(a) The Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Fish and Game Commission are the principal state agencies responsible for the establishment and control of wildlife and fishery management programs and the commission shall not establish or impose any controls with respect thereto that duplicate or exceed regulatory controls established by these agencies pursuant to specific statutory requirements or authorization.
(b) The Department of Fish and Wildlife in consultation with the commission and the Division of Boating and Waterways within the Department of Parks and Recreation, may study degraded wetlands and identify those which can most feasibly be restored in conjunction with development of a boating facility as provided in subdivision (a) of Section 30233. Any study conducted under this subdivision shall include consideration of all of the following:
(1) Whether the wetland is so severely degraded and its natural processes so substantially impaired that it is not capable of recovering and maintaining a high level of biological productivity without major restoration activities.
(2) Whether a substantial portion of the degraded wetland, but in no event less than 75 percent, can be restored and maintained as a highly productive wetland in conjunction with a boating facilities project.
(3) Whether restoration of the wetland’s natural values, including its biological productivity and wildlife habitat features, can most feasibly be achieved and maintained in conjunction with a boating facility or whether there are other feasible ways to achieve these values.
(c) The Legislature finds and declares that salt water or brackish water aquaculture is a coastal-dependent use which should be encouraged to augment food supplies and to further the policies set forth in Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 825) of Division 1. The Department of Fish and Wildlife may identify coastal sites it determines to be appropriate for aquaculture facilities. If the Department of Fish and Wildlife identifies these sites, it shall transmit information identifying the sites to the commission and the relevant local government agency. The commission and, where appropriate, local governments shall, consistent with the coastal planning requirements of this division, provide for as many coastal sites identified by the Department of Fish and Wildlife for any uses that are consistent with the policies of Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 30200).
(d) Any agency of the state owning or managing land in the coastal zone for public purposes shall be an active participant in the selection of suitable sites for aquaculture facilities and shall make the land available for use in aquaculture when feasible and consistent with other policies of this division and other law.
(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 86, Sec. 259. (SB 1171) Effective January 1, 2017.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018