The department may acquire, either in fee or in any lesser estate or interest, any real property that it considers necessary for state highway purposes. Real property for these purposes includes, but is not limited to, real property considered necessary for any of the following purposes:
(a) For rights-of-way, including those necessary for state highways within cities.
(b) For purposes of exchanging the same for other real property to be used for rights-of-way.
(c) For rock quarries, gravel pits, or sand or earth borrow pits.
(d) For offices, shops, or storage yards.
(e) For parks adjoining or near a state highway.
(f) For the culture and support of trees that benefit a state highway by aiding in the maintenance and preservation of the roadbed, or that aid in the maintenance of the attractiveness of the scenic beauties of a state highway.
(g) For drainage in connection with a state highway.
(h) For the maintenance of an unobstructed view of any portion of a state highway so as to promote the safety of the traveling public.
(i) For the construction and maintenance of stock trails.
(j) For the construction and maintenance of nonmotorized transportation facilities, as defined in Section 887.
(k) (1) (A) For environmental mitigation property, which the department may transfer to, purchase for transfer to, or purchase in the name of a, governmental entity, special district, nonprofit organization, for-profit entity, person, or other entity in accordance with Chapter 4.6 (commencing with Section 65965) of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code, as applicable.
(B) Where feasible, a governmental entity holding property pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall have the principal responsibility for natural resource protection or conservation. A governmental entity holding property pursuant to this section shall be approved through the due diligence process set forth in Section 65967 of the Government Code.
(2) For purposes of this section, “environmental mitigation property” means property that is required by state or federal law, or by permit conditions imposed by a state or federal agency, to be preserved or restored and maintained as natural habitat to offset the environmental impacts caused by the construction and operation of a state highway improvement project or for advance mitigation purposes as provided in Section 800.6.
(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 57, Sec. 2. (SB 145) Effective July 10, 2023.)