Parks & Land Conservation

Establishes a five-year pilot program in El Dorado County allowing trained handlers to haze threatening mountain lions. Requires licensed houndspersons to obtain annual permits for participating in mountain lion hazing activities. Mandates a comprehensive evaluation report by 2033 to assess program effectiveness and expansion potential.

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.

Establishes new grants for local and tribal communities impacted by offshore wind energy development. Requires offshore wind companies to publicly disclose all donations to eligible community organizations. Mandates annual reporting on how capacity building funds are used to support affected communities.

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 to improve state parks and beaches for people with disabilities. Requires the Parks and Recreation Director to consult with accessibility experts on improvement recommendations. Authorizes reimbursement of committee members' necessary expenses but provides no direct compensation.

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.

Streamlines land acquisition for three state parks damaged by the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Wildfire. Authorizes Parks and Recreation to directly purchase property for these parks until January 2031. Requires fair market value appraisals and Department of General Services approval for all acquisitions. Mandates purchase negotiations begin within 6 months of funding approval.

Expands allowed uses of conserved land to include parks, recreation venues, and historical preservation. Authorizes San Bernardino County to use land sale revenues for maintaining and improving preserved areas. Requires detailed land plans and conservation easements to be approved by Parks and Recreation Department.

Authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to provide free annual park passes to the State Library. Supports the California State Library Parks Pass Program to increase public access to state parks. Implements the program using existing funds from the 2024 Budget Act.

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 to expand recreational opportunities. Requires the county to acquire replacement parkland of equal or greater recreational value before selling existing land. Mandates that new parkland must be accessible to the same community and include equivalent facilities. Ensures the land exchange occurs at no cost to state or county taxpayers.

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.