California Fish and Game Code

§ 3469

FGC § 3469 Effective Jan 1, 2022Div. 4 · Part 1 · Ch. 2 · Art. 7.5

Statute text

(a)There is established the California Winter Rice Habitat Incentive Program subject to the requirements of this article.

(b)Subject to appropriation for purposes of this article, the director may enter into contracts with nonpublic entities that are owners of record or with lessees of productive agricultural rice lands that are winter flooded and that are determined by the director to be important for the conservation of waterfowl. The contract shall enforceably restrict the use of the land for the conservation of waterfowl and their habitat in a manner that allows for the use of the land for rice farming consistent with Section 8 of Article XIII of the California Constitution.

(c)The director shall give priority to contracts that have the greatest potential for restoring, enhancing, and protecting high-quality waterfowl habitat, especially that subject to destruction, drastic modification, or significant curtailment of habitat values. The director may give priority to contracts that provide additional environmental cobenefits, including cobenefits to species such as fish or snakes.

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Legislative history

Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 521, Sec. 2. (AB 614) Effective January 1, 2022.