Bill > AB807

This bill expands the definition of conservation and mitigation banks to include marine artificial reefs, allowing individuals and organizations (both nonprofit and for-profit) to create these underwater ecosystems as a form of environmental mitigation. The bill establishes a comprehensive framework for creating marine artificial reefs, requiring full environmental review and compliance with California and federal regulations. When such reefs are located on state sovereign land, a lease from the State Lands Commission is mandatory, which will include provisions for creating a trust fund where 1% of bank credit sale revenues will be deposited to support long-term maintenance. The marine artificial reef must be maintained and monitored to meet performance standards set by permitting authorities, demonstrating its ecological value. The bill clarifies that these reef-based banks can be used to compensate for environmental impacts, mitigate significant environmental effects, establish advance mitigation, and potentially improve habitat connectivity for marine species. Additionally, the lease will serve as the bank's enabling instrument, and upon completion of the lease term, the State Lands Commission will be responsible for protecting the reef in perpetuity, ensuring ongoing environmental conservation.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB807