(a) The administrator shall establish a network of rescue and rehabilitation stations for wildlife injured by oil spills, including sea otters and other marine mammals. In addition to rehabilitative care, the primary focus of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network shall include proactive oiled wildlife search and collection rescue efforts. These facilities shall be established and maintained in a state of preparedness to provide the best achievable treatment for wildlife, mammals, and birds affected by an oil spill in waters of the state. The administrator shall consider all feasible management alternatives for operation of the network. (b) (1) The first rescue and rehabilitation station established pursuant to this section shall be located within the sea otter range on the central coast. The administrator initially shall establish regional oiled wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facilities in the Los Angeles Harbor area, the San Francisco Bay area, the San Diego area, the Monterey Bay area, the Humboldt County area, and the Santa Barbara area. The administrator also may establish facilities in other areas of the state as the administrator determines to be necessary. (2) One or more of the oiled wildlife rescue and rehabilitation stations shall be open to the public for educational purposes and shall be available for wildlife health research. Wherever possible in the establishment of these facilities, the administrator shall improve existing authorized wildlife rehabilitation facilities and may expand or take advantage of existing educational or scientific programs and institutions for oiled wildlife rehabilitation purposes. Expenditures shall be reviewed by the agencies and organizations specified in subdivision (c). (c) The administrator shall consult with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the California Coastal Commission, the executive director of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, the Marine Mammal Center, and the International Bird Rescue in the design, planning, construction, and operation of the rescue and rehabilitation stations. All proposals for the rescue and rehabilitation stations shall be presented before a public hearing prior to the construction and operation of any rehabilitation station, and, upon completion of the coastal protection element of the California oil spill contingency plan, shall be consistent with the coastal protection element. (d) The administrator may enter into agreements with nonprofit organizations to establish and equip wildlife rescue and rehabilitation stations and to ensure that they are operated in a professional manner in keeping with the pertinent guidance documents issued by the administrator. The implementation of the agreement shall not constitute a California public works project. The agreement shall be deemed a contract for wildlife rehabilitation as authorized by Section 8670.61.5. (e) In the event of a spill, the responsible party may request that the administrator perform the rescue and rehabilitation of oiled wildlife required of the responsible party pursuant to this chapter if the responsible party and the administrator enter into an agreement for the reimbursement of the administratorâs costs incurred in taking the requested action. If the administrator performs the rescue and rehabilitation of oiled wildlife, the administrator shall primarily utilize the network of rescue and rehabilitation stations established pursuant to subdivision (a), unless more immediate care is required. Any of those activities conducted pursuant to this section or Section 8670.56.5 or 8670.61.5 shall be performed under the direction of the administrator. This subdivision does not remove the responsible party from liability for the costs of, or the responsibility for, the rescue and rehabilitation of oiled wildlife, as established by this chapter. This subdivision does not prohibit an owner or operator from retaining, in
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