Parks & Land Conservation

Establishes a new program in El Dorado County to reduce conflicts between humans and mountain lions through 2032. Creates grants for local governments to install protective equipment for livestock and domestic animals. Expands scientific research to develop methods for deterring mountain lions from populated areas. Requires annual legislative oversight and a comprehensive program evaluation report by October 2030.

Expands the Bay Fill Clean-Up Fund to support enforcement of San Francisco Bay conservation laws. Allows funding for technology, personnel, and programs that support bay conservation enforcement. Requires legislative approval before the commission can spend funds on enforcement activities.

Makes technical changes to state park outdoor education program reporting requirements.

Expands the program to include capacity funding for local communities and tribes. Authorizes capacity funding and grants for monitoring, infrastructure, and workforce. Requires donor disclosures with 90-day reporting by offshore wind entities and public summaries. Requires annual and periodic reports to the Legislature on fund receipts, allocations, and impact.

Mandates 60% of Santa Ana River Conservancy Program funds benefit disadvantaged communities in urban areas. Establishes new criteria for identifying disadvantaged communities based on household income levels. Requires 30-day notice to local governments before conservancy initiates projects or acquires property.

Allocates $400 million in bond funds to protect California rangelands through conservation easements. Requires land trusts to acquire and record conservation easements by June 2029 to receive grant funding. Distributes funding across nine California regions to protect privately owned grazing lands and wildlife habitat. Covers 100% of easement costs plus $75,000 in processing fees for accredited land trust organizations.

Authorizes the state to lease and manage Elephant Hill in Los Angeles as a new state park unit. Requires lease agreements between state parks, the City of Los Angeles, and conservation authorities. Mandates development of a comprehensive general plan for the new park unit. Ensures permanent protection of Elephant Hill through state park classification.

Establishes an Accessibility Advisory Committee within the Department of Parks and Recreation. Sets membership at 8-14, including the Chief of the Accessibility Division and up to two DPR reps. Requires evaluating accessibility models, reviewing DPR programs, and advising on general plans. Authorizes the director to implement recommendations; no direct funding or penalties.

Streamlines permitting for the Port of Los Angeles electric grid expansion project to add 200 megawatts of power. Grants the Los Angeles Harbor Department exclusive authority to issue coastal development permits for the project. Requires state agencies to approve or deny project permits within 90 days or permits are automatically issued. Prohibits the use of fully automated cargo handling equipment in the project.

Establishes a $20 million annual fund to preserve California farmland through conservation easements. Creates permanent funding starting July 2025 to protect agricultural land from development. Restricts funding to agricultural conservation easements except for grazing land. Supports local government efforts to preserve farmland through conservation partnerships.

Establishes the Huron Hawk Conservancy to manage 3,000 acres near Huron for recreation and wildlife protection. Creates a 12-member governing board with representatives from local agencies and conservation experts. Authorizes the conservancy to acquire land, build facilities, and award grants for conservation projects. Requires legislative funding or bond approval before the conservancy can begin operations.

Establishes a temporary carve-out allowing DPR to acquire park land without SBWB oversight through 2033. Requires appraisals at fair market value, public notice, and DGS review before acquisitions. Requires reports in 2028, 2030, and 2032 detailing use of the authority. Sets activation rules: both AB 679 and SB 630 must pass, with AB 679 enacted last.

Expands permitted uses of conserved lands in San Bernardino County to include parks and recreational facilities. Authorizes the county to use land sale revenues for maintaining and improving conservation areas. Prohibits granting conservation funds to private entities except for specific land acquisitions. Requires detailed land management plans and conservation easements to protect preserved areas.

Authorizes state parks to provide free annual vehicle passes to the California State Library Parks Pass Program. Requires specific legislative funding approval before passes can be issued. Gives the Department of Parks and Recreation discretion over issuing the passes.

Establishes a new California Trails Conservancy Program to expand and enhance public trail networks statewide. Requires 35% of program funding to benefit disadvantaged communities through new trail projects. Creates an advisory group of hiking, tribal, environmental and government representatives to guide trail development. Authorizes grants for projects that increase trail access in underserved areas and promote community connectivity.

Authorizes San Bernardino County to sell 4.2 acres of Glen Helen Regional Park by January 2029. Requires the county to acquire replacement parkland of equal or greater recreational value before selling. Mandates environmental assessments and property appraisals for both the original and replacement parks. Ensures the replacement park serves the same community with equivalent recreational facilities.

Transfers ten parcels of state-owned open space to the City of Moreno Valley at no cost for wildfire protection. Requires the city to use the transferred land for wildfire mitigation and open space development. Exempts the land transfer from standard surplus property disposal requirements.