Report 2013-101 Recommendation 6 Responses

Report 2013-101: Salton Sea Restoration Fund: The State Has Not Fully Funded a Restoration Plan and the State's Future Mitigation Costs Are Uncertain (Release Date: November 2013)

Recommendation #6 To: Natural Resources Agency, California

To ensure that the Legislature has the information necessary to meet the State's restoration goals and to plan for the State's future financial obligations related to mitigation, the Resources Agency should work with Fish and Wildlife and Water Resources to do the following:
-Provide a written report to the Legislature on its recommendations for the content of the feasibility study no later than February 1, 2014. It should include in the report the State's progress to date on the Habitat Project.

6-Month Agency Response

Legislative staff from relevant committees and members were emailed by Natural Resources Agency Deputy Secretary of Legislation, Keali'i Bright, with a review of what was being proposed for the report and an update on the progress of the habitat projects. Legislative staff did not inquire on any further detail following the notice.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Fully Implemented

Although the Resources Agency did not provide a written report to the Legislature as we recommended, it did provide an update to certain legislative staff by way of e-mail in March 2014. In addition, the Resources Agency provided to legsialtive staff a powerpoint presentation that contained an update on the Species Conservation Habitat Project. Further, the Resources Agency also provided a draft of its Salton Sea Funding and Feasibility Review Work Plan, which included the proposed contents of the work plan. Thus, we conclude that this recommendation is fully implemented.

60-Day Agency Response

The Natural Resources Agency will provide a written report to the Legislature on its recommendations for the content of the feasibility study when scoping is complete, which is anticipated to be by the end of March, 2014. The update will include an update on all activities at the sea, including the habitat project and other projects funded by the state.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2013-101

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.