California § 80 - The Harbors and Watercraft Commission and its successor, the Navigation and Ocean

§ 80. The Harbors and Watercraft Commission and its successor, the Navigation and Ocean

(a) The Harbors and Watercraft Commission and its successor, the Navigation and Ocean Development Commission, are continued in existence in the Department of Parks and Recreation and within the Division of Boating and Waterways as the Boating and Waterways Commission, but with only the powers and duties imposed upon it by this chapter. (b) The Legislature finds all of the following: (1) Recreational boating and recreational watercraft use continue to be popular activities enjoyed by Californians and others visiting the state. (2) Harbors, docks, waterways, piers, and other similar water bodies or infrastructure governed by this chapter should remain open to all members of the public equally. (3) Absent deliberate and thoughtful planning and regulation, those activities have the potential to be dangerous or deadly, difficult, and expensive for the general public to access and enjoy, and environmentally unsound. (c) The Legislature hereby declares that effectively managed waterways and adequate facilities for the use of boating and watercraft vessels are essential for safe, accessible, and ecologically balanced boating and waterway recreation throughout the state. (d) It is therefore the intent of the Legislature that: (1) Existing boating and watercraft recreational areas, facilities, and opportunities should be expanded and managed in a manner consistent with this chapter, in particular, to maintain safe, publicly accessible, and sustained long-term use. (2) New recreational boating and watercraft facilities, including harbors, docks, and piers, should be provided and managed pursuant to this chapter in a manner that will sustain long-term use by the public. (3) Waterways, harbors, ports, piers, and other boating or watercraft infrastructure should be maintained to ensure sustainable long-term public utility. (4) Boating and watercraft recreation should be managed in accordance with this chapter through financial assistance to local governments and joint undertakings with agencies of the United States and with federally recognized Native American tribes.