ARTICLE 2. Administration [5624. - 5631.]

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC 2.

in effect

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5624. Section 5624.

(a) The program established by this chapter shall be administered by the Department of Parks and Recreation. (b) The Roberti-Z’berg-Harris Urban Open-Space and Recreation Program Account is hereby created in the General Fund and the money therein is hereby continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal years, to the department for the program established by this chapter and funded pursuant to Item 271 of the Budget Act of 1976, Item 227 of the Budget Act of 1977, Item 222 of the Budget Act of 1978, Item 235 of the Budget Act of 1979, and Section 4 of Chapter 1166 of the Statutes of 1979, and pursuant to statutes enacted subsequent thereto that appropriate funds for this program. (c) The unallocated balance in the General Fund appropriated pursuant to Item 271 of the Budget Act of 1976, Item 227 of the Budget Act of 1977, Item 222 of the Budget Act of 1978, Item 235 of the Budget Act of 1979, and Section 4 of Chapter 1166 of the Statutes of 1979 is hereby transferred to the account.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5624.5. Section 5624.5.

An amount equal to one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) per capita of the state on the January 1 of the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year in which the transfer is made, as specified in the Budget Act, shall be transferred annually to the Roberti-Z'berg-Harris Urban Open-Space and Recreation Program Account from the Special Account for Capital Outlay in the General Fund for the 1986–87 fiscal year and for each fiscal year thereafter. Notwithstanding Section 5624, the funds transferred to the account pursuant to this section shall be available for expenditure only when appropriated by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act. This section shall not preclude the Legislature from augmenting this amount for the Roberti-Z’berg-Harris Urban Open-Space and Recreation Program from other fund sources, including tideland oil revenues.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5624.6. Section 5624.6.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, grants from moneys appropriated from the Parklands Fund of 1984 shall be made according to, and are governed by, this chapter as it existed on June 5, 1984. However, Section 5625.3, where applicable, shall be complied with regardless of the source of moneys for the grant.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5625. Section 5625.

(a) Annual grants shall be made to cities, counties, and districts for recreational purposes, open-space purposes, or both, on the basis of population and need, as specified in this chapter. The director shall, by regulation, specify the procedures to be followed in applying for grant funds. The director shall propose criteria for determining priority of need, conduct public hearings on those proposed criteria, and, following the hearings, shall submit the proposed criteria to the Legislature for its approval by statute within 60 days of submission of the criteria. A new, revised, or amended criterion or a criterion to be deleted shall be submitted to the Legislature for its approval by statute. Following legislative approval, the director shall establish the criteria and publish them in the California Code of Regulations. The criteria, and a change thereof, shall be distributed in a convenient form to potential applicants. (b) The director shall, by regulation, require the recipient of a grant under this chapter to submit periodic reports to the department with respect to its use of the grant, but the reports shall not be required to be submitted more frequently than annually. (c) All projects and programs for which a grant is received shall be subject to state audit.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5625.2. Section 5625.2.

Block grants may be made pursuant to this chapter for the rehabilitation of historical structures so long as the structure is located within a park or recreation area and the structure’s rehabilitation will complement or enhance the recreational use of the park or recreational area.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5625.3. Section 5625.3.

In addition to the application procedures specified pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 5625, prior to submitting an application for a grant for a project involving the acquisition of productive agricultural lands or other lands the acquisition of which may have an adverse economic impact on neighboring agricultural operations, the city, county, or district proposing to make the application shall hold a public hearing within the county in which the proposed project is located at which members of the public may comment on the proposed project. Notice of the hearing shall be published at least twice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. A summary of comments made at the hearing by members of the public and representatives of the city, county, or district shall accompany the application. Copies of the summary shall also be available for inspection and review by any person.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5625.5. Section 5625.5.

Grants made to cities, counties, and districts for each fiscal year pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 5625 shall be based on the jurisdictional boundaries of recipients as of July 1st.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5626. Section 5626.

(a) The property acquired or developed pursuant to this chapter shall be used by the grant recipient only for the purpose for which the grant moneys were requested and no other use of the area shall be permitted except by the specific act of the Legislature. Any project funded with grant moneys received pursuant to this chapter shall conform to the recreation element of any applicable city or county general plan. (b) Notwithstanding Item 271 of the Budget Act of 1976, Item 227 of the Budget Act of 1977, Item 222 of the Budget Act of 1978, Section 5627, 5628, 5629, or 5630, or any other provisions of law, jurisdictions eligible to receive need basis or block grant moneys pursuant to this chapter shall have one year from the effective date of each act appropriating grant moneys to apply for such grant moneys. Such moneys that are not applied for during the one-year period shall be allocated by the department pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 5630 during the succeeding fiscal year as grants to cities and recreation and park districts in urbanized areas on a project-by-project basis and on the basis of need. (c) (1) Grant moneys shall be encumbered by the recipient of such moneys within three years of the date of approval by the director of the application for such moneys. Any part of grant moneys not encumbered within the three-year period shall revert to the unallocated balance in the account and may be reallocated by the department pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 5630 not later than the end of the next succeeding fiscal year. (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subdivision, grant moneys appropriated by Item 271 of the Budget Act of 1976, Item 227 of the Budget Act of 1977, Item 222 of the Budget Act of 1978, Item 235 of the Budget Act of 1979, and Section 4 of Chapter 1166 of the Statutes of 1979, if the grant application is approved by the director prior to September 17, 1980, may be encumbered within three years of the date of grant approval or by December 31, 1981, whichever date is later. (d) The legal counsel of the grant recipient shall certify to the department that the grant recipient has met, or will meet, all federal, state, and local environmental, public health, relocation, affirmative action, and clearinghouse requirements and all other appropriate codes, laws, and regulations prior to the expenditure of the grant funds.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5626.1. Section 5626.1.

(a) Notwithstanding Sections 5625 and 5626, the Olivehurst Public Utility District may use the Youth Center Building in Olivehurst, which was developed pursuant to a grant made under Section 5625, for youth and adult recreational programs, community service programs, and other public benefit and recreational programs consistent with the jurisdiction of the Olivehurst Public Utility District. (b) Notwithstanding Sections 5625 and 5626, the Olivehurst Public Utility District may lease or enter into other forms of agreement for the recreational or community service use of the Youth Center Building in Olivehurst by public or private organizations or individuals, under terms and conditions approved by the Board of Directors of the Olivehurst Public Utility District.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5626.3. Section 5626.3.

Notwithstanding Sections 5625 and 5626, the County of Los Angeles may convert to a use not authorized under those provisions not more than 9.67 acres of parkland in El Cariso Park, if the county complies with the Public Park Preservation Act of 1971 (Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 5400)), and submits to the department a copy of all documents evidencing the county’s interest in the substitute parkland required under the act.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5627. Section 5627.

(a) Grant moneys received pursuant to this chapter shall be expended for high priority projects that satisfy the most urgent park and recreation needs, with emphasis on unmet needs in the most heavily populated and most economically disadvantaged areas within each jurisdiction. (b) Grants received pursuant to this chapter shall be expended only for acquisition, development, or both, except that not more than 30 percent of the amount received by a city, county, or district in an annual period may be utilized for special major maintenance projects, provided the projects are related to land acquired or developed, or both, in whole or in part, with state moneys under this chapter, or for innovative recreation programs, or for both. (c) Grants to cities, counties, and districts pursuant to this chapter shall be on the basis of 70 percent state money and 30 percent local matching money, not less than one-third of which shall be from private or nonstate sources of funds, for the project. Grants for acquisition shall be matched only by money or property donated to be part of the acquisition project. Grants for development may be matched by monetary contributions or, if nonmonetary contributions, as provided in regulations and standards which shall be established by the director after a public hearing. The component of local matching money consisting of funds from private or nonstate sources may, at the option of the grant recipient, be calculated as a percentage of the total amount granted in that fiscal year to a grant recipient, rather than on a project-by-project basis. (d) The component of local matching money from private or nonstate sources required by subdivision (c) may be in the form of and include, but is not limited to, the following: cash donations, gifts of real property, equipment, and consumable supplies, volunteer services, free or reduced-cost use of lands, facilities, or equipment, and bequests and earnings from wills, estates, and trusts. Funds from nonstate sources that qualify for the purposes of subdivision (c) are funds from the federal government and local public agencies other than the grant recipient. Real property, cash, or other assets required to be transferred to a public agency pursuant to Section 66477 of the Government Code or any other provision of law may not qualify as funds from a private or nonstate source; however, they shall qualify as the monetary or nonmonetary contribution required to be furnished by the grant recipient pursuant to subdivision (c). (e) The grant recipient shall certify to the department that there is available, or will become available prior to the encumbrance of any state funds for any work on the project for which application for a grant has been made, matching money from private or nonstate sources. Certification of the source and amount of nonstate funds shall be set forth in the application for a grant submitted to the department. However, in recognition of the fact that raising private funds frequently requires an initial evidence of matching public funds, the certification of the source and amount of the private funds shall be made by the applicant at least 30 days prior to actual release of state funds. (f) Local matching money may not be required with respect to an applicant that has urgent unmet needs for recreational lands or facilities, and lacks the financial resources to acquire or develop recreational lands or facilities, as determined pursuant to a formula set forth in regulations adopted by the director after a public hearing. In addition, with respect to applications for grants submitted for areas where private financial resources are of limited availability or submitted for projects or programs that are not of a type likely to attract private funds, the director shall, if the project conforms to regulations adopted by the department, waive the requirement that at least one-third of local matching money be from private sources. The regulations shall establish criteria and procedures for the waiver. These criteria may provide for consideration of the average per capita income, unemployment rate, crime rate, and recent history of plant or business closures in the area of the applicant’s jurisdiction where the grant will be expended. (g) Notwithstanding subdivisions (c), (d), (e), and (f), funds from the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Act of 2002 (Chapter 1.696 (commencing with Section 5096.600)) that are or have been appropriated on or before June 30, 2004, for the purposes of this chapter do not require local matching money.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5628. Section 5628.

Sixty-nine percent of the moneys available for grant purposes in any one fiscal year shall be available only for block grants to cities, counties, and districts in urbanized areas for the acquisition or development of, or for special major maintenance of, recreational lands and facilities, or for innovative recreation programs, and shall be apportioned on the basis of population in the following manner: (a) Sixty percent of the moneys shall be allocated to cities and to districts in urbanized areas in the proportion that the population of the jurisdiction bears to the population of all cities and districts in urbanized areas throughout the state. Recognizing that the boundaries of cities and of districts may overlap, only the population of the jurisdiction which will actually provide and administer the recreational service contemplated shall be counted in the area of overlapping jurisdiction. The population of districts within urbanized areas shall be certified by the board of supervisors of each county. (b) Forty percent of the moneys shall be allocated to urbanized counties and to regional park districts in urbanized areas in the proportion that the total population of the jurisdiction bears to the total population of all urbanized counties and regional park districts in urbanized areas throughout the state. Recognizing that the boundaries of counties and regional park districts may overlap, only the population of the jurisdiction which will actually provide and administer the recreational service contemplated shall be counted in the area of overlapping jurisdiction.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5629. Section 5629.

Fourteen percent of the moneys available for grant purposes in any one fiscal year shall be available only for block grants to cities, counties, and regional park districts in heavily urbanized areas for the acquisition or development of, or for special major maintenance of, recreational lands and facilities, or for innovative recreation programs, and shall be apportioned on the basis of population in the following manner: (a) Sixty percent of the moneys shall be allocated to large cities which constitute heavily urbanized areas in the proportion that the population of the recipient bears to the population of all cities and recreation and park districts in heavily urbanized areas throughout the state. (b) Forty percent of the moneys shall be allocated to large counties and regional park districts which constitute heavily urbanized areas in the proportion that the total population of the recipient bears to the total population of all large counties and regional park districts which constitute heavily urbanized areas throughout the state. Recognizing that the boundaries of counties and regional park districts may overlap, only the population of the jurisdiction which will actually provide and administer the recreational service contemplated shall be counted in the area of overlapping jurisdiction.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5630. Section 5630.

Seventeen percent of the moneys available for grant purposes in any one fiscal year shall be available only for need basis grants to cities, counties, and districts on a project-by-project basis and on the basis of need for the acquisition or development of, or for special major maintenance of, recreational lands and facilities, or for innovative recreation programs, on the following basis: (a) Eighty-eight percent of the moneys shall be available for grants to cities, counties, and districts in nonurbanized areas on a project-by-project basis and on the basis of need for the acquisition or development of, or for special major maintenance of, recreational lands and facilities, or for innovative recreation programs. The criteria for determining need shall include, but are not limited to, deficiencies in existing park and recreational lands and facilities, the impact of participants from outside the jurisdiction, and the overall merit of the grant proposal. (b) Twelve percent of the moneys shall be available for grants to cities and recreation and park districts in urbanized areas on a project-by-project basis and on the basis of need for the acquisition or development of, or special major maintenance of, recreational lands and facilities, or for innovative recreation programs. The criteria for determining need shall include, but are not limited to, population density and the inability to complete park and recreation projects due to low total assessed valuation in the jurisdiction. Jurisdictions eligible for funds under subdivision (a) of Section 5629 shall not be eligible for funds under this section.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5630.5. Section 5630.5.

Grants may be made to memorial districts only for indoor and outdoor park and recreation facilities that meet the requirements of this chapter and the criteria adopted pursuant to Section 5625.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5631. Section 5631.

The department, in cooperation with the federal government, local public agencies, and appropriate representatives of industry, shall, from time to time as needed but no less frequently than once every five years, coordinate and conduct a statewide needs analysis in relation to the purposes of this chapter. That analysis shall include a full review of the grant program authorized pursuant to this chapter.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026