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California Streets and Highways Code Section 164.56

Legal Research Home > California Laws > Streets and Highway Code > California Streets and Highways Code Section 164.56

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to allocate ten
million dollars ($10,000,000) annually to the Environmental
Enhancement and Mitigation Program Fund, which is hereby created.
   (b) Local, state, and federal agencies and nonprofit entities may
apply for and may receive grants, not to exceed five million dollars
($5,000,000) for any single grant, to undertake environmental
enhancement and mitigation projects that are directly or indirectly
related to the environmental impact of modifying existing
transportation facilities or for the design, construction, or
expansion of new transportation facilities.
   (c) Projects eligible for funding include, but are not limited to,
all of the following:
   (1) Highway landscaping and urban forestry projects designed to
offset vehicular emissions of carbon dioxide.
   (2) Acquisition or enhancement of resource lands to mitigate the
loss of, or the detriment to, resource lands lying within the
right-of-way acquired for proposed transportation improvements.
   (3) Roadside recreational opportunities, including roadside rests,
trails, trailheads, and parks.
   (4) Projects to mitigate the impact of proposed transportation
facilities or to enhance the environment, where the ability to
effectuate the mitigation or enhancement measures is beyond the scope
of the lead agency responsible for assessing the environmental
impact of the proposed transportation improvement.
   (d) Grant proposals shall be submitted to the Resources Agency for
evaluation in accordance with procedures and criteria prescribed by
the Resources Agency. The Resources Agency shall evaluate proposals
submitted to it and prepare a list of proposals recommended for
funding. The list may be revised at any time. Prior to including a
proposal on the list, the Resources Agency shall make a finding that
the proposal is eligible for funding pursuant to subdivision (f).
   (e) Within the fiscal limitations of subdivisions (a) and (b), the
commission shall annually award grants to fund proposals that are
included on the list prepared by the Resources Agency pursuant to
subdivision (d).
   (f) Projects funded pursuant to this section shall be projects
that contribute to mitigation of the environmental effects of
transportation facilities, as provided for by Section 1 of Article
XIX of the California Constitution.
   (g) Notwithstanding Section 7550.5 of the Government Code, on or
before December 31 of each year, the commission shall provide the
Assembly Committee on Budget and the Senate Committee on Budget and
Fiscal Review with a list of projects funded from the Environmental
Enhancement and Mitigation Program during the previous fiscal year
and a copy of the most recent criteria for allocating grants pursuant
to this section.

Last modified: February 13, 2012