CHAPTER
1.5. Alarcon California River Parkways Act Of 1999
5095.
This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the Alarcon California River Parkways Act of 1999.5095.1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) River parkways directly improve the quality of life in California by providing important recreational, open-space, wildlife, educational, flood control, and water quality benefits to communities in the state.
(b) River parkways can provide communities with safe places for children to play; locations for family picnics; bike and pedestrian trails; areas for water sports including swimming, boating, and fishing, and many other activities.
(c) River parkways can also help improve blighted urban river areas that were formerly thriving natural resource preserves by providing important recreational and scenic amenities. By improving these areas, we can help decrease urban problems, including crime, pollution, nuisance activity, and other problems.
(d) River parkways can provide accessible open space that can help remedy the severe shortage in park and open-space areas that plague many urban and suburban communities and small towns.
(e) River parkways can provide flood protection benefits for our communities by protecting wider corridors along our waterways that help store and provide safe corridors for the passage of storm waters.
(f) River parkways can also protect and restore wildlife and fish habitat.
(g) California can improve the quality of life in this state by assisting local communities and other agencies in establishing river parkways.
5095.2.
For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:(a) “Fund” means the Alarcon California River Parkways Fund established pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 5095.3.
(b) “Parkways Program” means the Alarcon California River Parkways Program established pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 5095.3.
(c) “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Resources Agency.
5095.3.
(a) The Alarcon California River Parkways Program is hereby created in the office of the Secretary of the Resources Agency, to be administered by the secretary.(b) The secretary may make grants to state and local agencies and nonprofit organizations for feasible river parkway projects from moneys deposited into the Alarcon California River Parkways Fund, which is hereby created.
(c) Moneys may be deposited into the fund from any source designated by the Legislature, from grants received by the secretary for the purposes of river parkway projects, or from any other funding source. These funds may be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act, for grants to state and local agencies for river parkway projects.
(d) Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
(1) The acquisition of real property. Prior to expending grant funds for the acquisition of real property, the grantee shall provide notice to any landowners who own land immediately adjacent to the real property proposed to be acquired.
(2) Site improvement projects, including the provision of compatible improvements that enhance the safety of parkway visitors and neighboring communities.
(3) Projects to restore and enhance riparian and other habitat.
(4) Projects to provide public access to a stream or river.
(5) Projects to develop visitor services, and recreational and interpretive facilities.
(6) Trail projects.
(e) In awarding grants to state and local agencies and nonprofit organizations under this chapter, the secretary shall give priority to river parkway projects that accomplish all of the following objectives:
(1) Help improve blighted urban communities adjacent to urban rivers and streams.
(2) Provide parks and recreational facilities for underserved communities, in urban and suburban communities, and small towns.
(3) Protect or restore fish and wildlife habitat in a manner that benefits threatened or endangered species.
(4) Provide flood control benefits by maintaining or restoring the open-space character of lands along rivers and streams that are subject to periodic flooding.
(f)The secretary shall give separate and additional priority to river parkway projects that have matching funds in an amount equal to at least 25 percent of the total projected cost of the project from federal, local, private, or other state funding sources.
(g)
(f) In implementing this chapter, the secretary shall give consideration to providing an equitable regional distribution of funding over the lifetime of the program.
5095.4.
A state or local agency or nonprofit organization that receives a grant awarded pursuant to this chapter shall, to the extent feasible, utilize the services of the California Conservation Corps and local conservation corps in those efforts.5095.6.
Any state agency, local agency, or nonprofit organization that expends grant funds from amounts appropriated from the fund pursuant to this chapter shall file with the secretary an annual progress report on the implementation of the river parkway project that has been funded by the grant.