BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 1847
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 2, 2012

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                  AB 1847 (Lowenthal) - As Amended:  March 19, 2012 

          Policy Committee:                              Natural 
          ResourcesVote:9-0
                        Local Government                      9-0

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

           SUMMARY  

          This bill grants and conveys in trust to the City of Long Beach 
          all right, title and interest of the state in public trust lands 
          known as the Bixby Park Trust Parcels, the Colorado Lagoon 
          Public Trust Parcels and the Marine Stadium Channel Public Trust 
          Parcels.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Negligible costs, if any.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale.   The State Lands Commission (SLC) intends this 
            transaction to finalize a land exchange with the city, 
            resulting in the consolidation of management of the public 
            trust lands within the City of Long Beach.  Absent this bill, 
            SLC and the city would continue to enter into 49-year leases 
            for the management of the lands.  
                
           2)Background- Public Trust Lands.  The Public Trust Doctrine 
            holds that tide and submerged lands and the beds of lakes, 
            streams, and other navigable waterways are "public trust 
            lands" held by the state for the benefit of the people of 
            California. These lands are to promote the public's interest 
            in water or water-dependent activities such as commerce, 
            navigation, fisheries, environmental preservation and 
            recreation. The State Lands Commission is the steward of the 
            state's public trust lands. Existing law allows SLC to lease 
            public trust lands, enter into boundary agreements, exchange 
            public trust lands for non-trust lands, and lift the trust 







                                                                  AB 1847
                                                                  Page  2

            from public trust lands. SLC must receive equal value in any 
            such exchange. The Legislature retains the authority to modify 
            uses permitted on public trust lands.

            In keeping with existing law, the City of Long Beach 
            independently gave title to SLC of city land currently useful 
            for the public trust. In exchange, SLC signed long-term leases 
            with the city specifying that it manage former tidelands held 
            by SLC in a manner keeping with the public trust. SLC seeks to 
            transfer title of the leased lands to the city, which agrees 
            to continue to manage the former tidelands in keeping with the 
            public trust, consistent with SLC oversight.

           3)Support.  This bill is supported by SLC, its sponsor.  

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