AB 1548

AB1548:v96#DOCUMENT

Bill Start

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1548

An act to add Title 7.27 (commencing with Section 66710) to the Government Code, relating to conservation.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1548, as amended, Pellerin. Conservation: the Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority.

Existing law establishes various entities for specified purposes over specific geographic areas of the state, including the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority and California Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, among others.

This bill would establish the Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority, a regional entity with jurisdiction extending throughout the Monterey Bay region, as defined. The bill would provide that the purpose of the authority is to raise and allocate public and private funds for restoring, enhancing, protecting, engaging in long-term stewardship, and improving access for the enjoyment of natural and working lands, as defined, in the Counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz, as specified. The bill would establish a 9-member governing board to govern the authority that consists of county board of supervisors, city officials, and public members of these counties, as specified. The bill would require the board to, among other things, establish policies for the operation of the authority, and convene an advisory committee to assist and advise the board in carrying out its functions. The bill would authorize the authority to award grants to public and private entities for eligible projects, including projects that restore, protect, enhance, or maintain natural, working, or open space lands in the Counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz, as specified. The bill would also authorize the authority to, among other things, levy a benefit assessment, special tax, or property related fee, apply for and receive grants from federal and state agencies, solicit and accept gifts, fees, grants, and allocations from public and private entities, issue revenue bonds, incur general bond indebtedness, and enter into joint powers agreements, as provided.

By imposing additional duties on local governmental agencies relating to the membership of the authority’s governing board, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Title 7.27 (commencing with Section 66710) is added to the Government Code, to read:

TITLE 7.27. Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority Act

CHAPTER 1. Title, Findings, and Declarations

66710.

This title shall be known, and may be cited, as the Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority Act.

66711.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The Monterey Bay region covers an area of 3,100,000 acres and represents one of California’s most ecologically and culturally significant landscapes. The Monterey Bay region includes some of the state’s most iconic places, including Big Sur, the beaches bordering the Monterey Bay and the Santa Cruz North Coast, the coastal redwood forests in Big Basin Redwoods State Park and the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, the verdant and historic Salinas and Pajaro Valleys, the rangelands in the County of San Benito, and Pinnacles National Park. The Monterey Bay region is home to immense biodiversity and vital habitats that support native species such as California condors, steelhead, salmon, endemic plants, and critical wildlife corridors and nesting sites.

(b) Across the Monterey Bay region, California Native American tribes have long led in the stewardship of land and water through cultural practices, governance, and place-based knowledge. Today, as climate impacts accelerate, tribal leadership remains foundational. Agricultural landowners and stewards, conservation organizations, and local governments continue to play vital leadership roles in sustaining the region’s natural and working landscapes. Together, these efforts reflect a growing recognition that the region’s future depends on strengthened cross-sector collaboration to sustain both working lands and ecological systems through long-term care for land and water.

(c) The Monterey Bay region is shaped by rivers, floodplains, and some of the state’s largest wetland systems, including the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Watsonville Slough Ecological Reserve. The region’s major rivers include the San Lorenzo River, which drains from the Santa Cruz Mountains; the Pajaro River, which directly links the region; and the Salinas and Carmel Rivers. These waterways, along with the surrounding mountains, valleys, and wetlands of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Gabilan Range, the Diablo Range, and the Santa Lucia Range, support one of the world’s most diverse and productive agricultural economies, where farmers and ranchers manage millions of acres and play a key role in land stewardship and connectivity that benefits both the region’s economy and ecological health. The preservation of agricultural lands in active production is vital to the region’s resilience and long-term prosperity.

(d) The Monterey Bay region has maintained its global presence by committing to an economy that sustains abundant open space, agricultural lands, and natural habitats. Many growers in the region have been early adopters of climate-smart practices that improve soil health, conserve water, and enhance resilience, often while keeping land in production and sustaining livelihoods. Together, the agriculture and tourism economies of the region are valued at ten billion five hundred million dollars ($10,500,000,000). The 6,094 square mile Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which was designated on September 18, 1992, is one of the largest marine sanctuaries in the world, and one of California’s most visited coastal areas, offering residents and visitors alike a vital connection to the ocean. Across the Monterey Bay region, more than two dozen state parks and one state recreational area further contribute to the region’s rich landscape, drawing Californians and international visitors year-round.

(e) California Native American tribes, indigenous communities, and indigenous-led organizations are leading efforts, often in partnership with agricultural landowners, public and private landowners, state government, local government, and nongovernmental and conservation organizations to restore culturally significant lands, reintroduce traditional beneficial fire practices, and establish voluntary conservation efforts that support access to, and stewardship of, ancestral homelands. These cultures, and the people who have stewarded them for generations despite documented genocide and forced displacement, are regaining access and stewardship rights to culturally important lands for traditional lifeways and stewardship. Through tribal-led land trusts, comanagement agreements, and community-led planning, indigenous leadership is reshaping conservation models. These efforts reflect a growing recognition of the importance of integrating indigenous knowledge systems and governance into regional conservation and climate solutions.

(f) The Monterey Bay region constitute a region that relies heavily on local water sources, including groundwater and surface water. The region maintains its own water storage reservoirs and distribution facilities with limited reliance on state or federal systems. The region also maintains largely independent flood management systems. State-approved groundwater sustainability plans have been completed throughout the Monterey Bay region.

(g) Recent statewide goals and policies have reinforced the conservation value of landscapes in the Monterey Bay region. In alignment with the state’s goal of protecting 30 percent of the state’s lands, the Monterey Bay region has conserved 514,700 acres of land as of 2024. Contracts and easements executed pursuant to the Williamson Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 51200) of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 5) across farms and rangelands further add to the stewarded landscapes across the Monterey Bay region.

(h) In keeping with the state’s focus on emissions reductions, the 2024 Monterey Bay Natural and Working Lands Climate Mitigation and Resiliency Study conducted by the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments identified land stewardship and management strategies across the region that could reduce emissions by up to four hundred thousand (400,000) metric tons in alignment with California’s statewide targets. Stewardship, maintenance, and protection of natural and working lands are central to the state’s climate strategy.

(i) Underlying all of the communities in the Monterey Bay region is a century-old commitment to maintaining rural landscapes and vibrant economies based on natural lands, including agriculture, hospitality, recreation, and preservation of open space and habitats that link together the iconic landscapes of the region. Farming and ranching are more than economic engines; they reflect a way of life deeply tied to the land and the rural character of the region. Pressures on this landscape exist as the balance of historic commitments to open spaces and working lands run up against housing needs and economic development in the region. Additional pressure and threats arise from the effects of climate change, including drought, catastrophic wildfire, loss of biodiversity due to habitat fragmentation and development pressures, flooding, increased temperatures, and rising sea levels.

(j) The landscapes of the Monterey Bay region provide direct benefits to the people of the state in the form of recreation, food supply, clean air and water, ocean health, public health, and carbon sequestration. The region’s natural and working lands are critical to community well-being and climate resilience. However, access to these public benefits is uneven. Rural, agricultural, and indigenous communities across the region have faced longstanding environmental injustices, including contaminated drinking water, pesticide exposure, air pollution, and underinvestment in infrastructure and green spaces. These communities also continue to experience disproportionate climate impacts, including water insecurity, extreme heat, and flooding, alongside limited access to climate adaptation strategies and long-term conservation resources.

(k) The Monterey Bay region seeks to establish regional mechanisms to enable coordination among governmental, tribal, and nongovernmental entities to generate and allocate resources for open space protection, habitat restoration, and the long-term maintenance and stewardship of recreational lands, private working lands, floodplain and watershed lands, and to secure opportunities for the improvement of these lands and waters. These efforts are intended to address longstanding gaps in access to climate adaptation resources, infrastructure, and green space, particularly for rural and indigenous communities. A regional authority can help overcome these barriers by expanding and aligning resources, strengthening partnerships, and supporting coordinated implementation strategies.

(l) In addition to securing the ecological and community benefits of conserved lands over time, the Monterey Bay region has an opportunity to support and expand a local conservation workforce rooted in land stewardship, farming and ranching, science, and ecological restoration. Sustaining and growing jobs in these sectors is a vital outcome of coordinated and effective regional investment.

(m) Effective conservation and climate resilience in the Monterey Bay region relies on the sustained capacity of local, state, and federal governments, agricultural producers and landowners, California Native American tribes, indigenous communities, nongovernmental organizations, and community-based organizations. The Monterey Bay region benefits from decades-long partnerships that have delivered meaningful outcomes across the region. However, the Monterey Bay region could become even more effective by proactively establishing a centralized authority to expand funding opportunities, coordinate responses to state goals and mandates, and reduce reliance on variable state and federal funding cycles. This added stability would strengthen the region’s long-term planning and position the region as a more ready and reliable partner for future investment.

(n) It is in the public interest to establish the Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority as a regional entity to raise and allocate public and private funds for purposes of restoring, enhancing, protecting, engaging in long-term stewardship, and improving access for the public enjoyment of natural and working lands in the Monterey Bay region and along the region’s shoreline.

(o) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority’s activities complement and not conflict with local housing elements adopted pursuant to Article 10.6 (commencing with Section 65580) of Chapter 3 of Division 1 of Title 7, and support a balanced approach that sustains working and natural lands while recognizing the importance of meeting state and local housing obligations.

CHAPTER 2. Definitions

66712.

For purposes of this title, unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions apply:

(a) “Authority” means the Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority established pursuant to Section 66713.

(b) “Board” means the governing board of the Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority established pursuant to Section 66715.

(c) “Local government” means a county, city, special district, or other local or regional governmental entity of the Monterey Bay region.

(d) “Monterey Bay region” or “region” means the Counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz.

(e) “Natural lands” has the same meaning as set forth in Section 9001.5 of the Public Resources Code.

(f) “Public member” means a board member described in paragraph (7) of subdivision (a) of Section 66715.

(g) “Working lands” has the same meaning as set forth in Section 9001.5 of the Public Resources Code.

CHAPTER 3. Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority

66713.

(a) The Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority is hereby established as a regional entity with jurisdiction extending throughout the Monterey Bay region.

(b) The jurisdiction of the authority is not subject to the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 established in Division 3 (commencing with Section 56000) of Title 5.

(c) The authority’s purpose is to raise and allocate public and private funds for purposes of restoring, enhancing, protecting, engaging in long-term stewardship, and improving access for the enjoyment of natural and working lands in the Monterey Bay region and along the region’s shoreline.

66714.

It is the intent of the Legislature that the authority complements existing and future efforts of communities, local governments, and state and federal entities that address the goals of this title.

CHAPTER 4. Governing Body

66715.

(a) The authority shall be governed by a board that consists of nine voting members, as follows:

(1) One supervisor of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Monterey. This member shall be appointed to the board by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Monterey. On or before April 1, 2027, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Monterey shall make the initial appointment.

(2) One supervisor of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz. This member shall be appointed to the board by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz. On or before April 1, 2027, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz shall make the initial appointment.

(3) One supervisor of the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Benito. This member shall be appointed to the board by the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Benito. On or before April 1, 2027, the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Benito shall make the initial appointment.

(4) One elected official of a city in the County of Monterey. This member shall be appointed to the board by the city selection committee for the County of Monterey created pursuant to Section 50270. On or before April 1, 2027, the city selection committee shall make its initial appointment.

(5) One elected official of a city in the County of Santa Cruz. This member shall be appointed to the board by the city selection committee for the County of Santa Cruz created pursuant to Section 50270. On or before April 1, 2027, the city selection committee shall make its initial appointment

(6) One elected official of a city in the County of San Benito. This member shall be appointed to the board by the city selection committee for the County of San Benito created pursuant to Section 50270. On or before April 1, 2027, the city selection committee shall make its initial appointment.

(7) (A) Three members of the general public who reside or work within the jurisdiction of the authority. These public members shall represent an area of expertise and be appointed, as follows:

(i) One public member shall have significant experience working with California Native American tribes and underserved populations, including experience supporting tribal-led stewardship, cultural and ecological restoration, renewal of traditional land care practices, and efforts that expand safe and welcoming access to the outdoors for communities that have historically faced barriers to such access. On or before April 1, 2027, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Monterey shall make the initial appointment for this public member.

(ii) One public member shall have significant experience in working lands, including voluntary and community-based forestry management, timber harvesting, agricultural production or grazing, or both, community based, and professional experience that supports farming forestry, farming, and ranching, such as soil health, water management, erosion control, watershed protection, agricultural conservation easements, long term land stewardship, and other efforts that strengthen both agricultural and forestry sector viability and climate resilience in the Monterey Bay region. On or before April 1, 2027, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz shall make the initial appointment for this public member.

(iii) One public member shall have significant experience in biodiversity and habitat protection, including work that conserves or restores native habitats, protects wildlife movement corridors, improves wetlands and coastal resilience, or strengthens the health of rivers, streams, and headwaters. This may include experience with land stewardship, conservation easements, restoration ecology, or community-based projects that support both ecological integrity and local quality of life across the Monterey Bay region. On or before April 1, 2027, the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Benito shall make the initial appointment for this public member.

(B) After its first meeting, the board shall appoint each succeeding public member upon expiration of that public member’s term or other vacancy of that public member’s position on the board. In appointing public members, the board shall seek to ensure reasonable geographic balance across the three counties within the Monterey Bay region.

(b) (1) A board member shall be appointed for a three-year term, except as provided in paragraph (2).

(2) To establish staggered terms to ensure continuity of the board’s governance, the initial board members described in paragraphs (3) and (5) of subdivision (a) shall be appointed to an initial two-year term, and all remaining initial board members shall be appointed to a three-year term.

(3) A member may serve multiple terms.

(c) A vacancy on the board shall be filled by the appropriate appointing authority within 90 days from the date that the vacancy occurs.

(d) All members of the board shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority.

66716.

Members of the board are subject to the Political Reform Act of 1974 established in Title 9 (commencing with Section 81000).

66717.

A member of the board shall exercise that member’s independent judgment on behalf of the interests of residents, property owners, and the public as a whole in furthering the intent and purposes of this title.

66718.

The board may provide that members of the board may receive an amount not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100) per day for each attendance at a meeting of the board. The maximum compensation allowable to a board member on any given day shall be one hundred dollars ($100). Board members shall not receive compensation for more than two meetings of the board in a calendar month.

66719.

(a) The board’s first meeting shall occur at a time and place in the Monterey Bay region determined by the initial board member representing the Board of Supervisors of the County of Monterey after all nine initial board members are appointed. The initial board member of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Monterey shall act as the acting chair at the board’s first meeting.

(b) (1)The board shall select a chair and a vice chair of the board at its first meeting and annually thereafter as follows:

(A)

(1) The chair shall annually rotate, in alphabetical order by county, among the three county supervisor representatives appointed pursuant to paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of Section 66715.

(B)

(2) The vice chair shall preside in the absence of the chair.

(C)

(3) The terms of the chair and vice chair shall be one year.

(D)

(4) If the chair is unable to serve their term, the next board member in the rotation described in subparagraph (A) shall serve as chair for that term.

(c) After its first meeting, the board shall hold meetings at times and places determined by the board.

(d) Meetings of the board are subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act established in Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5.

66720.

(a) Within six months of the date of the board’s first meeting, the board shall convene a Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Advisory Committee to assist and advise the board in carrying out its functions. The advisory committee shall meet on a regular basis.

(b) The advisory committee shall consist of no more than 12 members. The membership of the advisory committee shall be determined by the board based upon criteria that provide a broad representation of interests in the authority’s jurisdiction over the long-term stewardship of the Monterey Bay region. The advisory committee’s membership may include representatives from any the following:

(1) California Native American tribes that have historical, cultural, and present-day connections to the lands and waters in the Monterey Bay region.

(2) State and federal agencies with expertise or missions related to long term land conservation and stewardship, including, but not limited to, the State Coastal Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Board, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

(3) Resource conservation districts, groundwater sustainability agencies, open space districts, regional park districts, other special districts with expertise or missions related to long term land conservation and stewardship, and land trusts that own or operate parcels in the Monterey Bay region.

(4) Community-based organizations and nongovernmental organizations working to advance land and water stewardship, cultural and ecological restoration, biodiversity, agricultural viability, equitable outdoor access, or climate resilience in the Monterey Bay region.

(5) Members of the public from the Monterey Bay region, including individuals with experience in farming or ranching, conservation science, youth stewardship, environmental justice, or local community organizing.

(c) The board shall adopt procedures to provide for per diem expenses for advisory committee members who lack adequate resources to cover their participation in the advisory committee’s meetings.

66721.

(a) The board is the legislative body of the authority and, consistent with this title, shall establish policies for the operation of the authority.

(b) The board may act either by ordinance or resolution to regulate the authority and implement this title.

(c) Five voting members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of transacting any business of the board. A recorded majority vote of the total voting membership of the board is required on each action.

(d) In carrying out its duties under this title, the board shall ensure that the authority’s policies, funding programs, and decisionmaking processes advance fair treatment and meaningful involvement of rural, agricultural, tribal, underserved, and disadvantaged communities, consistent with the meaning of environmental justice defined in Section 30107.3 of the Public Resources Code.

CHAPTER 5. Powers and Duties of the Authority

Article 1. General Provisions

66722.

The authority has, and may exercise, all powers, expressed or implied, that are necessary to carry out the intent and purposes of this title, including, but not limited to, the power to do all of the following:

(a) (1) Levy a benefit assessment, special tax levied pursuant to Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 50075) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 5, or property-related fee consistent with the requirements of Articles XIII A, XIII C, and XIII D of the California Constitution, including, but not limited to, a benefit assessment levied pursuant to any of the following:

(1)

(A) The Improvement Act of 1911 established in Division 7 (commencing with Section 5000) of the Streets and Highways Code.

(2)

(B) The Improvement Bond Act of 1915 established in Division 10 (commencing with Section 8500) of the Streets and Highways Code.

(3)

(C) The Municipal Improvement Act of 1913 established in Division 12 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Streets and Highways Code.

(4)

(D) The Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972 established in Part 2 (commencing with Section 22500) of Division 15 of the Streets and Highways Code, notwithstanding Section 22501 of the Streets and Highways Code.

(5)

(E) Any other statutory authorization.

(2) Before levying an assessment on working lands, the authority may consider the economic impacts on working lands, such as agricultural lands and lands used for timber harvesting.(3) Any debt, liability, or other obligation incurred by the authority shall not constitute a debt, liability, or other obligation of any county, city, or other local government within the region. The full faith and credit or taxing power of a county or city shall not be pledged to the payment of any debt, liability, or other obligation of the authority unless expressly authorized by that county or city.

(b) Apply for and receive grants from federal and state agencies.

(c) Solicit and accept gifts, fees, grants, and allocations from public and private entities.

(d) Issue revenue bonds for any of the purposes authorized by this title pursuant to the Revenue Bond Law of 1941 established in Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 54300) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5.

(e) Incur general obligation bonded indebtedness for improvement of real property or for funding or refunding of any outstanding indebtedness, subject to the following requirements:

(1) For purposes of incurring general obligation bonded indebtedness pursuant to this subdivision, the authority shall comply with Article 11 (commencing with Section 5790) of Chapter 4 of Division 5 of the Public Resources Code. For purposes of this subdivision, all references in Article 11 (commencing with Section 5790) of Chapter 4 of Division 5 of the Public Resources Code to a board of directors shall mean the board and all references to a district shall mean the authority.

(2) Notwithstanding any other law, the total amount of outstanding bonded indebtedness the authority may incur pursuant to this subdivision and subdivision (d) shall not exceed ____ dollars ($____).

(f) Receive and manage a dedicated revenue source.

(g) Deposit or invest moneys of the authority in banks or financial institutions in the state in accordance with state law.

(h) Sue and be sued, except as otherwise provided by law, in all actions and proceedings, in all courts and tribunals of competent jurisdiction.

(i) Engage counsel and other professional services.

(j) Enter into and perform all necessary contracts and other agreements.

(k) Enter into joint powers agreements pursuant to the Joint Exercise of Powers Act established in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 6500) of Division 7 of Title 1.

(l) Hire staff, define their qualifications and duties, and provide a schedule of compensation for the performance of their duties.

(m) Use interim or temporary staff that a state agency, or a local government within the Monterey Bay region, agrees to provide. A person who performs duties as interim or temporary staff shall not be considered an employee of the authority.

(n) Award grants to public and private entities for eligible projects performed within the authority’s jurisdiction to implement the purposes of this title. In reviewing and assessing projects for eligibility, the authority shall solicit and consider input from the advisory committee convened pursuant to Section 66720. The authority shall adopt a procedure for evaluating proposals in consultation with the advisory committee.

(o) Provide advance payments to grant recipients when necessary to support participation by underresourced, rural, agricultural, tribal, or community-based organizations, consistent with procedures adopted by the authority.

66723.

The authority shall not acquire or own real property. This section does not preclude the authority from awarding grants pursuant to Section 66725 that could be used by the grantee to acquire or own real property.

66724.

(a) If the authority proposes a measure pursuant to subdivision (a) or (e) of Section 66722 that will generate revenues, or if the voters within the authority’s jurisdiction qualify an initiative measure for the ballot, the board of supervisors of the county or counties in which the measure is proposed shall call a special election on the measure. The special election shall be consolidated with the next regularly scheduled statewide election that occurs at least 88 days after the special election is called and the measure shall be submitted to the voters in the appropriate counties, consistent with the requirements of Articles XIII A, XIII C, and XIII D of the California Constitution, as applicable.

(b) (1) The authority is a district, as defined in Section 317 of the Elections Code. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a measure proposed by the authority that requires voter approval shall be submitted to the voters of the authority in accordance with the provisions of the Elections Code applicable to districts, including the provisions of Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 9300) of Division 9 of the Elections Code.

(2) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 9300 of the Elections Code or any other law, the voters of the authority shall have the power to propose and adopt or amend a special tax by initiative petition.

(3) Because the authority has no revenues as of the effective date of this paragraph, the appropriations limit for the authority shall be originally established based on receipts from the initial measure that would generate revenues for the authority pursuant to subdivision (a), and that establishment of an appropriations limit shall not be deemed a change in an appropriations limit for purposes of Section 4 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.

(c) The authority shall file with the board of supervisors of each county in which the measure shall appear on the ballot a resolution of the authority requesting consolidation, and setting forth the exact form of the ballot question, in accordance with Section 10403 of the Elections Code.

(d) Each county included in the measure shall use the exact ballot question, impartial analysis, and ballot language provided by the authority. If two or more counties included in the measure are required to prepare a translation of ballot materials into the same language other than English, the county that contains the largest population, as determined by the most recent federal decennial census, among those counties that are required to prepare a translation of ballot materials into the same language other than English, shall prepare the translation and that translation shall be used by the other county or counties, as applicable.

(e) Notwithstanding Section 13116 of the Elections Code, if a measure proposed by the authority pursuant to this article is submitted to the voters of the authority in two or more counties, the elections officials of those counties shall mutually agree to use the same letter designation for the measure.

(f) The county elections official of each county shall report the results of the special election to the authority.

(g) (1) Notwithstanding Section 10520 of the Elections Code, for the first election at which either the authority proposes a measure pursuant to subdivision (a) or (e) of Section 66722 that would generate revenues or the voters within the authority’s jurisdiction qualify an initiative measure for the ballot that would generate revenues, the authority shall reimburse each county in which that measure appears on the ballot only for the incremental costs incurred by the county elections official related to submitting the measure to the voters.

(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “incremental costs” include both of the following:

(A) The cost to prepare a translation of ballot materials into a language other than English by any county, as described in subdivision (d).

(B) The additional costs that exceed the costs incurred for other election races or ballot measures, if any, appearing on the same ballot in each county in which the measure appears on the ballot, including both of the following:

(i) The printing and mailing of ballot materials.

(ii) The canvass of the vote regarding the measure pursuant to Division 15 (commencing with Section 15000) of the Elections Code.

(h) All records prepared, owned, used, or retained by the authority are public records for purposes of the California Public Records Act established in Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1.

Article 2. Grant Program

66725.

(a) (1) The authority may award grants to local governments, tribal entities, nonprofit organizations, and private entities, including, but not limited to, owners of agricultural land, for eligible projects on public and private lands within the Monterey Bay region.

(2) An eligible project shall do one or more of the following:

(A) Restore, protect, enhance, or maintain natural, working, or open space lands, including, but not limited to, rangelands, farms, wetlands, riparian corridors, forests, coastal habitats, and watersheds, to improve ecological function, soil health, water quality, and regional climate resilience.

(B) Implement nature-based or working-lands practices that contribute to greenhouse gas reduction, biodiversity protection, or water and soil resilience, including, but not limited to, riparian, stream, and floodplain restoration, soil health, carbon sequestration, and groundwater recharge, beneficial fire, vegetation, or grazing management that supports wildfire risk reduction and ecosystem health, and habitat connectivity.

(C) Support voluntary and collaborative conservation and land management partnerships among tribes, agricultural landowners, conservation organizations, local governments, the state, and the federal government, including, but not limited to, efforts that sustain long-term coordination, shared planning, and stewardship, strengthen cultural and ecological stewardship, sustain working lands, and advance the region’s ecological and economic resilience.

(D) Support long-term stewardship, facilitated access, monitoring, and maintenance necessary to sustain ecological, agricultural, or community benefits, including community education, outreach, or training that strengthens long-term stewardship outcomes.

(3) A grantee shall not use eminent domain to acquire lands to achieve the goals of the project.

(b) In awarding grants pursuant to this section, the authority shall give priority to projects that, to the greatest extent possible, do all of the following:

(1) Demonstrate measurable benefits to climate resilience, biodiversity, water resilience, agricultural viability, equitable outdoor access, and ancestral land return and access, including projects that expand community participation or reduce barriers to engagement in planning and stewardship.

(2) Demonstrate that rural, agricultural, tribal, underserved, or disadvantaged communities were meaningfully engaged in project design, development, and implementation, and that the project delivers measurable benefits to those communities.

(3) Support the growth of the region’s stewardship workforce, including training, apprenticeships, internships, tribal youth stewardship programs, agricultural and land management career pathways, and other efforts that build local capacity for long term land and water stewardship, restoration, and climate resilience.

(c) The authority shall consult with the advisory committee convened pursuant to Section 66720 when developing grant evaluation procedures and funding recommendations. The authority shall adopt transparent criteria for evaluating grant proposals pursuant to this section.

(d) Grants awarded pursuant to this section may be used to support all phases of eligible projects, including project design, planning, permitting, construction, implementation, operations, monitoring, maintenance, reporting, administrative requirements, and stewardship, except to the extent that the source of funding for the grant prohibits use of its funding for such use.

(e) The board shall not award a grant for a project on private lands unless it first determines that the project will provide a long term public benefit consistent with the purposes of this title.

(f) The board shall provide for regular audits of the authority’s accounts and records and shall maintain accounting records and shall report accounting transactions in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles adopted by the Government Accounting Standards Board of the Financial Accounting Foundation for both public reporting purposes and for reporting of activities to the Controller.

(g) The board shall provide for annual financial reports. The board shall make copies of the annual financial reports available to the public.

CHAPTER 6. Fiscal Provisions

66726.

The authority shall be funded through the sources specified in subdivisions (a) to (f), inclusive, of Section 66722 and any other lawful source. Funds for the initial establishment and support of activities under this title, including initial administrative costs, may be advanced individually or collectively from the local jurisdictions specified in Section 66715, grants or awards from state or federal agencies, philanthropic funding, or any other lawful source, and may be repaid by the initial proceeds from revenue generated pursuant to this title. A county may, at its discretion, provide staffing, administrative, fiscal, or legal services to the authority pursuant to a written agreement approved by that county’s board of supervisors. Any such agreement shall specify the scope of services, cost allocation, reimbursement terms, and termination provisions. Any direct state funding shall be subject to a future appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose.

SEC. 2.

The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique need to establish the Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority for purposes of restoring, enhancing, protecting, engaging in long-term stewardship, and improving access to natural and working lands in the Counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz.

SEC. 3.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.