1. Northern California Conservation Planning Partners Eleventh Annual Habitat Conservation Planning From Tahoe to the Bay Workshop John Kopchik East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy www.cocohcp.org

2. The Nature of Our Regional Conservation Plans Plans that proactively address conservation of endangered and rare species and the biological communities of an area, while providing more assured and streamlined permitting for economic activities. Cover a whole county or a sub-county area Local government usually the lead agency

3. Problems regional conservation plans are designed to address

4. How regional conservation plans try to address these problems

5. Definitions HCP (Habitat Conservation Plan): A federally- approved plan to conserve and permit impacts to endangered species. NCCP (Natural Community Conservation Plan): Similar to HCP, but approved by the State (CDFW). RGP (Regional General Permit): A permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to cover a specified category of projects.

6. Approved NCCPP Plans San Joaquin MSHCP 5/2001 East Contra Costa HCP/NCCP 8/2007 Santa Clara Valley HCP / NCCP 7/2013

7. NCCPP Plans in Preparation Butte Regional Conservation Plan Placer County Conservation Plan South Sacramento HCP Solano HCP Yolo Natural Heritage Program Yuba / Sutter HCP/NCCP State Plan of Flood Control NCCP

8. Other Regulatory Processes Section 404, Clean Water Act Section 401, Clean Water Act Porter – Cologne Water Quality Control Act Future state Wetlands and Riparian Protection Policy Section 1600, Fish and Game Code

9. Some Biological Advantages Over Project by Project Permitting Direct limited resources away from project-by- project permitting and toward conservation Assemble a regional system of large reserves and landscape linkages drawing on the best available science to Avoid postage stamp preserves that become surrounded by development In-perpetuity monitoring and adaptive management at system-level Additional funding sources / better coordination

10. Some Economic Advantages Over Project by Project Permitting Avoid long and costly delays in obtaining permits Avoid financial institution concern about presence of listed species Secure regulatory permits from local planning agencies (more local contol) Certainty about habitat conservation requirements

11. Conservation Planning in California 30 years since first HCP in nation 20 years since first regional conservation plans in southern California 10 years since NCCP Act Regional conservation plans are in place or under preparation in 22 California counties Total planning area: 11.7 million acres Planned/proposed conservation: 2 million acres Market value of covered activities: $1.6 trillion Conserve habitat for more than 700 rare and imperiled species

13. California Habitat Conservation Planning Coalition Multi-sector Four goals - funding for HCPs and NCCPs - coordination with other permitting and regional plans - effectiveness - build support E-newsletter

14. NCCPP Coordinator: John Hopkins Institute for Ecological Health 409 Jardin Place, Davis, CA 95616 ieh@cal.net (530) 756-6455ieh@cal.net www.instituteforecologicalhealth.org