The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a)
The Santa Ana River is the largest stream system in southern California, covering an area of about 2,700 square miles in parts of Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Los Angeles Counties.
(b)
The Santa Ana River region is home to one of the fastest growing populations in the nation, which is expected to grow from its current five million residents to ten million residents by 2050.
(c)
Not all Orange County residents have equal access to green space. The communities with the worst access to parks lie along the
river in north Orange County, with low-income levels and high concentrations of people of color.
(d)
Despite vast areas of parkland in the region, many communities in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties are park poor, with less than three acres of green space per 1,000 residents. This is particularly true in the communities that were built out before the development boom of the past few decades. As more working class families moved to the area in search of jobs, the population in these older neighborhoods swelled but public resources for parks and recreation were not invested proportionally to the growth.
(e)
The Santa Ana River is an extraordinary natural resource of statewide significance. The river has been subject to intense development and is in need of restoration,
conservation, and enhancement.
(f)
The establishment of the Santa Ana River Conservancy Program will provide the state with the necessary structure to plan and implement restoration and preservation projects and recreation opportunities, and enhance the overall condition of the Santa Ana River.