Bill Text: CA AB1608 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Vibrant landscapes for California.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Failed) 2018-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB1608 Detail]
Download: California-2017-AB1608-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Vibrant landscapes for California.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Failed) 2018-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB1608 Detail]
Download: California-2017-AB1608-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION
| Assembly Bill | No. 1608 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Kalra |
February 17, 2017 |
An act to add Division 10.6 (commencing with Section 12300) to the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental protection.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1608, as introduced, Kalra.
Vibrant landscapes for climate, people, and multiple benefits.
The California Farmland Conservancy Program Act requires the Department of Conservation to implement and administer a program to provide grants for the acquisition by specified applicants of agricultural conservation easements, as defined. The act allows an agricultural conservation easement to provide for the construction and use of structures necessary for agricultural production and marketing, additional residences for immediate family members of the landowner, and necessary housing for seasonal or full-time employees of the agricultural operation.
Existing law establishes the Agricultural Protection Planning Grant Program administered by the department to provide planning grants to improve the protection of agricultural lands and grazing lands, including oak woodlands and grasslands.
Existing law authorizes the Wildlife Conservation Board to expend moneys for the acquisition of conservation easements to protect rangeland, grazing lands, and grasslands.
This bill would require the department to develop and implement the Vibrant Landscape Program to assist eligible applicants in the development of county and regional plans that integrate the conservation and management of natural and working lands with other sectors to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and to provide other environmental cobenefits and to provide funding for land management and conservation activities that reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and achieve other environmental cobenefits. The bill would require the department, in collaboration with the Strategic Growth Council and the State Air Resources Board, to develop guidelines and criteria for the program. The bill would establish the Vibrant Landscape Program Fund in the State
Treasury and would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, authorize the department to expend moneys in the fund to implement the program.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Division 10.6 (commencing with Section 12300) is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:DIVISION 10.6. Vibrant Landscape for Climate, People, and Multiple Benefits
CHAPTER 1. Findings and Declarations
12300.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(1) The state’s natural and working lands have critical roles in providing multiple benefits, including food, wood products, habitat, water quality, and climate change mitigation.
(2) Natural and working lands should be managed and conserved for the multiple benefits they provide.
(3) The state recognizes the critical role of natural and working lands in providing solutions to climate change, as identified in the Governor’s Executive Order B-30-15 and Chapter 545 of the Statutes of 2016.
(4) Natural and working lands store considerable amounts of carbon. These terrestrial ecosystems store 2,100 gigatons of carbon and they are unique as they can actively remove carbon from the atmosphere and store that carbon for long periods of time.
(5) Local governments and land managers across the state have significant influence over the maintenance and management of natural and working lands for their climate and other benefits. In spite of this, there is little guidance, and there are few tools and incentives for them to advance the conservation and management of these landscapes for climate and other benefits.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to create a program and fund for local governments and land managers in rural and urban areas across the state to develop and implement land use plans and activities to address climate change and advance other
critical benefits, including food, habitat, wood products, water quality, and public health, provided by both natural and working lands.
CHAPTER 2. Definitions
12305.
For purposes of this division, the following definitions apply:(a) “Department” means the Department of Conservation.
(b) “Eligible applicants” means cities, counties, special districts, including open-space districts and resource conservation districts, metropolitan planning organizations, and nonprofit organizations.
(c) “Fund” means the Vibrant Landscape Program Fund established pursuant to Section 12320.
(d) “Greenhouse gas reduction” includes the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through carbon sequestration.
(e) “Greenprint” means a plan that identifies strategically planned and managed networks of natural lands and waters, working landscapes, including farmland, ranchland, and working forests, and recreational and other open spaces that conserve ecosystem values and functions, creates climate resilient communities, and is integrated into community and regional growth strategies.
(f) “Natural lands” means lands consisting of forests, grasslands, deserts, freshwater and riparian systems, wetlands, coastal and estuarine areas, watersheds, wildlands, or wildlife habitat, or lands used for recreational purposes, including parks, urban and community forests, trails, greenbelts, and other similar open-space land.
(g) “Program” means the Vibrant Landscape Program developed pursuant to Section 12310.
(h) “Working lands” means lands use for farming, grazing, or the production of forest products.
CHAPTER 3. Vibrant Landscape Program
12310.
(a) (1) The department shall develop and implement the Vibrant Landscape Program to assist eligible applicants in developing county or regional plans, including county climate plans and greenprint, across rural and urban areas integrating the conservation and management of natural and working lands, including agricultural and forest lands with other sectors to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and achieve climate resilience and other public and environmental cobenefits. The program shall support plans that do the following:(A) Demonstrate how plan implementation will advance the conservation of natural and working lands and associated habitat and measurable and durable reductions in the emissions of greenhouse
gases.
(B) Advance climate resilience, water quality, food production, wood products production, and other benefits.
(C) Complement a sustainable communities strategy developed pursuant to Section 65080 of the Government Code, if applicable.
(2) In awarding funds pursuant to this subdivision, the department shall give preference to an application submitted by a group of eligible applicants that includes a county.
(b) (1) The program may also provide funding for land management and conservation activities across the state that reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and achieve multiple environmental cobenefits.
(2) Eligible activities include, but are not limited to,
the following:
(A) Riparian restoration.
(B) Preventing the conversion of natural and working lands to development and other intensive land use.
(C) Improvement in forest management.
(D) Urban forestry.
(3) In awarding funds pursuant to this subdivision, the department shall give preference to activities that would do both of the following:
(A) Implement a plan developed pursuant to subdivision (a).
(B) Provide the most cobenefits.
