(a) The department may approve a regional conservation assessment pursuant to this chapter. A regional conservation assessment may be proposed by the department or any other public agency. A regional conservation assessment is not required for department approval of a regional conservation investment strategy.

(b) If a regional conservation assessment that encompasses the area of a proposed regional conservation investment strategy has already been approved by the department, the strategy shall explain how and to what extent it has incorporated the assessment information and analysis.

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(c) A regional conservation assessment shall do all of the following:

(1) Identify and summarize relevant regional pressures and stressors, including climate change vulnerability, conservation areas and habitat connectivity values, included in all of the following:

(A) Conservation plans, such as the State Wildlife Action Plan and approved natural community conservation plans.

(B) Analyses designed to identify areas of high biological diversity, such as the Areas of Conservation Emphasis.

(C) Analyses designed to identify areas for habitat connectivity.

(2) Identify the best available scientific information and analyses, including geospatial information regarding the distribution of species and natural communities.

(3) Use spatial analysis to identify ecological relationships between existing protected areas and conservation areas.

(4) Use standard or prevalent vegetation classifications and standard ecoregional classifications for terrestrial and aquatic data to enable and promote consistency among regional conservation assessments throughout California.

(5) Compile input and summary data in a consistent format that could be uploaded for interactive use in an internet website and that would allow stakeholders to generate queries of regional conservation values within the strategy area.

(6) Be consistent with and complement any draft natural community conservation plans, approved natural community conservation plans, regional federal habitat conservation plans, and approved recovery plans that overlap with the ecoregion or subecoregion included in the assessment.

(7) Consider existing major water, transportation, and transmission infrastructure facilities in the assessment area and account for reasonably foreseeable development of major infrastructure facilities, including, but not limited to, renewable energy and housing.

(8) Include a statement explaining how the assessment will be in compliance with all applicable laws and does not preempt the authority of state or local agencies, to implement infrastructure and urban development in local general plans.

(9) Include an explanation of whether, and to what extent, the assessment is consistent with any previously approved assessment or amended assessment, state or federal recovery plan, or other state or federal approved conservation strategy that overlaps with the assessment area.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 463, Sec. 3. (AB 2805) Effective January 1, 2023.)