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Panel approves five‑year extension of Habitat Conservation Fund funding
Summary
SB 427 would extend the Habitat Conservation Fund (HCF) sunset from 2030 to 2035, preserving a $30 million annual funding stream used for habitat protection, local parks and conservation projects.
Sen. Blakespear presented SB 427 to extend the Habitat Conservation Fund (HCF) sunset date from July 1, 2030 to July 1, 2035.
Witnesses from the Planning and Conservation League, Audubon California, The Nature Conservancy and numerous land trusts and conservation groups testified in support, citing the HCF's record of protecting about 1.2 million acres since its creation and its role in funding habitat protection, coastal reserves, and local parks. Speakers said the fund leverages additional private and federal dollars and supports California’s 30x30 conservation goals.
Committee members, including Vice Chair Gonzales, praised the bill and described local benefits such as improvements at the Salton Sea and the air‑quality and public‑health co‑benefits that flow from habitat restoration. The bill passed to appropriations.
Why it matters: Testimony stressed that the HCF is a stable, long‑running funding source for habitat protection that has enabled hundreds of projects and that extending the sunset protects this steady source from future budget sweeps.
Details: Testimony included program totals: roughly $30 million annually historically allocated through the HCF and nearly 1.2 million acres protected since its inception.
