Desert Interpretive Association
Portola and Castle Rock Foundation
Richmond Trees
Roseville Urban Forest Foundation
Sacramento Tree Foundation
San Francisco Parks Alliance
San Francisco Recreation and Park District
Santa Ana River Trail and Parkway Partnership
Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
Save Our Forest
Save Our Shores
Save the Bay
Save the Redwoods League
Sea and Desert Interpretive Association
Sequoia Riverlands Trust
Shasta historical Society
Sierra Business Council
Sierra Club California
Sierra Foothill Conservancy
Sierra State Parks Foundation
Solano Advocates Green Environments
Sonoma County Regional Parks
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Sonoma County Trails Council
Sonoma Ecology Center
Sonoma Land Trust
South Yuba River Citizens League
Southern California Mountains Foundation
Sports Leisure Vacations, LLC
State Park Partners Coalition
Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods
Sustainable Tahoe
Tahoe Resource Conservation District
Team Sugarloaf
The Malibu Adamson House Foundation
The Trust for Public Land
Topanga Canyon Docents
Torrey Pines Association
Tree Davis
Tree Foundation of Kern
Tree Fresno
Tree Lodi
Tree Musketeers
Tree Partners Foundation
Tree People
Tree San Deigo
Trout Unlimited
Truckee Donner Land Trust
Urban Conservation Corps of the Inland Empire
Urban ReLeaf
Urban Tree Foundation
Valley of the Moon Observatory Association
Victoria Avenue Forever
Waddell Creek Association
Watershed Conservation Authority
West Hollywood Tree Preservation Society
West Marine Environmental Action Committee
Western Chapter, international Society of Aboriculture
Western Region, Rail-to-Trails Conservancy
Will Rogers Ranch Foundation
Woodland Tree Foundation
Worldwide Boaters Safety Group
Your Children's Trees
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OPPOSITION: (Verified5/29/15)
None received
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: The very large list of supporters
attests to the popularity of this proposed bond. Several large
coalitions and many other single organizations are in support of
this bill.
There is widespread support for the focus on park-poor
communities that is the centerpiece of this bond. There is also
widespread support for the per capita program (which many wish
to see an increase in funding), as well as the deferred
maintenance projects at the DPR. Another area of the bond
receiving significant mention in these letters are the programs
to support working landscapes, the funding of the state
conservancies, and the restoration of the Salton Sea.
Environmental Defense Fund supports the use of habitat exchanges
through which private landowners are compensated for making
measurable improvements to critical habitats while preserving
agricultural production and viability.
The Nature Conservancy supports the bond and encourages the
author to consider additional funding for the upper watersheds
in the Sierra Nevada. Several other organizations share this
concern and are identified as such in the list of supporters.
Other supporters suggested more funding for DPR, although many
letters were received prior the amendments that provided the
department $200 million for deferred maintenance and $50 million
for its enterprise activities.
Prepared by: William Craven / N.R. & W. / (916) 651-4116
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6/17/15 11:37:09
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