ARTICLE 1. General Provisions [5096.300. - 5096.309.]

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC 1.
in effect

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5096.300. Section 5096.300.

This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2000 (the Villaraigosa-Keeley Act).

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5096.301. Section 5096.301.

Responding to the recreational and open-space needs of a growing population and expanding urban communities, this act will revive state stewardship of natural resources by investing in neighborhood parks and state parks, clean water protection, and coastal beaches and scenic areas.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5096.302. Section 5096.302.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Historically, California’s local and neighborhood parks often serve as the recreational, social, and cultural centers for cities and communities, providing venues for youth enrichment, senior activities, and family recreation. (b) Neighborhood and state parks provide safe places to play in the urban neighborhoods, splendid scenic landscapes, exceptional experiences, and world-recognized recreational opportunities, and in so doing, are vital to California’s quality of life and economy. (c) For over a decade, the state’s commitment to parks and natural resources has dwindled. California has not kept pace with the needed funding to adequately manage and maintain its multibillion dollar investment in neighborhood, urban, and state parks and natural areas resulting in disrepair and overcrowding of many park facilities and the degradation of wild lands. (d) The magnificent Pacific Coast, outstanding mountain ranges, and unique scenic regions are the source of tremendous economic opportunity and contribute enormously to the quality of life of Californians. (e) Continued economic success and enjoyment derived from California’s natural resources depends on maintaining clean water, healthy ecosystems, and expanding public access for a growing state. (f) The backlog of needs for repair and maintenance of local and urban parks exceeds two billion five hundred million dollars and the need for maintenance of state parks exceeds one billion dollars. The state’s conservancies and wildlife agencies report a need for habitat acquisition and restoration exceeding $1.8 billion. (g) This act will begin to address these critical neighborhood park and natural resources needs.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5096.303. Section 5096.303.

The Legislature further finds and declares all of the following: (a) Air pollution continues to be a major problem in California which harms the health of our residents, costs our economy billions of dollars related to health care costs, reduced agricultural productivity, and damage to our infrastructure, and otherwise decreases the quality of life in our state. (b) Forests and trees improve air quality by removing carbon dioxide, particulates, and other pollutants from the air, and by producing oxygen. (c) Park, open-space, and tree planting projects also improve air quality and decrease congestion by reducing sprawl, improving the quality of life in areas that are already developed by helping local agencies implement sound land use plans that promote energy efficiency, and by providing incentives to reduce development in inappropriate areas.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5096.306. Section 5096.306.

It is the intent of the Legislature to strongly encourage every state or local government agency receiving the bond funds allocated pursuant to this chapter for an activity to give full and proper consideration to the use of recycled and reusable products whenever possible with regard to carrying out that activity.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5096.307. Section 5096.307.

(a) Every proposed activity to be funded pursuant to this chapter shall be in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000)). (b) Lands acquired with funds allocated pursuant to this chapter shall be acquired from a willing seller of the land.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5096.308. Section 5096.308.

As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings: (a) “Acquisition” means the acquisition from a willing seller of a fee interest or any other interest, including easements and development rights, in real property from a willing seller. (b) “Board” means the Secretary of the Resources Agency designated in accordance with subdivision (b) of Section 5096.362. (c) “Certified local community conservation corps programs” means programs operated by public or private nonprofit agencies pursuant to Section 14406. (d) “Committee” means the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection (Villaraigosa-Keeley Act) Finance Committee created pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 5096.362. (e) “District” means any regional park district, regional park and open-space district, or regional open-space district formed pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 5500) of Chapter 3, any recreation and park district formed pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 5780), or an authority formed pursuant to Division 26 (commencing with Section 35100). With respect to any community or unincorporated region that is not included within a district, and in which no city or county provides parks or recreational areas or facilities, “district” also means any other district that is authorized by statute to operate and manage parks or recreational areas or facilities, employs a full-time park and recreation director, offers year-round park and recreation services on lands and facilities owned by the district, and allocates a substantial portion of its annual operating budget to parks or recreation areas or facilities (f) “Fund” means the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection (Villaraigosa-Keeley Act) Bond Fund created pursuant to Section 5096.310. (g) “Historical resource” includes, but is not limited to, any building, structure, site area, place, artifact, or collection of artifacts that is historically or archaeologically significant in the cultural annals of California. (h) “Program” means the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection (Villaraigosa-Keeley Act) Program established pursuant to this chapter. (i) “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Resources Agency. (j) (1) “Stewardship” means the development and implementation of projects for the protection, preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and improvement of natural systems and outstanding features of the state park system and historical and cultural resources. Those efforts may not include activities that merely supplement normal park operations or that are usually funded from other sources. (2) (A) “Cultural resources stewardship” may include, but is not limited to, stabilization and protection of historical resources, including archaeological resources, in the state park system. Those resources may include sites, features, ruins, archaeological deposits, historical landscape resources, rock art features, and artifacts making up the physical legacy of California’s past. (B) “Cultural resources stewardship” does not include the rehabilitation, restoration, reconstruction, interpretation, or mitigation of historical resources typically required as part of a development program. (3) “Natural resources stewardship” may include, but is not limited to, such objectives as the control of major erosion and geologic hazards, the restoration and improvement of critical plant and animal habitat, the control and elimination of exotic species encroachment, the stabilization of coastal dunes and bluffs, and the planning necessary to implement those objectives. (k) “Wildlife conservation partnership” means a cooperative acquisition, restoration, or management of wildlife habitat for which the Wildlife Conservation Board provides matching funds to leverage other public, private, or nonprofit resources to maximize the conservation benefits to wildlife and wildlife habitat.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5096.3075. Section 5096.3075.

Upon a finding by the administering entity that a particular project for which funds have been allocated cannot be completed, or that the funds are in excess of the total needed, the Legislature may reallocate those funds for other high priority needs consistent with this act.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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