SB 809: Natural resources.

(1)The California Constitution establishes the 5-member Fish and Game Commission, with members appointed by the Governor and approved by the Senate. Existing statutory law requires the commissioners to annually elect one of their number as president and one as vice president, by a concurrent vote of at least 3 commissioners. Existing law prohibits a president or vice president from serving more than 2 consecutive years.

This bill would eliminate this prohibition.

(2)Existing law requires the owner of an aquaculture facility to register certain information with the Department of Fish and Wildlife by March 1 of each year, and requires the department to impose prescribed fees for registration and renewal. Existing law also requires, in addition to the registration and renewal fees, a surcharge fee to be paid at the time of registration by the owner of an aquaculture facility if the gross annual sales of aquaculture products of the facility during the prior calendar year exceed $25,000. Existing law imposes a penalty for delinquent payment of fees. Existing law, until January 1, 2018, increases those registration, renewal, surcharge, and penalty fees, as prescribed. Existing law requires the department to prepare and submit to the Legislature, on or before February 1, 2017, a report regarding the aquaculture program.

This bill would extend the increased registration, renewal, surcharge, and penalty fees until January 1, 2023. The bill would require the department to prepare and submit to the Legislature an additional report regarding the aquaculture program due on or before February 1, 2022.

(3)The State Contract Act requires projects that are not under the jurisdiction of specified departments to be under the charge and control of the Department of General Services. Under existing law, the Division of Boating and Waterways is one of the specified agencies whose projects are under its jurisdiction instead of the jurisdiction of the Department of General Services.

This bill would remove the Division of Boating and Waterways, and would add the Department of Parks and Recreation, as a department whose projects are under its jurisdiction.

(4)Under existing law, the Department of Conservation is under the supervision of the Director of Conservation, and the work of the department is divided into divisions, including the Division of Mine Reclamation and the California Geological Survey. Existing law establishes the Supervisor of Mine Reclamation to direct the Division of Mine Reclamation.

The Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 prohibits a person, with exceptions, from conducting surface mining operations unless, among other things, a permit is obtained from, a specified reclamation plan is submitted to and approved by, and financial assurances for reclamation have been approved by, the lead agency for the operation of the surface mining operation.

This bill, for the purposes of the act, would transfer various duties assigned to the Director of Conservation to the Supervisor of Mine Reclamation, as specified, and would transfer various duties assigned to the Department of Conservation to the Division of Mine Reclamation, as specified.

This bill also would make various conforming changes.

(5)Under existing law, the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources in the Department of Conservation regulates the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of oil and gas wells in the state. Existing law defines, among other things, active observation well, idle well, and long-term idle well for the purposes of provisions relating to the regulation of oil and gas. Existing law, for purposes of regulating oil and gas activities, divides the state into 6 districts, the boundaries of which are fixed by the Director of Conservation. Existing law requires the State Oil and Gas Supervisor to appoint a chief deputy and at least one district deputy for each district and to prescribe their duties.

This bill instead would require the director to fix the number and boundaries of the districts, and would authorize the director and supervisor to redefine the districts as needed to ensure the efficient administration of provisions regulating oil and gas. The bill would require the director and supervisor to solicit public input before revising the districts. The bill would narrow the definitions of idle well and long-term idle well by excluding active observation wells from those definitions. The bill would revise the qualifications for the chief deputy and each district deputy. The bill would change the reporting date for a comprehensive report on well stimulation treatments in the exploration and production of oil and gas resources in California that is prepared by the State Oil and Gas Supervisor and transmitted to the Legislature from on or before January 1 to on or before July 30 of each year. The bill would delete obsolete provisions regarding the creation of a certain Internet Web site by the division.

(6)Existing law vests with the State Lands Commission control over certain public lands in the state. Existing law authorizes the Governor, on application therefor by a duly authorized agent, to convey to the United States a tract of land that does not exceed 10 acres, belonging to the state and covered by navigable waters, for the site of a lighthouse, beacon, or other aid to navigation.

This bill would instead authorize the commission to make that conveyance of land for the site of a lighthouse, beacon, or other navigation aid.

(7)Existing law requires every undocumented vessel using the waters or on the waters of this state to be currently numbered. Existing law requires the owner of each vessel requiring numbering to file an initial application for a number and to pay to the Department of Motor Vehicles an initial application fee of $9, except that an owner of a vessel registered outside of this state who is submitting an application for registration in this state is required to pay a fee of $37.

This bill would eliminate the $37 application fee for registering a vessel in this state that is registered outside of this state.