(a)
The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency shall appoint, in consultation with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to the extent that the board wishes to consult, a local working group to develop a revitalization plan for the Lower Los Angeles
River watershed, called the Lower Los Angeles River Working Group.
The secretary shall consider requests from local agency representatives to participate in the working group. The working group
may include, but need not be limited to, representatives from the conservancy, the County of Los Angeles, the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, the Los Angeles Gateway Region Integrated Regional Water Management Joint Powers Authority, elected officials of the cities riparian to the Los Angeles River, and nonprofit organizations serving the Los Angeles River region.
(b)
On or before March 1, 2017, the working group shall develop, through watershed-based planning methods, a revitalization plan that addresses the unique and diverse needs of the Lower Los Angeles River and the communities through which it
passes. The plan shall be consistent with and enhance, and may be incorporated into, the County of Los Angeles’s Master Plan for the entire Los Angeles River. The plan shall include watershed education programs that help the Los Angeles River communities recognize the value of the river and the importance of protecting the river’s watershed resources and its vitality to their communities.
(c)
The conservancy shall provide any necessary staffing to the working group to assist in the development of the plan.
(d)
The
development and implementation of the revitalization plan may be eligible for funding from any public or private source, including, but not limited to, funding pursuant to Section 79735 of the Water Code. Entities that are eligible to implement the revitalization plan include, but are not limited to, state agencies, local agencies, and nonprofit organizations, and may be eligible for state funding.