SB 539: Sepulveda Basin: planning process: nature-based climate solutions.

The Regional Planning Law provides that the people of California have a fundamental interest in the orderly development of the urban regions of the state in which large segments of the states population are concentrated. Existing law requires, in order to facilitate effective and harmonious planning and development of an area included in a regional planning district, all county and city legislative bodies, and all county, city, or other planning agencies within the regional planning district to file with the regional planning board, for its information, among other things, all published development plans.

Existing law establishes in the Natural Resources Agency the Department of Water Resources and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Existing law authorizes the department, either independently or in cooperation with any person or any county, state, federal, or other agency, to collect hydrologic data necessary for river forecasting, to make forecasts of stream flow, to provide for flood warning, and to provide for communication necessary for the collection and dissemination of that information. Existing law authorizes the conservancy to award grants or make interest-free loans to cities, counties, resource conservation districts, and recreation and park districts for the purpose of restoring areas which, because of scattered ownerships, poor lot layout, inadequate lot size, inadequate park and open space, incompatible land uses, or other conditions, are adversely affecting the Santa Monica Mountains environment or are impeding orderly development.

This bill would require the department and the conservancy to provide assistance to the City of Los Angeles and the United States Army Corps of Engineers, to the extent requested, in order to integrate nature-based climate solutions, as defined, into the planning process for the Sepulveda Basin, as defined.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Sepulveda Basin.