(a) To qualify for a grant pursuant to this article, the county or city in which the grant money would be spent shall prepare, or demonstrate that it has already prepared, an oak woodlands management plan that includes a description of all native oak species located within the county’s or city’s jurisdiction.

(b) To qualify for a grant pursuant to this article, the board shall certify that any proposed easement was not, and is not, required to satisfy a condition imposed upon the landowner by any lease, permit, license, certificate, or other entitlement for use issued by one or more public agencies, including, but not limited to, the mitigation of significant effects on the environment of a project pursuant to an approved environmental impact report or to mitigate a negative declaration required pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000)) of the Public Resources Code.

(c) To qualify for a grant under this article, the applicant shall demonstrate that its proposal provides protection of oak woodlands that is more protective than the applicable provisions of law in existence on the date of the proposal.

(d) A county or city may develop an oak woodlands management plan. A nonprofit corporation, park and open-space district, resource conservation district, or other local government entity may apply to the board for funds to develop an oak woodlands management plan for a county or city, but the county or city shall maintain ultimate authority to approve the oak woodlands management plan.

(e) The process for developing an initial oak woodlands management plan, and the adoption of significant amendments to a plan, as determined by the county or city, are subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act (Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code).

(f) A proposal by a local government entity, nonprofit corporation, park and open-space district, private landowner, or resource conservation district for a grant to be expended for the purposes of this article shall be certified by the county or city as being consistent with the oak woodlands management plan of the county or city. If the land covered by the proposal is in the jurisdiction of more than one county or city, each county or city shall certify that the proposal is consistent with the oak woodlands management plan of each county or city.

(g) If two or more entities seek grant funding from the board pursuant to this article for the same jurisdiction, the county or city shall designate which entity shall lead the efforts to manage oak woodlands habitat in the area.

(Added by Stats. 2001, Ch. 588, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2002.)