SECTIONS 5900-5903 - California Statutes

PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE

SECTION 5900-5903

5900. This division shall be known and may be cited as the
California Wildlife, Coastal, and Park Land Conservation Act.

5901. The people of California find and declare all of the
following:
(a) Parks, wildlife habitat, beaches, and open-space lands are
vital to maintaining the quality of life in California. As the state'
s population increases, it is of growing importance to provide parks
and recreational opportunities to the residents of California.
(b) Preservation of California's unique natural heritage is in the
interest of all Californians.

5902. As used in this division, the following terms have the
following meanings:
(a) "Conservation easement" means an interest in real property as
defined in Section 815.1 of the Civil Code.
(b) "District" means any regional park or open-space district
formed pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 5500) of
Chapter 3 of Division 5 and any recreation and park district formed
pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 5780) of Division 5.
With respect to any community or unincorporated region which is not
included within a regional park or open-space district or a
recreation and park district and in which no city or county provides
parks or recreational areas or facilities, "district" also means any
other district which is authorized by statute to operate and manage
parks or recreational areas or facilities, employs a full-time park
and recreation director and offers year-round park and recreation
services on lands and facilities owned by the district, and allocates
a substantial portion of its annual operating budget to parks or
recreation areas or facilities.
(c) "Fund" means the California Wildlife, Coastal, and Park Land
Conservation Fund of 1988 created pursuant to Section 5906.
(d) "Historical resource" includes, but is not limited to, any
building, structure, site areas, or place which is historically or
archeologically significant, or is significant in the architectural,
engineering, scientific, economic, agricultural, educational, social,
political, military, or cultural annals of California.
(e) "Historical preservation project" means a project designed to
preserve an historical resource which is either listed in the
National Register of Historic Places or is registered as either a
state historical landmark or point of historical interest pursuant to
Section 5021.
(f) "Local coastal program" means any program created under
Section 30108.6.
(g) "Natural lands" means an area of relatively undeveloped land
which (1) has substantially retained its characteristics as provided
by nature or has been substantially restored, or which can be
feasibly restored, to a near-natural condition, and which has
outstanding wildlife, scenic, open-space, or park resources, or a
combination thereof, or (2) meets the definition of open-space land
in Section 65560 of the Government Code.
(h) "Nonprofit organization" means any charitable organization
described in Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code,
which has among its primary purposes the conservation and
preservation of wetlands or of lands predominantly in their natural,
scenic, historical, agricultural, forested, or open-space condition.
(i) "Park" means a tract of land with outstanding scenic, natural,
open-space, or recreational values, set apart to conserve natural,
scenic, cultural, or ecological resources for present and future
generations, and to be used by the public as a place for rest,
recreation, education, exercise, inspiration, or enjoyment.
(j) "Riparian habitat" means lands that contain habitat which
grows close to and which depends upon soil moisture from a nearby
freshwater source.
(k) "Stewardship" means the development and implementation of
major programs for the protection, rehabilitation, restoration, and
enhancement of the basic natural systems and outstanding scenic
features of the state park system. It does not mean the maintenance
or alteration of facilities, developments, or any physical
installations whose original purpose was not the protection of
natural scenic resources.
(l) "Wetlands" means lands which may be covered periodically or
permanently with shallow water and which include saltwater marshes,
freshwater marshes, open or closed brackish water marshes, swamps,
mudflats, fens, and vernal pools.

5903. For the purposes of the State General Obligation Bond Law,
"state grant" or "state grant moneys" means moneys received by the
state from the sale of bonds authorized by law for the purposes of
this division which are available for grants to counties, cities,
cities and counties, districts, and nonprofit organizations.