AB 720: California Rangeland, Grazing Land, and Grassland Protection Program: grants for local programs.

The Rangeland, Grazing Land, and Grassland Protection Act requires the Wildlife Conservation Board to carry out the California Rangeland, Grazing Land, and Grassland Protection Program to protect Californias rangeland, grazing land, and grasslands through the use of conservation easements. Under existing law, the program provides for grants for the acquisition of conservation easements to protect, restore, or enhance rangeland, grazing land, or grassland, and sustain the character of specified property.

This bill would expand the California Rangeland, Grazing Land, and Grassland Protection Program by requiring the board to administer a program to award grants to eligible entities, as defined, to administer, plan, and implement local programs to enhance or restore Californias private rangelands, as specified. The bill would authorize the board to develop program grant guidelines. The bill would require the board and any program grantee, in evaluating proposed projects, to evaluate the ability of the project to meet the purposes of the California Rangeland, Grazing Land, and Grassland Protection Program and to consider specified selection criteria. The bill would permit the board to authorize a program grantee to use not more than 30% of the grant moneys for specified administrative, outreach, and assistance purposes relating to the grant program. The bill would require each program grantee, on or before a date determined by the board in the grant agreement, to submit to the board an annual report describing and evaluating the implementation of the project and the use of the grant moneys for the project during the previous year, as specified.

This bill would recast certain provisions of the Rangeland, Grazing Land, and Grassland Protection Act and make conforming changes.