ARTICLE 1. Administration and Control Generally [6301. - 6314.]

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC 1.

in effect

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6301. Section 6301.

The commission has exclusive jurisdiction over all ungranted tidelands and submerged lands owned by the State, and of the beds of navigable rivers, streams, lakes, bays, estuaries, inlets, and straits, including tidelands and submerged lands or any interest therein, whether within or beyond the boundaries of the State as established by law, which have been or may be acquired by the State (a) by quitclaim, cession, grant, contract, or otherwise from the United States or any agency thereof, or (b) by any other means. All jurisdiction and authority remaining in the State as to tidelands and submerged lands as to which grants have been or may be made is vested in the commission. The commission shall exclusively administer and control all such lands, and may lease or otherwise dispose of such lands, as provided by law, upon such terms and for such consideration, if any, as are determined by it. The provisions of this section do not apply to land of the classes described in Section 6403, as added by Chapter 227 of the Statutes of 1947.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6301.2. Section 6301.2.

Notwithstanding any of the provisions of the Governor’s Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1969 for the Reorganization of the Executive Branch of California State Government, if such reorganization plan becomes effective pursuant to Section 12080.5 of the Government Code, it shall have no effect whatever upon the nonmineral management functions, authorities, and responsibilities of state tidelands and submerged lands lying below such tidelands, and swamp and overflow lands affected by tides, including any such lands granted to a local agency (including, but not limited to, any of the tidelands and submerged lands which have been granted in trust to the City of Long Beach), currently within the jurisdiction of the commission. The Legislative Counsel shall include the exclusion of such functions, authorities, and responsibilities of the commission from the transfers of functions provided for by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1969 in preparing the bill required pursuant to Section 12081 of the Government Code.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6301.5. Section 6301.5.

The commission may act in behalf of the State of California pursuant to Section 7 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, an Act of Congress approved by the President on August 7, 1953 (67 Stat. 462, 43 U.S.C. Section 1336), and negotiate, with the concurrence of the Attorney General of California, with the Secretary of the Interior and with the Attorney General of the United States respecting operations under existing mineral leases, if any there be in lands in controversy, and the payment and impounding of rents and other sums payable thereunder, and respecting the issuance or nonissuance of new mineral leases pending the settlement or adjudication of any controversy, which now exists or may arise, between the United States and the State of California as to whether or not lands are subject to the provisions of said act. With the concurrence of the Attorney General of California, the commission also may enter into and execute agreements respecting the said subjects for, in behalf of, and in the name of the State, with the Secretary of the Interior, who, with the concurrence of the Attorney General of the United States, is authorized by the said act to enter into such agreements in behalf of the United States. With the concurrence of the Attorney General of California, the authority vested in the commission by this section extends to and includes all tidelands and submerged lands, or any interest therein, along the coast of the State of California, whether they be within or beyond the boundaries of the State as established by law, which have been or may be acquired by the State in any of the manners enumerated in Section 6301. No agreement entered into pursuant to this section shall become effective unless and until it is approved by the Governor.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6301.6. Section 6301.6.

If any funds are impounded pursuant to Section 6301.5 under the custody and control of the State of California, such impounded funds may be invested and reinvested by the Director of Finance in bonds or other obligations of the United States. Such securities may be sold or exchanged by the Director of Finance if, in his opinion, such sale or exchange is in the best interests of the State, and shall be sold by him whenever, and to the extent, necessary to effect any required transfer or other disposition of the impounded funds. Securities purchased or otherwise acquired under the authority of this section shall be deposited and held in the custody and safekeeping of the State Treasurer, in the name of the account in the fund from which the investments were made. Interest earned or other increment derived from investments made pursuant to this section shall, on order of the State Controller, be deposited in the fund from which the investments were made to the credit of the account covering the impounded funds, in augmentation of such impounded funds.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6301.7. Section 6301.7.

The commission may negotiate with, and with the approval of the Governor may enter into agreements with, the United States, or any official, agency, licensee, permittee, or lessee thereof, concerning the effect, if any, of any then existing or proposed or projected fill, dredging, or construction operations or other activities on or adjacent to tide and submerged lands within the County of Los Angeles or Ventura upon the boundary between state-owned submerged lands and the outer continental shelf lands under the jurisdiction of the United States, or concerning the location of that boundary. The agreements may include, but are not limited to, a waiver on behalf of the State of California of any state-owned submerged lands which would otherwise inure to the state as a result of any such fill, dredging, or construction operations, or other activities. The commission shall, before entering into any such agreement, find that the agreement is in the public interest.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6302. Section 6302.

The commission may eject from any tide and submerged lands, beds of navigable channels, streams, rivers, creeks, lakes, bays, and inlets under its jurisdiction, any person, firm, or corporation, trespassing upon any such lands, through appropriate action in the courts of this state. The commission may recover costs of ejectment through the legal action.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6302.1. Section 6302.1.

(a) (1) The commission may take immediate action, without notice, to remove from areas under its jurisdiction a vessel that is left unattended and is moored, docked, beached, or made fast to land in a position as to obstruct the normal movement of traffic or in a condition as to create a hazard to navigation, other vessels using a waterway, or the property of another. (2) The commission may take immediate action, without notice, to remove from areas under its jurisdiction a vessel that poses a significant threat to the public health, safety, or welfare or to sensitive habitat, wildlife, or water quality, or that constitutes a public nuisance. (3) A vessel removed under this section that remains unclaimed for 30 days after notice of removal is abandoned property. (4) After removal of the vessel pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2), the commission shall mail a notice to the owner, if known, and any known lienholder, that informs the owner and lienholder that if the vessel remains unclaimed for 30 days, it will be deemed abandoned property, and the commission may dispose of it pursuant to Section 6302.3. (b) (1) The commission may remove from areas under its jurisdiction a vessel that has been placed on state lands without its permission. Prior to removal of the vessel, the commission shall do both of the following: (A) Give a 30-day notice to remove the vessel by attaching it to the vessel in a clearly visible place. (B) Use reasonable means to identify and locate the owner and any lienholder. If the owner is located, the commission shall mail notice to the owner to remove the property by a date certain at least 15 days from the date of the notice. (2) If a vessel remains unclaimed after the expiration of the 30 days’ notice period and the 15 days’ owner notice, if applicable, in accordance with paragraph (1), it is abandoned property and the commission may direct the disposition of the property pursuant to Section 6302.3. The commission may also either remove the vessel or allow it to remain in place until the commission takes action to dispose of the property. (c) Upon request of the owner and after payment of the costs of removal and storage, the commission shall return to the owner a vessel removed under this section. (d) The commission, at its discretion, may remove and dispose of an abandoned or derelict vessel on a navigable waterway in the state that is not under the jurisdiction of the commission pursuant to this section, if requested to do so by another public entity that has regulatory authority over the area where the vessel is located. (e) The commission may recover all costs incurred in removal actions undertaken pursuant to this section, including administrative costs and the costs of compliance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000)), through an appropriate action in the courts of this state or by use of any available administrative remedy. (f) For purposes of this section the following definitions apply: (1) “Appropriate action” means any cause of action available at law or in equity. (2) “Commission” includes the staff or agents of the commission or other federal, state, or local agencies operating in concert with or under the direction of the commission. (3) “Unclaimed” means that an owner or a lienholder of the vessel has not contacted the commission in response to a notice made pursuant to this section, if notice is required, and has not made adequate arrangements to take or remove the vessel to an authorized location. (4) “Vessel” includes any of the following: (A) A vessel, boat, raft, or similar watercraft. (B) A buoy, anchor, mooring, or other ground tackle used to secure a vessel, boat, raft, or similar watercraft. (C) A hulk, derelict, wreck, or parts of a ship, vessel, or other watercraft.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6302.2. Section 6302.2.

(a) The commission shall, in consultation with other relevant state and local agencies directly involved in the removal of abandoned vessels, by July 1, 2019, develop a plan for the removal of abandoned commercial vessels. (b) The plan required to be developed pursuant to subdivision (a) shall prioritize the removal of vessels based on the risk an abandoned commercial vessel presents to the environment of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and to the health and safety of the public. (c) The commission shall implement the plan required to be developed pursuant to subdivision (a) upon receipt by the commission of funds appropriated by the Legislature and any federal or private funds for this purpose. (d) For purposes of this section, “Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta” means the lands within the boundaries of the Counties of Contra Costa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, and Yolo.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6302.3. Section 6302.3.

(a) The commission, at a properly noticed commission hearing, may take title to an abandoned vessel subject to disposal pursuant to Section 6302.1 for the sole purpose of abatement, without satisfying any lien on the property, and may cause the property to be sold, destroyed, or otherwise disposed of in any manner it determines is expedient or convenient. Those abandoned vessels shall not be considered surplus state property for the purposes of removal, disposal, or destruction. Title to property transferred by the commission by sale or otherwise to third parties shall be clear of any lien or encumbrance. (b) Notice of that meeting shall be given to a known owner and known lienholder, and the known owner, lienholder, or other interested party shall be given the right to appear and be heard prior to disposition of the property. (c) A hearing on the disposition of property held pursuant to this section shall be an informal hearing pursuant to Section 11445.20 of the Government Code, unless designated as a formal hearing by the commission. (d) Any action with regard to the disposition of the property as directed by the commission, with the exception of returning the property to the owner, shall be delayed for 30 days after the date of the commission’s determination, to allow the owner to pursue any other cause of action in law or equity. (e) The commission’s cost of disposing of abandoned property, including staff time and legal and attorney’s fees, may be recovered by appropriate action in any court in which an action may be properly brought or by use of any available administrative remedy. If the property is sold, the commission may recover its costs from any proceeds of the sale and any additional funds received shall be deposited into the General Fund.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6302.4. Section 6302.4.

(a) At the request of the commission, an employee or agent of the commission or a peace officer of the federal or state government or a city, county, or other political subdivision of the state shall have the authority to board a vessel for the purposes of carrying out Section 6302.1 or 6302.3. (b) An action of the commission with regard to any property acquired or disposed of pursuant to Section 6302.1 or 6302.3 is exempt from the State Contract Act (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 10100) of Part 2 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code).

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6303. Section 6303.

(a) The commission may grant the privilege of depositing material upon or removing or extracting material from swamp, overflowed, marsh, tide or submerged lands, beds of navigable streams, channels, rivers, creeks, bays, or inlets owned by the state, for improvement of navigation, reclamation, flood control, or, for purposes connected with the erection or maintenance of structures authorized pursuant to Article 2 (commencing at Section 6321), upon those terms and conditions and for that consideration as will be in the best interests of this state. (b) When a contractor or permittee has a contract with or a permit from the federal government or any authorized public agency to dredge swamp, overflowed, marsh, tide or submerged lands, beds of navigable streams, channels, rivers, creeks, bays, or inlets for the improvement of navigation, reclamation, or flood control, the commission may, if it is in the best interests of the state, allow the contractor or permittee to have sand, gravel, or other spoils dredged from the sovereign lands of the state located within the areas specified in the contract or permit upon those terms and conditions and for such consideration as will be in the best interests of the state, notwithstanding Section 6992 with respect to competitive bidding. The amounts of sand, gravel, or other spoils so removed from sovereign lands shall not exceed those specified in the contract or permit.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6303.1. Section 6303.1.

Any person who knowingly and willfully fills, dredges, or reclaims any state-owned land under the jurisdiction of the commission underlying any navigable waters, or who erects, maintains, removes, or alters any structure on such land, without written authorization from the commission is guilty of a misdemeanor. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent public agencies from performing emergency alteration, maintenance, repair, or removal of flood control works or structures on state-owned lands underlying navigable waters.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6304. Section 6304.

The commission may cooperate with the Coastal Engineering Research Board of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and may expend such moneys as are necessary for cooperative work with that board out of any appropriation made for the purposes of this section.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6305. Section 6305.

The powers granted by this chapter to the commission as to leasing or granting of rights or privileges with relation to the lands owned by the state are hereby conferred upon the local trustee of granted public trust lands to which those lands have been granted.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6306. Section 6306.

(a) For purposes of this division, “local trustee of granted public trust lands” means a county, city, or district, including a water, sanitary, regional park, port, or harbor district, or any other local, political, or corporate subdivision that has been granted, conveyed, or transferred by statute, public trust lands, including tidelands, submerged lands, or the beds of navigable waters, through a legislative grant. A local trustee of granted public trust lands is a trustee of state lands. (b) Notwithstanding any other law, every local trustee of granted public trust lands shall establish and maintain accounting procedures, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, providing accurate records of all revenues received from the trust lands and trust assets and of all expenditures of those revenues. If a trust grantee has several trust grants of adjacent lands and operates the granted lands as a single integrated entity, separation of accounting records for each trust grant is not required. (c) All revenues received from trust lands and trust assets administered or collected by a local trustee of granted public trust lands shall be expended only for those uses and purposes consistent with the public trust for commerce, navigation, and fisheries, and the applicable statutory grant. (d) All funds received or generated from trust lands or trust assets shall be segregated in separate accounts from nontrust received or generated funds. (e) (1) Unless otherwise prescribed by an applicable statutory grant, on or before December 31 of each year, each local trustee of granted public trust lands shall file with the commission a detailed statement of all revenues and expenditures relating to its trust lands and trust assets, including obligations incurred but not yet paid, covering the fiscal year preceding submission of the statement. (2) The statement shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and may take the form of an annual audit prepared by or for the local trustee of granted public trust lands. (3) (A) The detailed statement shall be submitted along with a standardized reporting form developed by the commission. (B) The commission shall use an existing reporting form previously developed for purposes of this paragraph, if a finding is made by the commission that it is generally responsive to the needs of the commission as prescribed in this section. Alternatively, the commission may develop a reporting form that requires a local trustee of granted public lands to report on all of the following: (i) A summary of all funds received or generated from trust lands or trust assets. (ii) A summary of all spending of funds received or generated from trust lands or trust assets. (iii) Any other disposition of funds received or generated from trust lands or trust assets or of the trust lands or trust assets themselves. (iv) A description of the manner in which the statement required by this subdivision and accompanying the reporting form is organized. (v) Any other information that the commission deems to be included in an accounting of granted public trust lands. (C) The adoption of the form by the commission pursuant to this subdivision is the prescription of a form for purposes of subdivision (c) of Section 11340.9 of the Government Code. (4) All forms and supporting statements submitted pursuant to this section shall be public records and be made available on the commission’s Internet Web site. (f) (1) The costs that may be incurred by a local trustee of granted public trust lands that result from any new duties imposed upon that trustee pursuant to Chapter 206 of the Statutes of 2012, including the requirement to submit a standardized reporting form required by paragraph (3) of subdivision (e), shall be paid from the revenues derived from its granted public trust lands and assets specified in subdivision (b). (2) If the revenues derived from the granted public trust lands and assets specified in subdivision (b) are not sufficient to pay the costs for the duties specified in paragraph (1), the commission shall exempt the local trustee of granted public trust lands from performing those duties for which the revenues are not sufficient, or grant a deadline extension from the performance of those duties until sufficient funds are available.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6306.1. Section 6306.1.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State Lands Commission and the City of Los Angeles, acting by and through its Board of Harbor Commissioners, may take all actions which are necessary for mitigation of expansion of the Port of Los Angeles by the enhancement, restoration, and management of Batiquitos Lagoon in the County of San Diego. Nothing in this section exempts the Batiquitos Lagoon Restoration Project from the regulatory requirements or jurisdiction of any public entity. If any interests in property are acquired as a part of the Batiquitos Lagoon mitigation project, these interests are to be held in trust for the public as sovereign lands by the State Lands Commission. The Legislature finds that adequate area for appropriate mitigation of impacts on biological resources does not presently exist within Los Angeles Harbor. The City of Los Angeles, acting by and through its Board of Harbor Commissioners, may expend harbor revenue funds to enhance, restore, and manage Batiquitos Lagoon. The Legislature further finds that the enhancement, restoration, and management of Batiquitos Lagoon will provide benefits to the Port of Los Angeles and the community because it will (1) facilitate the development of an outer harbor landfill which is the initial step in relocating hazardous liquid bulk facilities in the port, thereby providing substantial safety benefits to the surrounding community, (2) allow the port, as part of a larger project, to generate substantial additional revenues to carry out the mandate in the state tidelands grants that the port promote commerce, navigation, and fishery; and (3) create future opportunities for recreational development consistent with tideland grants. The port shall provide a recreational boating sanitation facility, navigational aids in the Cabrillo Channel, and a free boating safety publication. Provision of these facilities shall be considered by the California Coastal Commission in determining whether the conditions of coastal permit 5-85-623 have been met.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6306.2. Section 6306.2.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in order to mitigate the effects of the project which is the subject of the Department of the Army Permit No. 14003E48B, issued July 23, 1986, the City of Oakland, acting by and through its Board of Port Commissioners, may use revenue accruing from, or out of, the use of granted tidelands, for the acquisition of land, or an interest in land, located outside the geographical boundaries of the trust grant, or for the enhancement, restoration, or management of land located outside the trust grant, if the commission makes all of the following determinations: (1) That adequate areas for appropriate mitigation do not presently exist within the geographical boundaries of the port district trust grants, and that if some of the mitigation can occur within the geographical boundaries of the port district trust grants, that mitigation will be included in the mitigation program. (2) That the proposed offsite mitigation best promotes appropriate public trust purposes for which sovereign tidelands and submerged lands are held by the state, its location is appropriate in consideration of public trust needs, and it addresses the specific impacts of the project. (3) That, unless the proposed offsite mitigation is to be located within another tidelands trust grant, title to any land or interest in land acquired, as well as any land which is to be enhanced, restored, or managed, will be transferred to the state, acting by and through the State Lands Commission, to be held in trust for the public as land having the legal character of sovereign lands. (4) That the mitigation is in the best interest of the state. (b) The State Lands Commission may lease any land or interest in land transferred to it pursuant to this section, as provided by Part 2 (commencing with Section 6501).

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6307. Section 6307.

(a) The commission may enter into an exchange, with any person or any private or public entity, of filled or reclaimed tide and submerged lands or beds of navigable waterways, or interests in these lands, that are subject to the public trust for commerce, navigation, and fisheries, for other lands or interests in lands, if the commission finds that all of the following conditions are met: (1) The exchange is for one or more of the purposes listed in subdivision (c). (2) The lands or interests in lands to be acquired in the exchange will provide a significant benefit to the public trust. (3) The exchange does not substantially interfere with public rights of navigation and fishing. (4) The monetary value of the lands or interests in lands received by the trust in exchange is equal to or greater than that of the lands or interests in lands given by the trust in exchange. (5) The lands or interest in lands given in exchange have been cut off from water access and no longer are in fact tidelands or submerged lands or navigable waterways, by virtue of having been filled or reclaimed, and are relatively useless for public trust purposes. (6) The exchange is in the best interests of the state. (b) Pursuant to an exchange agreement, the commission may free the lands or interest in lands given in exchange from the public trust and shall impose the public trust on the lands or interests in lands received in exchange. (c) An exchange made by the commission pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be for one or more of the following purposes, as determined by the commission: (1) To improve navigation or waterways. (2) To aid in reclamation or flood control. (3) To enhance the physical configuration of the shoreline or trust land ownership. (4) To enhance public access to or along the water. (5) To enhance waterfront and nearshore development or redevelopment for public trust purposes. (6) To preserve, enhance, or create wetlands, riparian or littoral habitat, or open space. (7) To resolve boundary or title disputes. (d) The commission may release the mineral rights in the lands or interests in lands given in exchange if it obtains the mineral rights in the lands or interests in lands received in exchange. (e) The grantee of any lands or interests in lands given in exchange may bring a quiet title action under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 6461) of Part 1 of Division 6 of this code or Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 760.010) of Title 10 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6307.1. Section 6307.1.

(a) This section applies only to land in which California has a sovereign interest that lies within the boundaries of the State of Arizona and land in which Arizona has a sovereign interest that lies within the boundaries of the State of California, as a result of changes in the course of the Colorado River, and the redefinition in 1963 of the boundary between the two states. (b) The commission may enter into land exchange agreements with Arizona to transfer California’s sovereign interest in land located within the boundaries of Arizona and to acquire Arizona’s sovereign interest in land located within the boundaries of California. (c) The fair market value of the land transferred to Arizona shall be equal to the fair market value of the land acquired from Arizona. This requirement is not mandatory for each separate exchange transaction, but to the extent possible shall be complied with upon completion of all possible exchanges. (d) The total value of all lands exchanged pursuant to this section shall be determined according to fair market value. Upon completion of all possible exchanges, if there is a difference between the total value of all land transferred to Arizona, and all land acquired by California, the difference shall be eliminated by cash payments from or to the Land Bank Fund established by the Kapiloff Land Bank Act (Division 7 (commencing with Section 8600)). (e) The commission may release the mineral rights in all the land transferred if it receives the mineral rights in all the land acquired. (f) All land to be acquired by California pursuant to this section shall become, upon acquisition, sovereign land of California subject to the public trust. Any exchange shall be void unless the land to be acquired by Arizona pursuant to the exchange becomes, upon acquisition, sovereign land of Arizona subject to the public trust. (g) Any land exchange made pursuant to this section shall be subject to the exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act contained in Section 21080.11.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6308. Section 6308.

If an action or proceeding is commenced by or against a county, city, or other political subdivision or agency of the state involving the title to or the boundaries of tidelands or submerged lands that have been or may hereafter be granted to it in trust by the Legislature, the State of California shall be joined as a necessary party defendant in the action or proceeding. Service of summons shall be made upon the Chair of the State Lands Commission and upon the Attorney General, and the Attorney General shall represent the state in all the actions or proceedings. If judgment is given against the state in the action or proceeding, costs shall not be recovered from the state.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6309. Section 6309.

(a) The commission shall administer the Shipwreck and Historic Maritime Resources Program, which consists of the activities of the commission pursuant to this section and Sections 6313 and 6314. (b) The commission has exclusive jurisdiction with respect to salvage operations over and upon all tide and submerged lands of the state. The commission may grant the privilege of conducting salvage operations upon or over those lands by the issuance of permits. The commission may adopt rules and regulations in connection with applications for those permits, and the operations to be conducted in the salvage operation, that the commission determines to be necessary to protect those lands and the uses and purposes reserved to the people of the state. (c) The commission may issue permits for salvage on granted tide and submerged lands only after consultation with the grantee and a determination by the commission that the proposed salvage operation is not inconsistent with the purposes of the grant. (d) A salvage permit shall be required of a person or entity to conduct any salvage operation. As used in this section and Section 6313, “salvage operation” means any activity, including search by electronic means, or exploration or excavation using tools or mechanical devices, with the objective of locating, and recovering or removing vessels, aircraft, or any other cultural object from the surface or subsurface of state submerged lands. (e) Salvage permits shall be issued for one year, with the option to renew the permit for additional one-year periods at the discretion of the commission upon a showing that the permitholder has diligently and lawfully pursued the permitted activity and has achieved to a reasonable extent the purpose for which the permit was issued. (f) The commission may require that a person designated by the commission and paid by the permitholder be present during each phase of a salvage operation to observe and monitor compliance with the terms of the permit. The permitholder shall, upon the request of the commission, provide or pay for a reliable communication system for the observer to maintain contact with the office of the commission while on the salvage site. (g) The commission may issue a permit for the search or recovery of nonhistoric vessels, aircraft, or submerged objects, and for the search, archaeological investigation, and recovery of historic vessels, aircraft, or other submerged historic resources as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 6313. The commission shall determine the appropriate type of permit to issue based on its evaluation of the salvage project and the project’s probable impact on the site or objective, and the impact on the state submerged lands. The commission shall not require a permit for any recreational diving activity which does not disturb the subsurface or remove objects or materials from a submerged archaeological site or submerged historic resource as defined in Section 6313. (h) (1) Permits may be revoked by the commission, after notice to the permitholder, at any time the commission finds that the permitholder has failed to comply with the terms of the permit or any law or regulation governing the permitted activity. (2) A stop work order may be issued by the executive officer of the commission at the request of the onsite observer provided by subdivision (f), if the observer determines that the activities of the permitholder are not within the permitted activity. A stop work order shall be issued after the nonpermitted activity is brought to the attention of the person in charge of the onsite operation and that person fails or refuses after sufficient time and opportunity to change or correct the activity. Written notice of the stop work order shall be given to the person in charge of the onsite activity and a hearing by the executive officer or his or her designee shall be provided to the permitholder within three business days. (3) After the hearing the commission may seek enforcement of, or the permitholder may seek relief from, the stop work order in the superior court in the county in which the activity is being conducted. The relief may include damages for failure to comply with the stop work order. The commission may deny an application for a permit when it finds that the applicant has failed to provide, for a period of 60 days, information specifically requested by the commission which is necessary to complete the application. (i) When title to the objects, including a vessel, to be recovered is vested in the state, the commission shall provide for fair compensation to the permitholder in terms of a percentage of the reasonable cash value, or a fair share, of the objects recovered. The reasonable cash value of the objects shall be determined by appraisal by qualified experts selected by the commission. The commission shall determine the amount constituting fair compensation, taking into consideration the circumstances of each case. Title to all objects recovered is retained by the state until it is released by the commission. (j) The commission may fix and collect reasonable fees and costs for the processing and issuance of permits under this section. The applicant may be required to post a bond to ensure the completion of the project or payment of costs, or to deposit funds with the commission sufficient to cover costs and expenses chargeable to the applicant by law or by an agreement for reimbursement. If a bond is posted, the bond shall be held by the commission and shall be sufficient to cover all potential costs associated with the project, including preserving, restoring, and protecting the site and its associated finds.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6310. Section 6310.

Whenever tide and submerged lands granted in trust to a county by the Legislature are included within a city’s boundaries as the result of that city’s incorporation, trust title to such lands shall pass to such city only upon specific authorization and direction of the Legislature and at that time all papers, records, and all other documents pertaining to such lands and the administration thereof shall automatically become the property of the city and shall be transferred to the possession of the appropriate city officials by the county officials having possession thereof; provided, that the city shall pay to the county all costs necessarily incurred in making such transfer.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6311. Section 6311.

It is hereby declared to be the policy of this state that any grant of tidelands or submerged lands made after January 1, 1971, within an area which has been designated by the Division of Boating and Waterways within the Department of Parks and Recreation as the location of a small craft harbor of refuge, shall contain a reservation and condition requiring the grantee to submit a plan to the Division of Boating and Waterways within the Department of Parks and Recreation, within a reasonable period of time after the effective date of the grant, for the construction of facilities necessary or convenient for the use of the granted lands as a small craft harbor of refuge, and requiring the construction of facilities to be completed within a specified period of time after approval of the plan by the Division of Boating and Waterways within the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6311.5. Section 6311.5.

(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (1) “Local trustee” means a local trustee of granted public trust lands that is a county, city, or district, including water, sanitary, regional park, port, or harbor district, or any other local political or corporate subdivision that has been granted public trust lands through a legislative grant. (2) “Gross public trust revenues” means those gross revenues that are subject to subdivision (c) of Section 6306. (b) Addressing the impacts of sea level rise for all of its legislatively granted public trust lands pursuant to this section shall be among the management priorities of a local trustee. The geographic scope of a local trustee’s assessment of the impacts from sea level rise is not required to go beyond the boundaries of the local trustee’s granted public trust lands. (c) A local trustee, whose gross public trust revenues average over two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) annually between January 1, 2009, and January 1, 2014, shall prepare and submit to the commission, no later than July 1, 2019, an assessment of how the local trustee proposes to address sea level rise. A local trustee whose gross public trust revenues are two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) or less may, but is not required to, prepare and submit to the commission an assessment. (d) For the purposes of subdivision (c), a local trustee shall consider and use relevant information from the 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy prepared by the Natural Resources Agency, the Report on Sea Level Rise Preparedness prepared by the State Lands Commission, the Sea-Level Rise for the Coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington: Past, Present, and Future, a report prepared by the National Academy of Sciences, the Resolution of the California Ocean Protection Council on Sea-Level Rise, the State of California Sea-Level Rise Guidance Document, and any subsequent updates to those reports that become available six months prior to the date the local trustee submits the assessment to the commission. A local trustee’s assessment prepared pursuant to subdivision (c) shall include all of the following: (1) An assessment of the impact of sea level rise on granted public trust lands, as described in the Resolution of the California Ocean Protection Council on Sea-level Rise and the latest version of the State of California Sea-Level Rise Guidance Document. (2) Maps showing the areas that may be affected by sea level rise in the years 2030, 2050, and 2100. These maps shall include the potential impacts of 100-year storm events. A local trustee may rely on appropriate maps generated by other entities. (3) An estimate of the financial cost of the impact of sea level rise on granted public trust lands. The estimate shall consider, but is not limited to, the potential cost of repair of damage to and the value of lost use of improvements and land, and the anticipated cost to prevent or mitigate potential damage. (4) A description of how the local trustee proposes to protect and preserve natural and manmade resources and facilities located, or proposed to be located, on trust lands and operated in connection with the use of the trust lands. The description shall include, but is not limited to, how wetlands restoration and habitat preservation would mitigate impacts of sea level rise. (e) In addressing the impacts of sea level rise, a local trustee shall collaborate with its lessees, appropriate local, state, and federal agencies, and other users of the granted public trust lands. (f) (1) A local trustee that prepares an assessment pursuant to subdivision (c) shall submit a copy to the commission in hard copy and electronic form. The commission shall make the assessment available to the public on its Internet Web site and, for informational purposes, shall send an electronic copy to each member of the Climate Action Team, the climate change program manager in the office of the Secretary for Environmental Protection, and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. (2) For purposes of compliance with this subdivision, if a trustee has already completed an assessment of the impacts of sea level rise that meets the criteria of this section, the trustee may submit that assessment to the commission. (g) The commission shall exempt a local trustee of granted public trust lands from this section if the commission finds either of the following: (1) The local trustee’s public trust lands are not subject to sea level rise by 2100, based upon the highest projections in the most recent version of the State of California Sea-Level Rise Guidance Document. (2) The cost to provide an assessment of how the local trustee proposes to address the impacts of sea level rise substantially outweighs the benefit the action would have in preventing the potential economic and environmental harms associated with sea level rise on the local trustee’s granted public trust lands. In making this determination, the economic benefits of all ecological services provided by the existing natural resources in the local trustee’s granted public trust lands shall be considered. (h) The commission shall exempt a local trustee from this section if the revenues derived from its granted public trust lands and assets subject to subdivision (c) of Section 6306 or funding made available to it from other discretionary sources is not sufficient to pay for the cost of assessing the impacts of sea level rise on granted public trust land and providing this information to the commission. (i) The commission shall consider a local trustee’s request for an exemption pursuant to subdivision (g) or (h) at a properly noticed commission meeting if the request is made before November 1, 2018. (j) Other than submission of the assessment required by subdivision (c), this section does not require a local trustee to implement any specific actions to address sea level rise pursuant to this section. (k) Nothing in this section shall be construed to conflict with any federal regulations governing sea level rise.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6312. Section 6312.

Neither the state, nor any political subdivision thereof, shall take possession of lawful improvements on validly granted or patented tidelands or submerged lands without the tender of a fair and just compensation for such lawful improvements as may have been made in good faith by the grantee or patentee or his successors in interest pursuant to any express or implied license contained in the grant or patent. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to prevent the parties to a grant or patent of tidelands from agreeing, as a part of such grant or patent, that there shall be no compensation paid for any improvement made on those tidelands to which such agreement relates. Nothing herein contained is intended to increase, diminish, or affect the title of any person in any validly granted or patented tidelands or submerged lands. This section shall not be construed to require compensation for any change in the use of tidelands or submerged lands as a result of governmental regulation that prohibits, restricts, delays, or otherwise affects the construction of any planned or contemplated improvement. As used in this section, the term “grant” or “granted” shall not be construed to apply to legislative grants in trust to local governmental entities.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6313. Section 6313.

(a) The title to all abandoned shipwrecks and all archaeological sites and historic resources on or in the tide and submerged lands of California is vested in the state. All abandoned shipwrecks and all submerged archaeological sites and submerged historic resources of the state shall be in the custody and subject to the control of the commission for the benefit of the people of the state of California. The commission may transfer title, custody, or control to other state agencies or recognized scientific or educational organizations, institutions, or individuals by appropriate legal conveyance. (b) As used in this section, “submerged archaeological site” and “submerged historic resource,” shall be given the broadest possible meaning, to include any submerged object, structure, building, watercraft, aircraft, or vessel and any associated cargo, armament, tackle, fixture, human remains, or remnant of those objects, or a site, area, person, or place, which is historically or archaeologically significant, or significant in the prehistory or history or exploration, settlement, engineering, commerce, militarism, recreation, or culture of California and that is partially or wholly embedded in or resting on state submerged or tidal lands. (c) Sites with archaeological or historic significance shall be determined by reference to their eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places or the California Register of Historical Resources. Any submerged archaeological site or submerged historic resource remaining in state waters for more than 50 years shall be presumed to be archaeologically or historically significant. The commission, with the assistance of the State Office of Historic Preservation, shall identify, compile, and maintain an inventory of shipwreck sites, or sites of archaeological or historical significance and shall make the listing available to the public. (d) Permits for salvage operations involving submerged archaeological sites or submerged historic resources may be granted by the commission when the proposed activity is justified by an educational, scientific, or cultural purpose, or the need to protect the integrity of the site or the resource. The commission may issue permits to individuals or organizations representing museums, universities, colleges, or other recognized scientific or educational institutions and individuals that demonstrate the capability to properly carry out archaeological investigations. The commission may deny an application for a permit to an applicant who the commission determines has not demonstrated the ability to properly conduct an archaeological investigation or salvage activities. The commission may consider the applicant’s past conduct with regard to salvage operations when making this determination. (e) (1) Prior to the issuance of a permit under subdivision (d), the applicant shall provide to the commission a detailed project design that includes all of the following: (A) The purpose of the project. (B) A description of the methodology, technology, and equipment to be employed. (C) The project funding source. (D) A timetable for the completion of the project. (E) The composition, qualifications, and responsibilities of the project team. (F) A conservation and curation plan, if applicable. (G) A plan to document all phases of the project. (H) A safety plan. (I) An outline and timetable for preparation and submission of progress reports and a final report. (J) Other information that the commission deems necessary to properly evaluate the application. (2) All activities permitted under subdivision (d) or required by this subdivision shall be accomplished under the direct supervision of a person who meets the qualifications required of a professional marine archaeologist. (f) The commission shall forward applications for permits for archaeological investigation or excavation and recovery of historic vessels, aircraft, or other submerged historic resources in state waters, including the information required by subdivision (e), to the State Office of Historic Preservation, and may provide the applications and information to other qualified organizations and individuals, as appropriate, for technical review of the project design and recommendation concerning the preservation and protection of the site or resource. (g) The commission shall provide for the disposition of all objects or other materials recovered, which may include provisions for display in museums, educational institutions, and other appropriate locations available to the public. (h) The commission may contract with persons, firms, corporations, or institutions who, for the privilege of having temporary possession of recovered archaeological resources, will advance to the commission the money necessary to conduct salvage operations or to purchase from a permitholder, from his or her fair share, archaeological resources which the commission determines should remain the property of the state. A contract may be made only on the condition that the commission may, at any time, repay the money advanced, without interest or additional charges of any kind, and recover possession of the resources. During the time the resources are in the possession of the entity advancing the money, the resources shall be available for viewing by the general public at a nominal fee or without charge. (i) The commission may also contract with other state agencies, qualified public or private institutions, local governments, or individuals for public display of the archaeological resources recovered. The commission shall require assurances that appropriate security, qualified personnel, insurance, and facilities for preservation, restoration, and display of the resources loaned are provided under the contract.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 6314. Section 6314.

(a) A person who removes, without authorization from the commission, or a person who destroys or damages an archaeological site or a historic resource, that is located on or in the submerged lands of, and that is the property of, the state, is guilty of a misdemeanor, which shall be punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed six months or a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both. (b) The commission, or, at its request, the Attorney General or a district attorney in whose jurisdiction the violation occurred, may seek civil damages for the damage, loss, or destruction of an abandoned shipwreck, its gear or cargo, or an archaeological site or historic resource located on or in submerged lands of the state. A vessel used to damage, destroy, or cause the loss of, any shipwreck or archaeological site or historic resource is subject to a proceeding in rem by the state for the costs and damages resulting from that damage, destruction, or loss. Enforcement may include, where appropriate, a restraining order or injunctive relief to restrain and enjoin violations or threatened violations of Section 6309, Section 6313, or this section and for the return of items taken in violation of these sections. (c) An artifact, object, or material that has been removed from a state submerged archaeological site or submerged historic resource, as specified in subdivision (a), and that is found in any watercraft occupied by persons who do not hold a permit as required by Section 6309 or 6313 or other reasonable evidence of legal possession is prima facie evidence of a violation of that section and the artifact, object, or material may be confiscated by a state, federal, or local law enforcement officer. An artifact, an object, or material confiscated pursuant to this section shall be returned to the person claiming ownership, upon proof of ownership or legal right to possession, within 30 days of its confiscation, unless a prosecuting attorney determines that it is required as evidence in the prosecution of a criminal violation. (d) In a case in which a district attorney, at the request of the commission, or with its concurrence, enforces subdivision (a), the commission shall, notwithstanding Section 1463 of the Penal Code, be entitled to an equal division of the fine imposed. (e) All state and local law enforcement agencies and officers are directed to assist in enforcing this section, and are requested to work with and seek the cooperation of federal law enforcement agencies, including deputizing federal officers when appropriate.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026