(a) Regional conservation investment strategies shall not affect the authority or discretion of any public agency and shall not be binding upon public agencies other than parties to a mitigation credit agreement. Nothing in this chapter increases or decreases the authority or jurisdiction of the department regarding any land use, species, habitat, area, resource, plan, process, or corridor. Regional conservation investment strategies are intended to provide scientific information for the consideration of public agencies. Nothing in this chapter or any other provision of law requires any public agency, other than a public agency that is party to a mitigation credit agreement, to adopt, implement, or otherwise adhere to a regional conservation investment strategy or a regional conservation assessment.

(b) The approval or existence of a regional conservation investment strategy, mitigation credit agreement, or credit pursuant to this chapter does not do any of the following:

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(1) Modify in any way the standards for issuance of incidental take permits or consistency determinations pursuant to Section 2081 or 2080.1, issuance of take authorizations pursuant to Section 2835, the issuance of lake or streambed alteration agreements pursuant to Section 1602, or any other provision of this code or regulations adopted pursuant to this code.

(2) Modify in any way the standards under the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code), or in any way limit a lead agency’s or responsible agency’s discretion, in connection with any determination of whether a proposed project may or may not result in significant environmental effects or in any way establish a presumption in connection with any determination of whether a proposed project may or may not result in significant environmental effects or whether a proposed project’s impacts would be mitigated.

(3) Prohibit or authorize any project or project impacts.

(4) Create a presumption or guarantee that any proposed project will be approved or permitted, or that any proposed impact will be authorized, by any state or local agency.

(5) Create a presumption that any proposed project will be disapproved or prohibited, or that any proposed impact will be prohibited, by any state or local agency.

(6) Alter or affect, or create additional requirements for, the general plan of the city, county, or city and county, in which it is located.

(7) Constitute any of the following, for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code):

(A) A plan, policy, or regulation adopted for the purpose of avoiding or mitigating an environmental effect.

(B) A local policy or ordinance protecting biological resources.

(C) An adopted local, regional, or state habitat conservation plan.

(c) Nothing in this chapter shall require a project proponent seeking to provide compensatory mitigation pursuant to Section 1602, 2080.1, 2081, or 2835 or the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code) to undertake conservation actions or habitat enhancement actions identified in a regional conservation investment strategy; implement, contribute to, fund, or otherwise comply with the actions described in a regional conservation investment strategy; require or otherwise compel a project proponent to enter into a mitigation credit agreement; or use or purchase mitigation credits established pursuant to this chapter to satisfy the compensatory mitigation requirements. Nothing in this section shall prevent a project proponent from proposing mitigation consistent with one or more strategies approved pursuant to this chapter.

(d) Mitigation credits provided by this chapter shall not be utilized to fund or offset the costs of the design, construction, or mitigation of new Delta water conveyance facilities.

(e) The department shall not reject biologically appropriate and adequate compensatory mitigation proposed by a project proponent on the basis that the compensatory mitigation is not a conservation action or habitat enhancement identified in a regional conservation investment strategy.

(Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 455, Sec. 2. (AB 2087) Effective January 1, 2017.)