(a) It is hereby declared to be the established policy of the state to:

(1) Ensure that all Californians have equitable opportunities to safe and affordable access to nature and access to the benefits of nature.

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Terms Used In California Public Resources Code 1002

  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts

(2) Maximize public access to public lands, including the state’s cultural and natural resources, in a sustainable manner, where appropriate, with a special emphasis on creating and promoting opportunities for people and communities that face disproportionate barriers to access, including, but not limited to, communities of color, indigenous communities, and economically disadvantaged communities.

(3) Prevent and minimize the intentional and unwarranted limitation of sustainable public access to public lands, where appropriate, including, but not limited to, local, regional, state, and federal parks, rivers, lakes, beaches, forests, mountain ranges, deserts, and other natural landscapes.

(b) All relevant state agencies, including the Natural Resources Agency, and each department, board, office, conservancy, and commission within the agency, and state departments, including the Department of Transportation, shall consider and incorporate, as appropriate, this state policy when revising, adopting, or establishing policies, regulations, or grant criteria, or making expenditures, to the extent the policies, regulations, grant criteria, or expenditures are not in conflict with an appropriation.

(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that the state, in implementing this division, provide for the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of people of all races, cultures, incomes, and national origins, and solicit, account for, and respond to the voices, needs, and priorities of communities of color, indigenous communities, and economically disadvantaged communities.

(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 939, Sec. 1. (AB 30) Effective January 1, 2023.)