California Government Code

§ 8670.37.5

GOV § 8670.37.5 Effective Jun 20, 2014Div. 1 · Title 2 · Ch. 7.4 · Art. 5

Statute text

(a)The administrator shall establish a network of rescue and rehabilitation stations for wildlife injured by oil spills, including sea otters and other marine mammals. In addition to rehabilitative care, the primary focus of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network shall include proactive oiled wildlife search and collection rescue efforts. These facilities shall be established and maintained in a state of preparedness to provide the best achievable treatment for wildlife, mammals, and birds affected by an oil spill in waters of the state. The administrator shall consider all feasible management alternatives for operation of the network.

(b)(1) The first rescue and rehabilitation station established pursuant to this section shall be located within the sea otter range on the central coast. The administrator initially shall establish regional oiled wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facilities in the Los Angeles Harbor area, the San Francisco Bay area, the San Diego area, the Monterey Bay area, the Humboldt County area, and the Santa Barbara area. The administrator also may establish facilities in other areas of the state as the administrator determines to be necessary.

(2)One or more of the oiled wildlife rescue and rehabilitation stations shall be open to the public for educational purposes and shall be available for wildlife health research. Wherever possible in the establishment of these facilities, the administrator shall improve existing authorized wildlife rehabilitation facilities and may expand or take advantage of existing educational or scientific programs and institutions for oiled wildlife rehabilitation purposes. Expenditures shall be reviewed by the agencies and organizations specified in subdivision (c).

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Legislative history

Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 35, Sec. 31. (SB 861) Effective June 20, 2014.