Title PRC, California Pub. Res. Code

(a) The Legislature finds that an educated and informed citizenry is essential to the well-being of a participatory democracy and is necessary to protect California’s finite natural resources, including the quality of its environment. The Legislature further finds that through ed…

The Legislature further finds and declares that in order to advance the principles of environmental justice and equality, subdivision (a) of Section 11135 of the Government Code and subdivision (e) of Section 65040.12 of the Government Code apply to the commission and all public …

This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Watershed, Clean Beaches, and Water Quality Act. (Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 727, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2003.)

The purpose of this division is to establish a statutory framework for funding water quality, clean beaches, and watershed protection projects from the proceeds derived from the issuance and sale of bonds and other revenue sources, and to specify how the Resources Agency and its …

The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following: (a) Clean beaches, clean water, and healthy watersheds are necessary to support both human communities and the state’s native fish and wildlife, and are part of the legacy of California. Each generation has an obliga…

It is the intent of the Legislature that the purpose of maintaining clean beaches, clean water, and an integrated and coordinated watershed program is to protect beaches, coastal waters, rivers, lakes, and streams from contaminants, pollution, and other environmental threats. (Ad…

It is the intent of the Legislature to invest in projects that will reduce beach contamination and increase visitor days, including, but not limited to, developing the comprehensive capability to monitor and analyze water quality and pollutant transport in coastal waters. This wi…

It is the intent of the Legislature to invest in clean water projects that will do all of the following: (a) Assist small local communities in meeting water pollution control requirements. (b) Improve agricultural water quality and reduce pollutants in agricultural drainage water…

It is the intent of the Legislature to require state agencies to encourage and support both of the following: (a) The development of coordinated and complementary strategies and solutions for watershed management across land ownership and agency jurisdictional boundaries. (b) Coo…

It is the intent of the Legislature that the state should coordinate and integrate its watershed programs and implement those programs by working with diverse interests at the local level. The state’s watershed management goals should include, but need not be limited to, maintain…

It is the intent of the Legislature to invest in watershed management partnerships that use a community-based collaborative approach to meeting the state’s watershed management goals. Allocation of funding should be balanced among large and small watersheds, coastal and inland wa…

Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions in this chapter govern the construction of this division. (Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1441.)

“Certified local coastal plan or program” means any plan or program or land use plan of a local program adopted by the commission pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 30500) of Division 20. (Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 807.)

“Conservancy” means the State Coastal Conservancy. (Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1441.)

“Commission” means the California Coastal Commission established under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 30300) of Division 20. (Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1441.)

“Bay commission” means the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, established under Title 7.2 (commencing with Section 66600) of the Government Code. (Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 967, Sec. 1.)

(a) “Coastal zone” means that area of the state as defined in Section 30103. Only for purposes of conservancy action in San Francisco Bay, the “coastal zone” also includes areas that are within the permit jurisdiction of the bay commission, as described in Section 66610 of the Go…

“Coastal restoration project” means an action taken by a public agency, including the conservancy, or a nonprofit organization, to correct undesirable development patterns in the coastal zone. (Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 958, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2003.)

“Coastal resource enhancement project” means an action taken by a public agency, including the conservancy, or a nonprofit organization, to restore, as nearly as possible, degraded natural areas to their original condition or to enhance the resource values of a coastal zone. (Ame…

“Department” means the Department of Parks and Recreation. (Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1441.)

“Local public agency” includes, but is not limited to, a city, county, city and county, district, association of governments, or joint powers agency. (Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 958, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2003.)

Any funds received by the department pursuant to this division shall be deposited in the State Parks and Recreation Fund. Unless otherwise provided in this division, any funds received by the conservancy pursuant to this division shall be deposited in the State Coastal Conservanc…

(a) The Coastal Trust Fund is hereby established in the State Treasury, to receive and disburse funds paid to the conservancy in trust, subject to the right of recovery to fulfill the purposes of the trust, as provided in this section. (b) (1) There is in the Coastal Trust Fund t…

“Nonprofit organization” means any private, nonprofit organization that qualifies under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 469, Sec. 8. (SB 785) Effective January 1, 2020.)

“Bay plan” means the San Francisco Bay Plan as adopted by the bay commission. (Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 967, Sec. 3.)

“Suisun Marsh Protection Plan” means the plan approved as provided in Division 19 (commencing with Section 29000). (Added by Stats. 1980, Ch. 967, Sec. 4.)

“Local plan” means any land use plan of a local public agency, port district, regional park or open-space district, or recreation and park district whose jurisdiction is included, in whole or in part, within the jurisdiction of the conservancy within San Francisco Bay in the area…

“Public agency” includes, but is not limited to, local public agencies, state agencies, federal agencies, colleges and universities, intergovernmental bodies, and federally recognized Indian tribes. (Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 958, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 2003.)

This division shall be known, and may be cited, as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy Act. (Added by Stats. 2009, 7th Ex. Sess., Ch. 5, Sec. 37. (SB 1 7x) Effective February 3, 2010.)

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is a unique natural resource of local, state, and national significance. (b) At 1,300 square miles, the Delta is the largest estuary on the west coast of North and South America. (c) Its…

This division shall be known, and may be cited, as the San Joaquin River Conservancy Act. (Added by Stats. 1992, Ch. 1012, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1993.)

The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the San Joaquin River, its broad corridors, and its prominent bluffs constitute a unique and important environmental, cultural, scientific, agricultural, educational, recreational, scenic, flood water conveyance, and wildlife resourc…

The Legislature further finds and declares that the San Joaquin River Parkway Task Force, representing diverse state and local interests, has developed a San Joaquin River Parkway Plan which, in concept, outlines and provides a structural framework for ideas for establishing the …

The Legislature further finds and declares that local jurisdiction is divided among the County of Fresno, the County of Madera, and the City of Fresno. Additionally, the state has property interests in the river bottom. It is the intent of the Legislature that the San Joaquin Riv…

As used in this division: (a) “Board” means the governing board of the San Joaquin River Conservancy. (b) “Conservancy” means the San Joaquin River Conservancy. (c) “Member agencies” means the City of Fresno and Counties of Fresno and Madera. (d) “Nonprofit organization” means an…

The conservancy shall commence to function upon the occurrence of either of the following events: (a) Approval by a four-fifths vote of the governing bodies of the member agencies. (b) Approval by a majority of the voters voting on the proposition of whether the conservancy shoul…

If the governing body of any member agency approves formation of the conservancy by a four-fifths vote, the election may be held only within the member agency or agencies not so approving formation. If one member agency fails to approve the formation of the conservancy and it is …

This division shall be known, and may be cited, as the Baldwin Hills and Urban Watersheds Conservancy Act. (Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 714, Sec. 2. (SB 1052) Effective January 1, 2023.)

The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following: (a) The Baldwin Hills, southern Ballona Creek Watershed, and Upper Dominguez Channel area within the County of Los Angeles and the Cities of Los Angeles and Culver City, among other cities, constitutes an area with u…

This division shall be known, and may be cited, as the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy Act. (Added by Stats. 1999, Ch. 789, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2000.)

The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the San Gabriel River and its tributaries, the lower Los Angeles River and its tributaries, the San Gabriel Mountains, Puente Hills, San Jose Hills, Santa Catalina Island, and the Dominguez Channel watershed constitute a unique and i…

There is in the Natural Resources Agency the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, which is created as a state agency for the following purposes: (a) To acquire and manage public lands within the lower Los Angeles River and San Gabriel River watershe…

This division shall be known, and may be cited, as the San Diego River Conservancy Act. (Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 574, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2003.)

(a) The San Diego River is a natural, historic, and recreational resource in the heart of San Diego. From its headwaters near the town of Julian in east San Diego County, it runs 52 miles through Mission Valley and the first settlement in California at Old Town San Diego before i…

For the purposes of this division, the following terms have the following meanings: (a) “Conservancy” means the San Diego River Conservancy established by this division. (b) “Fund” means the San Diego River Conservancy Fund established pursuant to Section 32657. (c) “Governing bo…

This division shall be known as and may be cited as the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Act. (Added by Stats. 1979, Ch. 1087.)