(a) (1) The department may enter into a voluntary agreement with a private landowner, including an agreement under which the private landowner is compensated by the department for public use of the land, to provide public access for wildlife-dependent recreational activities. Any financial compensation offered to a private landowner pursuant to this paragraph shall not exceed thirty dollars ($30) per acre, or fifty dollars ($50) per public participant per day, and shall be commensurate with the quality of the wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities that are to be provided on the property.
(2) The department also may enter into a voluntary agreement with a private landowner to facilitate access to adjacent public lands or waters, upon approval of the governmental entity that holds title to the land. This article does not authorize a private landowner to exclude persons not participating in the SHARE program from using public land for wildlife-dependent recreational activities.
(3) The department may enter into a voluntary agreement with a governmental entity to provide wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities to the public on public lands or waters.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department shall keep confidential and not release to the public any personal identifying information received from a private landowner participating in the program, unless the director determines that release of that information is necessary for the administration of the program.
(c) Either the department or a private landowner may, in writing, modify or cancel an agreement executed under the program, at any time. Upon cancellation or modification of the agreement by either party, the other party shall be reimbursed for any lost revenues or expenses incurred pursuant to the terms of the original agreement.
(d) In addition to any other protection or remedy under law, the protections and remedies afforded to an owner of an estate or any other interest in real property under Section 846 of the Civil Code shall apply to a private landowner, nonprofit organization, or other entity participating in the program.
(e) The department shall require every person who wants to use land that is subject to an agreement pursuant to subdivision (a), prior to using that land, to sign a waiver that releases the department or any private group, nonprofit organization, governmental entity, or other organization involved in administering the program, and the private landowner, from liability for any injury or damage that arises from, or is connected with that person’s use of the land. Upon request, the department shall provide a copy of the waiver to any of the parties to the waiver.
(f) An agreement executed pursuant to the program shall not authorize the take of nongame species by public participants in the program. An agreement may not authorize a private landowner to transfer a hunting or fishing license, stamp, or tag to another person, unless otherwise authorized by law.
(g) In determining which lands may be included in the program, the department shall give priority to those lands with the greatest wildlife habitat value. To the extent possible, the department shall also include in the program private lands that permit multiple wildlife-dependent recreational activities, in order to take into consideration the participation of the general public in the program.
(Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 394, Sec. 3. (AB 1423) Effective January 1, 2010.)