(a) The secretary, in cooperation with each department within the Resources Agency, shall review state-owned roadless areas under his or her jurisdiction as of January 1, 1975, including, but not limited to, lands within the state park system, state forests, and fish and game refuges, reserves, sanctuaries, and other areas designated for the protection of wildlife, but not including tide and submerged lands lying below the mean high tide line, and shall report to the Legislature his or her recommendations as to the suitability or nonsuitability of each area for preservation as state wilderness.
(b) The State Lands Commission shall review state-owned roadless areas under its jurisdiction that have been identified as possessing significant environmental values pursuant to Section 6370.2, and shall report to the Legislature its recommendations as to the suitability or nonsuitability of each area for preservation as wilderness.
(c) Additional reviews and reports as to suitability or nonsuitability for preservation as wilderness shall be made by the secretary and the State Lands Commission for the following areas:
(1) State-owned roadless areas under their respective jurisdictions and within or contiguous to federal wilderness areas designated by the Congress after January 1, 1975, within one year after the designation.
(2) State-owned roadless areas under their respective jurisdictions that are acquired after January 1, 1975, within three years of the acquisition.
(d) The secretary and the State Lands Commission, prior to submitting recommendations with respect to the suitability of an area for preservation as a wilderness area, shall:
(1) Give public notice of the proposed action as deemed appropriate, including publication in one or more newspapers of general circulation in each county within which the affected area is located, and mailed to every person who has filed a request for notice of hearing. If the notice of hearing is published in a weekly newspaper, it must appear therein on at least two different days of publication, and, if in a newspaper published more often, there must be at least five days from the first to the last day of publication, both days included. The content of the notice of hearing shall substantially comply with the requirements of Section 11346.5 of the Government Code.
(2) Hold a public hearing or hearings in the City of San Diego, City of Los Angeles, City and County of San Francisco, or City of Sacramento, whichever is closest to the area affected, not less than 30 days, nor more than 60 days, after the last date of publication of the notice. The hearing shall be conducted in the manner specified in Section 11346.8 of the Government Code.
(3) Advise, at least 30 days before the date of a hearing, the board of supervisors of each county where the lands are located, and federal, state, and local agencies concerned, and invite those officials and agencies to submit their views on the proposed action at the hearing or within a specified period thereafter.
(e) A view submitted under the provisions of subdivision (d) with respect to an area shall be included with recommendations to the Legislature with respect to that area.
(f) A modification or adjustment of boundaries of a wilderness area designated by the Legislature shall be recommended to the Legislature by the secretary or the State Lands Commission after public notice of the proposal and public hearing or hearings as provided in subdivision (d).
(g) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to lessen the present statutory authority of a state agency with respect to the maintenance of roadless areas.
(h) Privately owned areas within or contiguous to state-owned areas shall not preclude the review of the state-owned areas as provided in this section.
(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 68, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2007.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018