Fish & G. Code, § 2081.1

Nothing in this chapter or in any other provision of law prohibits the taking or the incidental taking of any endangered, threatened, or candidate species if the taking was authorized by the department through a permit or memorandum of understanding, or in a natural communities conservation plan, habitat conservation plan, habitat management plan, or other plan or agreement approved by or entered into by the department, or in an amendment to such a permit, memorandum of understanding, plan, or agreement and all of the following conditions are met:

(a) The application process commenced on or before April 10, 1997.

(b) The department approved the permit, memorandum of understanding, plan, agreement, or amendment thereto within either of the following timeframes:

(A) On or before April 10, 1997.

(B) Between April 10, 1997, and January 1, 1998, and the department also certifies that the permit, memorandum of understanding, plan, agreement, or amendment thereto meets the substantive criteria of subdivision (b) of Section 2081.

The permits, memoranda of understanding, plan, agreements, and amendments thereto described in this section are deemed to be in full force and effect, as of the date approved or entered into by the parties insofar as they authorize the take of species. This section does not apply to the “Emergency Management Measures Permit” issued by the department on March 15, 1995.