(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, funds provided under this chapter may be used by the board, in consultation with the State Coastal Conservancy, to award grants not to exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000) per project to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for the purposes of this chapter. Grants may be awarded for any of the following projects:

(1) A project designed to improve water quality at public beaches and to make improvements for the purpose of ensuring that coastal waters adjacent to public beaches meet the bacteriological standards set forth in Article 2 (commencing with Section 115875) of Chapter 5 of Part 10 of Division 104 of the Health and Safety Code.

(2) A project to make improvements to, or upgrades or conversions of, existing sewer collection systems and septic systems for the restoration and protection of coastal water quality.

(3) A project designed to implement stormwater and runoff pollution reduction and prevention programs, or for the implementation of best management practices, for the restoration and protection of coastal water quality.

(4) A project designed to implement or promote low-impact development for new or existing developments that will contribute to the improvement of water quality or reduce stormwater runoff.

(5) A project designed to implement a stormwater resource plan prepared pursuant to Part 2.3 (commencing with Section 10560) of Division 6 of the Water Code.

(b) The projects funded pursuant to this chapter shall be consistent with the state’s nonpoint source control program, as revised to meet the requirements of Division 20 (commencing with Section 30000), Section 6217 of the federal Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990, Section 319 of the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1329), Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code, and the California Coastal Commission.

(c) The projects funded pursuant to this chapter shall demonstrate the capability of contributing to sustained, long-term water quality or environmental restoration or protection benefits for a period of 20 years, address the causes of degradation, rather than the symptoms, and be consistent with water quality and resource protection plans prepared, implemented, or adopted by the board, the applicable regional water quality control board, and the State Coastal Conservancy.

(d) An applicant for funds under this chapter shall be required to submit to the board a monitoring and reporting plan that does all of the following:

(1) Identifies the nonpoint source or sources of pollution to be prevented or reduced by the project.

(2) Describes the baseline water quality or environmental quality to be addressed.

(3) Describes the manner in which the project will be effective in preventing or reducing pollution and in demonstrating the desired environmental results.

(4) Describes the monitoring program, including, but not limited to, the methodology, and the frequency and duration of monitoring.

(e) Upon completion of the project, a recipient of funds under this chapter shall submit a report to the board that summarizes the completed activities and indicates whether the purposes of the project have been met. The report shall include information collected by the recipient in accordance with the project monitoring and reporting plan, including a determination of the effectiveness of the project in preventing or reducing pollution, and the results of the monitoring program. The board shall make the report available to the public, watershed groups, and federal, state, and local agencies.

(f) Not more than 25 percent of a grant may be awarded in advance of actual expenditure.

(g) An applicant for funds under this chapter shall inform the board of any necessary public agency approvals, entitlements, and permits that may be necessary to implement the project. The application shall certify to the board, at the appropriate time, that those approvals, entitlements, and permits have been granted.

(h) Where recovery plans for coho salmon, steelhead trout, or other threatened or endangered aquatic species exist, projects funded under this chapter shall be consistent with those plans and, to the extent feasible, shall seek to implement actions specified in those plans.

(i) The board shall appoint a Clean Beaches Task Force comprised of individuals representing the breadth and diversity of coastal communities. All proposals for funding shall be reviewed by the task force. The task force may recommend projects to the board for funding consideration.

(Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 620, Sec. 1. (SB 790) Effective January 1, 2010.)