Bill Text: CA AB1133 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Assembly Bill 1133 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: California Endangered Species Act: experimental populations.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2017-09-25 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 276, Statutes of 2017. [AB1133 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB1133-Chaptered.html

Assembly Bill No. 1133

CHAPTER 276

An act to add Section 2080.6 and 2080.7 to, and to add and repeal Section 2080.5 of, the Fish and Game Code, relating to fish and wildlife.

[ Approved by Governor September 25, 2017. Filed with Secretary of State September 25, 2017. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1133, Dahle. California Endangered Species Act: experimental populations.

The federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (FESA) directs federal agencies, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce, as appropriate, to carry out conservation programs for endangered or threatened species listed under FESA. FESA generally prohibits activities affecting these threatened and endangered species unless authorized by a permit from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service, as appropriate. FESA provides for enhancement of survival permits to allow actions necessary for the establishment and maintenance of experimental populations designated pursuant to that act.

The California Endangered Species Act (CESA) prohibits the taking of an endangered or threatened species, except as specified. The Department of Fish and Wildlife may authorize the take of listed species if the take is incidental to an otherwise lawful activity and the impacts are minimized and fully mitigated. Existing law provides that if any person obtains from the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce an incidental take statement or incidental take permit pursuant to FESA that authorizes the taking of an endangered species or threatened species listed pursuant to FESA, and that is an endangered species, threatened species, or candidate species pursuant to CESA, no further authorization or approval is necessary under CESA for that person to take the endangered species, threatened species, or candidate species identified in, and in accordance with, the incidental take statement or incidental take permit, if that person notifies the Director of Fish and Wildlife, as specified, and the director determines that the statement or permit is consistent with CESA.

This bill would provide that a person who obtains a federal enhancement of survival permit that authorizes the take of endangered or threatened species that is also listed as endangered, threatened, or candidate under CESA, in order to establish or maintain an experimental population of the species pursuant to FESA, requires no further authorization or approval under CESA for that person to take that species as identified in, and in accordance with, the enhancement of survival permit, if specified requirements are met. These provisions would remain in effect only until the effective date of an amendment to FESA that alters the requirements for issuing an enhancement of survival permit.

The bill would authorize the incidental take of an endangered, threatened, or candidate species that is designated as an experimental population under FESA, without the need for further authorization or approval under CESA, if specified requirements are met.

The bill would provide that it is the intent of the Legislature that the Department of Fish and Wildlife should undertake appropriate public outreach, as specified, before introducing an endangered, threatened, or candidate species that is designated as an experimental population under FESA onto land or into waters of the state.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 2080.5 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

2080.5.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, if any person obtains from the Secretary of Commerce or the Secretary of the Interior an enhancement of survival permit pursuant to Section 1539(a)(1)(A) of Title 16 of the United States Code that authorizes the taking of an endangered species or a threatened species that is listed pursuant to Section 1533 of Title 16 of the United States Code and that is an endangered species, threatened species, or candidate species pursuant to this chapter in order to establish or maintain an experimental population, no further authorization or approval is necessary under this chapter for that person to take that endangered species, threatened species, or candidate species identified in, and in accordance with, the enhancement of survival permit, if all of the following requirements are met:

(1) That person shall notify the director in writing that the person has received an enhancement of survival permit and include in the notification a copy of the permit.

(2) Upon receipt of the notice specified in paragraph (1), the director shall immediately have the notice published in the General Public Interest section of the California Regulatory Notice Register.

(3) Within 30 days after the director has received the notice specified in paragraph (1), the director determines the enhancement of survival permit will further the conservation of the species. As used in this paragraph, “conservation” has the same meaning as defined in Section 2061.

(4) The director shall immediately have the determination pursuant to paragraph (3) published in the General Public Interest section of the California Regulatory Notice Register.

(b) The timing and extent of a take authorization under this section shall be limited to the terms in the federal enhancement of survival permit and shall expire upon the expiration of the federal permit.

(c) (1) This section shall remain in effect only until the effective date of an amendment to Section 1539 of Title 16 of the United States Code that alters the requirements for issuing an enhancement of survival permit, as applicable, and as of that date is repealed.

(2) If the director becomes aware that this section has been repealed pursuant to this subdivision, the director shall notify the Legislature of that fact pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code.

SEC. 2.

Section 2080.6 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

2080.6.

(a) For purposes of this chapter, “experimental population” means any population nonessential to the continued existence of an endangered, threatened, or candidate species, including any eggs, propagules, individuals, or offspring arising solely therefrom, that the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce designates as an experimental population pursuant to Section 1539(j) of Title 16 of the United States Code.

(b) If a population of a species is an experimental population, no further authorization or approval is necessary under this chapter for any person to incidentally take members of that experimental population, if all of the following requirements are met:

(1) The Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce has published regulations in the Federal Register for the designated experimental population as required by Section 1539(j) of Title 16 of the United States Code.

(2) The director has determined, in writing, that the regulations specified in paragraph (1) meet the requirements in subdivision (c).

(3) The action or activity that results in incidental take of the designated experimental population is authorized by the regulations published in the Federal Register.

(c) The director shall issue the determination described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b), if the director finds that the federal regulations described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) meet all of the following criteria:

(1) The federal regulations will further the conservation of the species. As used in this paragraph, “conservation” has the same meaning as defined in Section 2061.

(2) The federal regulations contain measures to avoid and minimize the impacts of any taking allowed by the regulation.

(3) The federal regulations will not jeopardize the continued existence or recovery of the species.

(d) If the director determines that the federal regulations described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) are not consistent with this chapter, or if the action or activity that results in incidental take is not authorized in those federal regulations, the incidental take of members of the designated experimental population may only be authorized pursuant to the other provisions of this chapter.

(e) The director shall publish the determination, pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b), and subdivision (d), in the General Public Interest section of the California Regulatory Notice Register.

SEC. 3.

Section 2080.7 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read:

2080.7.

It is the intent of the Legislature that, before the introduction of an experimental population, as defined in Section 2080.6, onto land or into waters of this state, the department should undertake appropriate public outreach, including public meetings, in an effort to inform the public about the proposed introduction of the experimental population and its potential effects, if any, on ongoing human activities. To the extent practicable, this public outreach should include inviting other public boards, departments, or agencies that may have a regulatory or other role regarding the experimental population to collaborate with the department. Nothing in this section shall be construed to modify any other law or legal obligation.