SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Encompassing over 2,000 acres and nearly eight miles of the Los Angeles River and its tributaries, the Sepulveda Basin serves as an asset for the entire City of Los Angeles.
(b) The Sepulveda Basin is a federally owned flood management facility managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and is home to a protected wildlife area, multiple recreational facilities, and a water reclamation facility.
(c) It is also a biodiversity hotspot. Historically, the Los Angeles River and its watershed have provided critical wildlife habitat for many native plants and animals. The Sepulveda Basin provides refuge for several threatened and endangered species, and species of special concern, and supports over 200 species of birds.
(d) The worsening effects of climate change pose new land management challenges that require the preservation and protection of existing open space, and the rehabilitation of lands that have been developed, through policies that promote natural geomorphic processes and ecosystem functions. Nature-based climate solutions and rewilding can build climate resilience and reduce overall climate change impacts.
(e) A November 2022 study by the University of California, Irvine shows that the Sepulveda Basin no longer has capacity to fully protect surrounding and downstream communities in a 100-year storm event.
(f) Floodplain reclamation, watershed restoration, and groundwater recharge would create new and much-needed safeguards against drought and floods.
(g) On April 29, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order No. N-10-19 that created California’s Water Resilience Portfolio, declaring state leadership essential to restore the environmental health of our river systems, prioritizing multibenefit projects and the use of natural infrastructure, such as floodplains, and enabling the state to facilitate projects of statewide importance through collaboration.
(h) On October 7, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order No. N-82-20 making it the state goal to conserve at least 30 percent of California’s land and coastal waters by 2030 and calling for accelerated use of nature-based climate solutions that deliver on California’s climate change goals.
(i) The 2021 California Climate Adaptation Strategy, required by Assembly Bill 1482 (Chapter 603 of the Statutes of 2015), links together the state’s sector-specific plans and is organized around outcome-based priorities, goals, and actions. The priorities include, but are not limited to, partnering and collaborating to leverage resources; accelerating nature-based climate solutions and strengthening climate resilience of natural systems; and bolstering public health and safety to protect against increasing climate risks.
(j) On May 18, 2021, the Department of Water Resources signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States Army Corps of Engineers to collaborate on engineering with nature, and to facilitate planning and implementation of natural and nature-based infrastructure projects in California in accordance with the state’s Water Resilience Portfolio and the department’s environmental stewardship policy.
(k) On March 28, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order No. N-7-22 directing state agencies to collaborate with tribes and federal, regional, and local agencies on actions related to promoting groundwater recharge and increasing storage.
(l) The Budget Act of 2022 included $750 million in new funding to advance the state’s 30x30 land conservation program. This funding will enable local and regional groups to expand environmental conservation across the state and expand practices that meet our climate, biodiversity, and equitable access goals.
(m) It is therefore in the state’s interest to ensure that actions and resources support restoration of the Sepulveda Basin in a manner consistent with state policies and priorities described in this section.