(a) The department shall use the state significance criteria in Section 5868 to evaluate the potential California natural landmark. The department shall evaluate the potential California natural landmark on a statewide and regional basis, and may compare similar areas that represent a particular type of feature located in the same natural region to identify examples that are among the most illustrative and have the most integrity.

(b) The evaluation required by subdivision (a) shall be performed by the scientist chosen by the owner pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 5863. The scientist shall make a detailed description of the area, and assess its statewide and regional standing using the state significance criteria in Section 5868 and any additional information provided by the department.

Terms Used In California Public Resources Code 5864

  • California natural landmark: means property designated by the director as being of state significance to California because it is an outstanding example of major biological and geological features found within the boundaries of the state. See California Public Resources Code 5861
  • Department: means the Department of Parks and Recreation. See California Public Resources Code 5861
  • Natural region: means a distinct physiographic province having similar geologic history, structures, and land forms. See California Public Resources Code 5861
  • Owner: means the person, corporation, or partnership that holds fee simple title to real property, or its agent, or the head of the public agency or subordinate employee of the public agency to whom that authority is delegated, who is responsible for administering publicly owned land and who has presented satisfactory evidence of his or her legal right to represent the interests of the subject land. See California Public Resources Code 5861
  • Scientist: means a person whose combination of academic training and professional field experience in the natural region qualifies him or her to identify and comparatively evaluate a natural area at the regional or state level. See California Public Resources Code 5861
  • State significance: means property that is one of the best examples of a biological community or geological feature within a natural region of the state, including a terrestrial community, land form, geological feature and process, habitat of native plant and animal species, or fossil evidence of the development of life. See California Public Resources Code 5861

(c) At least three peer reviewers, who are scientists familiar with the biological or geological features of the area or natural region, shall review the evaluation completed pursuant to subdivision (b). The peer reviewers shall provide the department with information on the scientific merit and strength of supportive documentation in the evaluation.

(Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 827, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2007.)