Bill Text: CA AB1630 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Wildlife movements.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2018-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB1630 Detail]
Download: California-2017-AB1630-Amended.html
Amended
IN
Assembly
January 03, 2018 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
April 17, 2017 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 28, 2017 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 16, 2017 |
Assembly Bill | No. 1630 |
Introduced by Assembly Member Bloom |
February 17, 2017 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
The bill would also require the Director of Transportation, in coordination with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, to prepare a report describing the status of the Department of Transportation’s progress in locating, assessing, and remediating existing barriers to wildlife connectivity every 3 years. The bill would require that the report be submitted to the Legislature by October 31 every 3 years through the year 2030.
The bill would require, on or before January 1, 2020, the Department of Transportation to update the Highway Design Manual to address wildlife passage features to mitigate barriers to wildlife passage and to improve wildlife connectivity, using the best available science, including the California Essential Habitat Connectivity Project, as specified.
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.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:SEC. 2.
Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 1950) is added to Division 2 of the Fish and Game Code, to read:
CHAPTER
13. Barriers to Wildlife Passage
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
(a)“Wildlife corridors” means a habitat linkage that joins two or more areas of wildlife habitat, allowing for fish passage or the movement of wildlife from one area to another.
(b)“Wildlife passage features” means culverts, undercrossings, overcrossings, bridges, directional fencing, scuppers, barrier breaks, roadside animal detection systems, fish ladders, wildlife monitoring devices, or other features that improve the ability for wildlife to move safely across transportation infrastructure.
(a)The Director of Transportation, in coordination with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, shall prepare a report describing the status of the Department of Transportation’s progress in locating, assessing, and remediating existing barriers to wildlife connectivity every three years. This report shall be submitted to the Legislature by October 31 every three years through the year 2030. In preparing the report, the Department of Transportation shall consider best available scientific data, including the California Essential Habitat Connectivity
Project, regional connectivity assessments, vehicle and wildlife collision data, local data on wildlife and habitat, and academic data provided to the Department of Transportation on wildlife movement.
(b)A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall
be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife or the Department of Transportation may pursue development of a programmatic environmental review process with appropriate state and federal regulatory agencies for
wildlife connectivity-related transportation infrastructure.
(a)
1950.
On or before January 1,(1)
(2)
(b)On or before January 1, 2020, the Department of Transportation shall update the Highway Design Manual to address wildlife passage features to mitigate barriers to wildlife passage and improve wildlife connectivity, using the best available science, including the California Essential Habitat Connectivity Project, to determine placement and design of wildlife passage features, in an effort to promote safe wildlife movement across transportation infrastructure to reduce vehicle collisions that injure people, disrupt freight delivery, and increase the cost of insurance, and to improve wildlife connectivity.