(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to allocate seven million dollars ($7,000,000) annually to the Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program Fund, which is hereby created.

(b) Local, state, and federal agencies and nonprofit entities may apply for and may receive grants, not to exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000) for any single grant, to undertake environmental enhancement and mitigation projects that are directly or indirectly related to the environmental impact of modifying existing transportation facilities or for the design, construction, or expansion of new transportation facilities.

(c) Projects eligible for funding include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Urban forestry projects designed to offset vehicular emissions of carbon dioxide.

(2) Acquisition or enhancement of resource lands to mitigate the loss of, or the detriment to, resource lands lying within the right-of-way acquired for proposed transportation improvements.

(3) Projects to mitigate the impact of proposed transportation facilities or to enhance the environment, where the ability to effectuate the mitigation or enhancement measures is beyond the scope of the lead agency responsible for assessing the environmental impact of the proposed transportation improvement.

(d) Grant proposals shall be submitted to the Resources Agency for evaluation in accordance with procedures and criteria prescribed by the Resources Agency. The Resources Agency shall evaluate proposals submitted to it and prepare a list of proposals recommended for funding. The list may be revised at any time. Prior to including a proposal on the list, the Resources Agency shall make a finding that the proposal is eligible for funding pursuant to subdivision (f).

(e) Within the fiscal limitations of subdivisions (a) and (b), the commission shall annually award grants to fund proposals that are included on the list prepared by the Resources Agency pursuant to subdivision (d).

(f) Projects funded pursuant to this section shall be projects that contribute to mitigation of the environmental effects of transportation facilities, as provided for by Section 1 of Article XIX of the California Constitution.

(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 359, Sec. 1. (SB 99) Effective September 26, 2013.)