(a) The department may enter into an agreement to accept funds from any person, business entity, educational institution, tribal government, or organization for the maintenance, operation, restoration, repair, development, improvement, or enhancement of a state beach, any other unit of the state park system that encompasses a beach, or any area or facility of the state beach or other unit, or for research, educational, interpretive, recreational, or visitor services provided on or for a state beach, any other unit of the state park system that encompasses a beach, or any area or facility of the state beach or other unit. Any funds so received shall be deposited in a separate account in the State Park Contingent Fund. The funds received shall supplement, but not replace, existing resources for the purposes of enhancing the maintenance, operation, restoration, repair, development, improvement, or enhancement of the state beach, other unit of the state park system that encompasses a beach, or area or facility of the state beach or other unit, or for establishing or enhancing beach services provided to visitors. The department and the sponsoring or donating person, business entity, government, or organization may specify in the agreement the level of maintenance, operation, restoration, repair, development, improvement, or enhancement that will be performed.

(b) The department may also enter into an agreement to accept from any person, educational institution, tribal government, business entity, or organization services for the operation, restoration, repair, development, improvement, maintenance, or enhancement of a state beach, other unit of the state park system that encompasses a beach, or area or facility of the state beach or other unit, or for research, educational, interpretive, recreational, or visitor services provided on or for a state beach, other unit of the state park system that encompasses a beach, or area or facility of the state beach or other unit. Under the direction of the department, those services shall supplement, but not replace, existing staff resources for the purposes of operation, restoration, repair, development, improvement, maintenance, or enhancement of the state beach, other unit of the state park system that encompasses a beach, or area or facility of the state beach or other unit.

(c) The director may authorize the erection of an appropriate sign in recognition of a donation or sponsorship provided in accordance with this section, in accordance with department rules and regulations regarding signs in the state park system.

(d) The department may provide free or reduced-cost access to, and use of, beach facilities to entities that have entered into agreements as described in this section, if the public benefit to be provided pursuant to the agreement exceeds or is of comparable value, as determined by the department, to the access to or use of beach facilities granted.

(e) The activities authorized by this section shall be implemented as part of the department’s Adopt-A-Beach program.

(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 559, Sec. 5. (AB 549) Effective January 1, 2016.)