CA SB495

Permits the Department of Fish and Wildlife to authorize take or possession of blunt-nosed leopard lizards (Gambelia sila) related to the Allensworth Community Services District's water well drilling, connection, and water storage tank construction projects.

Requires that any permit authorization include a monitoring program and adaptive management plan approved by the department to minimize and fully mitigate impacts on the species.

Permits must satisfy existing California Endangered Species Act requirements that take is incidental to lawful activity and that impacts are minimized and fully mitigated, and must not jeopardize the species' continued existence.

Covers incidental take of blunt-nosed leopard lizards that occurs during implementation of required mitigation or conservation actions under the permit.

Took effect immediately upon approval on August 27, 2018, as an urgency statute to allow completion of environmental observations before water well construction begins.