80200.
(a) The Natural Resources Climate Resiliency Program is hereby created to plan and implement projects that increase the resiliency of natural systems, natural and working lands, and wildlife habitat in rural and urban areas throughout the state in the face of climate change. The program shall be developed and implemented by the Wildlife Conservation Board, in coordination with any participating state conservancies.(b) (1) Moneys from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created pursuant to Section 16428.8 of the Government Code, bonds, settlements with conditions consistent with this division, and other revenue sources, upon appropriation in the annual Budget Act, shall be transferred to the Natural Resources Climate Change Resiliency Fund, which is hereby created in the State Treasury.
(2) The board and any participating state conservancies shall, by June 30, 2019, jointly develop a schedule for the allocation of moneys transferred to the fund pursuant to paragraph (1) to the board and each participating conservancy, which shall include amounts and a timeline for the distribution of moneys transferred to the fund pursuant to that paragraph. The schedule of allocation shall be determined based on the geographical scope and population of the jurisdictional area covered by the board and each participating state conservancy with consideration given to visitor population of the jurisdictional area and the population served by a jurisdictional area even if all or a portion of the population of that area resides outside of the jurisdictional area. Consideration shall also be given to a region’s vulnerability to climate change impacts. The schedule of allocation shall be jointly updated by the board and any participating state conservancies not less than once every five years and prior to any annual budget allocations. Each update shall include any additional conservancy that has notified the board in writing that it has elected to participate in the program. A copy of the schedule of allocation shall be provided to the respective budget committees in the Assembly and the Senate and to the appropriate policy committees in each house with relevant jurisdiction.
(3) The board and any participating state conservancies shall expend moneys in the fund for the purposes of the program. A portion of any moneys appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be used to fund projects located in disadvantaged communities identified pursuant to Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code and in low-income communities, as defined in Section 39713 of the Health and Safety Code, in order to ensure that the state achieves its goals under Section 39713 of the Health and Safety Code.
(c) (1) No later than January 1, 2020, the board, in collaboration with any state conservancies that are considering participating in the program, shall, after a public hearing or other public process, develop criteria and guidelines for the implementation of the program created by this division. The criteria shall include, but not be limited to, standardized measurement and reporting requirements of adaptation benefits and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. In developing those criteria and guidelines, the board and any participating state conservancies shall also consult with the Office of Planning and Research regarding the implementation of the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program established pursuant to Part 4.5 (commencing with Section 71350) of Division 34 and any other state entities, as appropriate, that are responsible for the implementation of programs to address the effects of climate change.
(2) The board and each participating state conservancy may develop a climate resiliency program under this division. Any such climate resiliency program adopted or updated by the board or by a participating state conservancy shall also prioritize projects that include the following cobenefits:
(A) Job creation and training with a preference for at-risk youth employment.
(B) Recreational opportunities.
(C) Public health improvement.
(D) Local community engagement through outreach, education, and interpretation as it relates to long-term stewardship and climate change awareness.
(E) Improved social equity in vulnerable communities.
(F) Protection of natural resources that have cultural or tribal significance.
(3) The board shall prioritize funding projects in areas outside the jurisdictional boundaries of participating state conservancies.
(d) (1) After a state conservancy notifies the board in writing of its interest in the program created by this division and the criteria and guidelines have been completed pursuant to subdivision (c), the board and each participating state conservancy shall adopt its own climate resiliency plan or climate resiliency program that is consistent with the mission of the board or the participating state conservancy, and covers climate adaptation and resiliency in its jurisdiction.
(2) The climate resiliency plan or climate resiliency program required pursuant to paragraph (1) shall outline the board’s or the participating state conservancy’s activities implementing the program including, but not limited to, the expenditure of their allocation from the fund. Eligible activities for a climate resiliency plan or climate resiliency program may include any of the following objectives and priorities as geographically appropriate:
(A) Projects on natural lands and working lands to protect communities from wildfire, flood, drought, and other natural disasters; improve forest and watershed health; control or eradicate invasive species, disease, and pests; preserve and restore agricultural lands and open space; and improve water quality, water retention, erosion control, and carbon soil sequestration.
(B) Projects that protect, restore, or enhance fish and wildlife corridors and habitats and other habitats or ecosystems, including seasonal and temporary habitats on public or private lands to buffer the impacts of climate change on vulnerable species. Investments in conservation actions on private lands shall be in accordance with subdivision (c) of Section 80002.
(C) Projects to address sea level rise, storm surge, beach and bluff erosion, saltwater intrusion, and flooding, to preserve and enhance coastal wetlands and natural lands, and to conserve biodiversity.
(D) Projects that reduce heat island effect, conserve water resources, capture stormwater runoff, restore and maintain river parkways, greenways, creeks and streams, trails, and parks, and provide active transportation and recreational opportunities.
(3) To satisfy the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2), the board and any state conservancy may update an existing plan or program to meet the requirements for a climate resiliency plan or climate resiliency program developed pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2). The State Coastal Conservancy’s Climate Ready Program developed pursuant to the requirements of Section 31113 is an existing climate resiliency program for purposes of this division.
(4) Projects eligible under this program shall, to the extent applicable and appropriate, have enduring benefits, include a monitoring program, and incorporate adaptive management strategies and best practices.
(5) Projects designed for the benefit of fish and wildlife shall be consistent with the most recent State Wildlife Action Plan.
(e) (1) The board and any participating state conservancies may award grants to entities, including, but not limited to, public agencies, nongovernmental organizations, park and open-space districts and authorities, resource conservation districts, joint powers authorities, federally recognized Native American tribes and nonfederally recognized Native American tribes listed on the California Tribal Consultation List maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission, entities responsible for implementing natural community conservation plans or regional habitat conservation plans, and regional collaboratives for climate adaptation, for projects and programs that are consistent with this division.
(2) The board may award grants for ecosystem restoration projects, as set forth in Chapters 611, 612, 613, and 614 of the Statutes of 2003, as well as other existing programs that are consistent with this division.
(3) The San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy may directly implement or award grants to fund projects consistent with this division that are part of the Lower Los Angeles River Revitalization Plan. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy may directly implement or award grants to fund projects consistent with this division that are a part of the revitalization plan developed by the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group pursuant to Section 33220.
(f) The board and any participating state conservancies shall each prepare an annual public report on projects undertaken pursuant to this program during the year prior to preparation of the report. This report may be incorporated, as applicable, into an existing reporting requirement and shall be submitted to the Office of Planning and Research’s Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program, to be added to the State Adaptation Clearinghouse.
(g) Nothing in this division is intended to supplant any existing program or the existing authority of any state entity.