SECTIONS 32300-32301 - California Statutes

PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE

SECTION 32300-32301

32300. This division shall be known, and may be cited, as the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy Act.

32301. 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 rivers and labyrinths of sloughs and channels are home to
750 species of plants and wildlife as well as 55 species of fish,
provide habitat for 700 native plant and animal species, and are part
of the Pacific Flyway.
(d) The Delta contains more than 500,000 acres of agricultural
land, with unique soils, and farmers who are creative and utilize
innovative agriculture, such as carbon sequestration crops,
subsidence reversal crops, wildlife-friendly crops, and crops direct
for marketing to the large urban populations nearby.
(e) The Delta and Suisun Marsh provide numerous opportunities for
recreation, such as boating, kayaking, fishing, hiking, birding, and
hunting. Navigable waterways in the Delta are available for public
access and currently make up the majority of recreational
opportunities. There is a need for land-based recreational access
points including parks, picnic areas, and campgrounds.
(f) The Delta's history is rich with a distinct natural,
agricultural, and cultural heritage. It is home to the community of
Locke, the only town in the United States built primarily by early
Chinese immigrants. Other legacy communities include Bethel Island,
Clarksburg, Courtland, Freeport, Hood, Isleton, Knightsen, Rio Vista,
Ryde, and Walnut Grove.
(g) The Delta is home to more than 500,000 people and 200,000
jobs, and contributes over thirty-five billion dollars
($35,000,000,000) to the state's economy.
(h) In addition, the Delta provides water to more than 25 million
Californians and three million acres of agricultural land. It
supports a four hundred billion dollar ($400,000,000,000) economy and
is traversed by energy, communications, and transportation
facilities vital to the economic health of California.
(i) A Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy can support efforts
that advance both environmental protection and the economic
well-being of Delta residents in a complementary manner, including
all of the following:
(1) Protect and enhance habitat and habitat restoration.
(2) Protect and preserve Delta agriculture and working landscapes.
(3) Provide increased opportunities for tourism and recreation.
(4) Promote Delta legacy communities and economic vitality in the
Delta in coordination with the Delta Protection Commission.
(5) Increase the resilience of the Delta to the effects of natural
disasters such as floods and earthquakes, in coordination with the
Delta Protection Commission.
(6) Protect and improve water quality.
(7) Assist the Delta regional economy through the operation of the
conservancy's program.
(8) Identify priority projects and initiatives for which funding
is needed.
(9) Protect, conserve, and restore the region's physical,
agricultural, cultural, historical, and living resources.
(10) Assist local entities in the implementation of their habitat
conservation plans (HCPs) and natural community conservation plans
(NCCPs).
(11) Facilitate take protection and safe harbor agreements under
the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. Sec. 1531 et
seq.) and the California Endangered Species Act (Chapter 1.5
(commencing with Section 2050) of Division 3 of the Fish and Game
Code) for adjacent landowners and local public agencies.
(12) Promote environmental education.