BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 1540
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 25, 2012

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                AB 1540 (Buchanan) - As Introduced:  January 24, 2012 

          Policy Committee:                              Water, Parks and 
          Wildlife     Vote:                            12-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill adds South American Sponge plant to the list of 
          invasive plant species for which the Department of Boating and 
          Waterways leads state treatment and control efforts.  The bill 
          also authorizes the department, other state agencies and local 
          governments to cooperate with one another and with federal 
          agencies to control sponge plant in the Delta, its tributaries 
          and Suisun Marsh.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor costs, likely no more than tens of thousands annually, to 
          the department, mainly in the form of increased herbicide use.  
          The department anticipates negligible personnel or equipment 
          costs, beyond herbicide costs, because invasive sponge plant 
          generally is found in waterways in which the department already 
          operates to control invasive plant species. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale.   The author contends sponge plant is a highly 
            invasive, rapidly spreading weed that, if left uncontrolled, 
            could devastate the Delta environment. The author further 
            contends acting now to control sponge plant will avoid future, 
            costly efforts.  

          2)Background.   Existing law designates the department as the 
            lead agency for controlling water hyacinth and Egeria densa in 
            the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, its tributaries and the 
            Suisun Marsh.  
                








                                                                  AB 1540
                                                                  Page  2

            Sponge plant is an invasive species that quickly has spread 
            since first being discovered in state waters in 2008.  The 
            plant harms the environment by forming a thick mat on the 
            water, blocking light and making the water below uninhabitable 
            to fish and marine life.  Further, the plant clogs waterways 
            and infrastructure, such as canals, dams and gates. 
             
          3)Support.   This bill is supported by a long list of water 
            management agencies and boating and fishing interests.  

          4)There is no opposition formally registered to this bill.    
           
           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081