The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is a unique natural resource of local, state, and national significance.

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(b) At 1,300 square miles, the Delta is the largest estuary on the west coast of North and South America.

(c) Its rivers and labyrinths of sloughs and channels are home to 750 species of plants and wildlife as well as 55 species of fish, provide habitat for 700 native plant and animal species, and are part of the Pacific Flyway.

(d) The Delta contains more than 500,000 acres of agricultural land, with unique soils, and farmers who are creative and utilize innovative agriculture, such as carbon sequestration crops, subsidence reversal crops, wildlife-friendly crops, and crops direct for marketing to the large urban populations nearby.

(e) The Delta and Suisun Marsh provide numerous opportunities for recreation, such as boating, kayaking, fishing, hiking, birding, and hunting. Navigable waterways in the Delta are available for public access and currently make up the majority of recreational opportunities. There is a need for land-based recreational access points including parks, picnic areas, and campgrounds.

(f) The Delta’s history is rich with a distinct natural, agricultural, and cultural heritage. It is home to the community of Locke, the only town in the United States built primarily by early Chinese immigrants. Other legacy communities include Bethel Island, Clarksburg, Courtland, Freeport, Hood, Isleton, Knightsen, Rio Vista, Ryde, and Walnut Grove.

(g) The Delta is home to more than 500,000 people and 200,000 jobs, and contributes over thirty-five billion dollars ($35,000,000,000) to the state’s economy.

(h) In addition, the Delta provides water to more than 25 million Californians and three million acres of agricultural land. It supports a four hundred billion dollar ($400,000,000,000) economy and is traversed by energy, communications, and transportation facilities vital to the economic health of California.

(i) A Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy can support efforts that advance both environmental protection and the economic well-being of Delta residents in a complementary manner, including all of the following:

(1) Protect and enhance habitat and habitat restoration.

(2) Protect and preserve Delta agriculture and working landscapes.

(3) Provide increased opportunities for tourism and recreation.

(4) Promote Delta legacy communities and economic vitality in the Delta in coordination with the Delta Protection Commission.

(5) Increase the resilience of the Delta to the effects of natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, in coordination with the Delta Protection Commission.

(6) Protect and improve water quality.

(7) Assist the Delta regional economy through the operation of the conservancy’s program.

(8) Identify priority projects and initiatives for which funding is needed.

(9) Protect, conserve, and restore the region’s physical, agricultural, cultural, historical, and living resources.

(10) Assist local entities in the implementation of their habitat conservation plans (HCPs) and natural community conservation plans (NCCPs).

(11) Facilitate take protection and safe harbor agreements under the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) and the California Endangered Species Act (Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 2050) of Division 3 of the Fish and Game Code) for adjacent landowners and local public agencies.

(12) Promote environmental education.

(Added by Stats. 2009, 7th Ex. Sess., Ch. 5, Sec. 37. (SB 1 7x) Effective February 3, 2010.)