California Code, Streets and Highways Code - SHC § 943

(a) Acquire any property necessary for the uses and purposes of county highways.  When eminent domain proceedings are necessary, the board shall require the district attorney to institute such proceedings.  The expense of and award in such proceedings may be paid from the road fund or the general fund of the county, or the road fund of any district benefited.

(b) Lay out, construct, improve, and maintain county highways.

(c) Incur a bonded indebtedness for any of such purposes, subject to the provisions of Section 944.

(d) Construct and maintain stock trails approximately paralleling any county highway, retain and maintain for stock trails the right-of-way of any county highway which is superseded by relocation.  Such stock trail shall not be included in the term “maintained mileage of county roads” as that term is used in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 2100) of Division 3 of this code.