CA AB1581

Establishes the Restoration Management Permit Act, creating a unified permitting process for habitat restoration and species recovery projects that combines multiple department permits into one authorization.

Authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife to issue restoration management permits for qualifying projects that have the primary purpose of restoring native fish, wildlife, plants, or their habitat and result in substantial net benefit, including take of endangered, threatened, and fully protected species.

Exempts qualifying restoration projects from various legal requirements, including prohibitions on taking fully protected fish and requirements for Lake and Streambed Alteration Program permits, while excluding isolated Delta conveyance facilities from eligibility.

Establishes the Restoration Management Permit Program Fund and authorizes the department to collect fees for permit administration; requires the department to post permitted projects online and submit a report to the Legislature by January 1, 2034, evaluating the program's impacts on restoration project pace and scale.

Expands the California State Safe Harbor Agreement Program to include state entities as eligible landowners and extends coverage to federal conservation benefit agreements with enhancement of survival permits; repeals the Restoration Management Permit Act provisions on January 1, 2035.