AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 13, 2025

AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 23, 2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

95

CHAPTER 754

Statutes of 2025

[ Approved by Governor October 13, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 13, 2025. ]

Introduced by Senator Grayson

(Coauthors: Senators Arreguín, McNerney, and Wahab)

February 14, 2025

An act to add Article 4 (commencing with Section 5598) to Chapter 3 of Division 5 of the Public Resources Code, relating to regional park districts.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: yes

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law establishes procedures for the formation of regional park districts and prescribes the powers, functions, and duties of those districts. The East Bay Regional Park District is one such regional park district.

This bill would authorize the East Bay Regional Park District to establish and administer the East Bay Hills Conservation Program to address resource and recreational goals of the East Bay Hills, as defined. The bill would authorize the Park District to collaborate with California Native American tribes and state, regional, and local partners to help achieve specified goals of the program. The bill would require the East Bay Hills to be acknowledged as an area of statewide significance in local land use policy documents developed or updated on or after January 1, 2026, affecting land use within the East Bay Hills. To the extent that this bill would impose new duties on local entities, 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 East Bay Regional Park District.

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.

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

SECTION 1.

Article 4 (commencing with Section 5598) is added to Chapter 3 of Division 5 of the Public Resources Code, to read:

Article 4. East Bay Hills Conservation Program

5598.

(a) This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the East Bay Hills Conservation Program.

(b) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) The East Bay Hills encompass a unique landscape providing wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and significant ecological benefits, covering an area of approximately 30,000 acres in the Counties of Alameda and Contra Costa.

(2) The East Bay Hills are a resource of statewide cultural, historical, and environmental significance, facing development pressures and impacts from growing urbanization which threaten their ecological integrity and recreational value.

(3) The East Bay Hills are the ancestral land of the Ohlone and Bay Miwok who occupied the area for 10,000 years. Today, they are represented by the Ohlone Indian Tribe, the Muwekma Ohlone Indian Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation.

(4) Recognized as a unique and valuable state resource, the East Bay Hills were protected from resource extraction in the early 1900s, further codified in a 1933 statute authorizing the creation of the East Bay Regional Park District to manage and conserve the natural landscape.

(5) The East Bay Hills encompass approximately 30 miles of wildland-urban interface for which the East Bay Regional Park District provides ongoing wildfire mitigation for the safety of the environment and community.

(6) The East Bay Hills provide critical corridors for wildlife, connecting the coastal ranges with the inland foothills.

(7) The East Bay Hills are home to California’s official state grass, Nassella pulchra, or purple needlegrass, as well as the federal- and state-listed endangered species Presidio clarkia and Tiburon buckwheat.

(8) In 1855, Oncorhynchus mykiss, rainbow trout, were first discovered by scientists within the Redwood Creek in the East Bay Hills and continue to thrive today.

(9) Residents of surrounding cities and visitors throughout the state use the East Bay Hills for outdoor recreation, connecting with nature and promoting well-being.

(10) The East Bay Skyline National Recreation Trail traverses through six of the East Bay’s most historic and picturesque parks and preserves, including the largest remaining natural stand of coast redwood found in the East Bay.

(11) The natural resources of the East Bay Hills contribute to climate resilience through carbon sequestration, water management, watershed health, erosion control, and habitat preservation.

(12) Furthermore, during times of high heat, the landscape serves as a place of respite, with the redwood forests holding cooler temperatures than surrounding urban areas.

(13) Protection of the East Bay Hills aligns with state and local conservation efforts, including local habitat conservation plans.

(14) If the East Bay Hills Conservation Program is established pursuant to this article, it will provide a necessary structure to implement restoration and preservation projects and recreational opportunities, and enhance the overall condition of the East Bay Hills.

(c) For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:

(1) “California tribe” means any federally recognized California Native American tribe or a nonfederally recognized Native American tribe listed on the California Tribal Consultation List maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission.

(2) “District” means the East Bay Regional Park District.

(3) “East Bay Hills” refers to the area defined by the ridgeline extending from the northern edge of Wildcat Canyon Regional Park to the southern edge of Lake Chabot Regional Park. “East Bay Hills” includes all adjacent natural lands within the control of the district, including the Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve, Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area, Charles Lee Tilden Regional Park, Tilden Nature Area, Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve, Temescal Regional Recreation Area, Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve, Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve, Dr. Aurelia Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park, Roberts Regional Recreation Area, Leona Canyon Open Space Regional Preserve, and Anthony Chabot Regional Park.

(4) “Natural lands” has the same meaning as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 9001.5.

(5) “Program” means the East Bay Hills Conservation Program established pursuant to this article.

(d) The district may establish and administer the East Bay Hills Conservation Program to address the resource and recreational goals of the East Bay Hills pursuant to this article.

(e) The district may collaborate with California tribes, and state, regional, and local partners to help achieve both of the following goals of the program:

(1) To restore, enhance, and preserve wildlife habitat, provide and enhance recreational opportunities, restore and preserve natural ecosystems, increase nature-based resilience to extreme weather events, and develop and maintain trails for public access.

(2) To ensure the protection and preservation of land and natural resources, including addressing water quality, erosion, and carbon sequestration from natural lands, while promoting educational experiences for the community.

(f) In carrying out the purposes of this article, the district shall have all necessary rights and powers to achieve the goals under subdivision (d), including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Acquiring and disposing of interests in real property.

(2) Undertaking, maintaining, and funding projects to enhance public access, restore natural habitats, and improve and construct new facilities for outdoor recreation.

(3) Providing technical assistance to landowners on best practices to enhance conservation and climate resilience on natural lands.

(4) Implementing wildlife connectivity measures across major roadways and urban barriers.

(g) The East Bay Hills shall be acknowledged as an area of statewide significance in local land use policy documents, such as general and specific plans, developed or updated on or after January 1, 2026, affecting land use within the East Bay Hills.

(h) This article shall not be construed as an expansion of the district’s rights or powers as they relate to local land use authority on lands in the East Bay Hills.

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 address resource and recreational goals of the East Bay Hills by authorizing the district to establish and administer the East Bay Hills Conservation Program pursuant to Section 5598 of the Public Resources Code.

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.