(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) The department continues to face serious funding instability due to revenue declines from traditional user fees and taxes and the addition of new and expanded program responsibilities.

(2) Historically, the recreational and commercial fishing industry has funded much of the department’s marine fisheries activities.

(3) As the state’s population grows and development changes historic land uses, fish and wildlife continue to be depleted, necessitating a significant portion of the department’s activities to be directed toward protecting fish and wildlife for the benefit of the people of the state.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to extend the current user-based funding system by allocating a portion of the marine resource protection costs to those who use and benefit from recreational and commercial use of the marine resources.

(c) It is the Legislature’s intent that, notwithstanding Section 711, the department shall cooperate with the Legislature, recreational users, conservation organizations, the commercial fishing industry, and other interested parties to identify and propose new alternative sources of revenue to fund the department’s necessary marine conservation, restoration, and resources management, and protection responsibilities.

(d) It is further the intent of the Legislature to identify new funding sources and to secure those sources to adequately fund the department’s activities directed at protecting and managing wildlife for the people of the state.

(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 667, Sec. 11. Effective January 1, 2007.)