Santa Monica Mountains Habitat Impact Fee

“The Project provides continued protection of biological resources in the unincorporated Santa Monica Mountains, aligns the replacement costs for habitat impacts with actual costs, and directs funding for acquisition and long-term management of equivalent habitat where impacts to sensitive habitat are unavoidable and on-site restoration and mitigation is not possible.”

“A condition of approval on each CDP for development subject to the provisions of this Subsection, shall require the payment of the Habitat Impact Fee into the "Habitat Impact Fund – Santa Monica Mountains Coastal Zone" administered by the County for use in the Santa Monica Mountains Coastal Zone. The proceeds of the "Habitat Impact Fund – Santa Monica Mountains Coastal Zone" shall be used by the County to purchase and permanently preserve properties that contain substantial areas of H1 Habitat and/or H2 Habitat in the Santa Monica Mountains Coastal Zone.”

“SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS COASTAL ZONE HABITAT IMPACT FEES (Payable to L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation) Effective March 1, 2025 — When impacts to H1 Habitat from the provision of less than a 100-foot H1 habitat buffer and/or to H2 Habitat from direct removal or modification are unavoidable and on-site restoration and mitigation is not feasible, the applicant shall pay the fee(s) below pursuant to Section 22.44.1950.”

“SECTION 1. 22.44.1950 is hereby amended to read as follows: 22.44.1950 – Mitigation.”

“SECTION 1. 22.44.1950 is hereby amended to read as follows: 22.44.1950 – Mitigation.”

other: as a condition of approval of the coastal development permit (CDP)

“Habitat Impact Fee. Unavoidable impacts to H1 Habitat from the provision of less than a 100-foot H1 Habitat Buffer and/or to H2 Habitat from direct removal or modification, shall be compensated by the provision of a required Habitat Impact Fee, as a condition of approval of individual projects (CDP's)”

L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation

“SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS COASTAL ZONE HABITAT IMPACT FEES (Payable to L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation)”

“The areas occupied by existing, legally established structures, agricultural uses, and confined animal facilities do not meet the criteria of the H1 or H2 Habitat categories. Additionally, the fuel modification areas required by the County Fire Department for existing, lawfully established structures do not meet the criteria of the H1 or H2 habitat categories, with the exception of the areas subject to the minimal fuel modification measures that are required in riparian or woodland habitats (e.g., removal of deadwood).”

“The County committed to spending at least $2 million on the acquisition and preservation of H1 and H2 habitats through the Resource Conservation Program (RCP), a component of the LIP. To date, the County has fulfilled this obligation. The RCP also stipulates that this $2 million commitment will be credited towards the mitigation fee obligations of new development projects until the funding is depleted and/or the program sunsets on October 10, 2024.”

“1. When the earliest of the following events occurs: a) the ten-year period of the RCP ends; or b) the cumulative amount of the Habitat Impact Fee required for issued CDPs exceeds $2,000,000; or c) at such time as the County elects to discontinue the RCP.”