1. Western Riverside Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan California Department of Fish and Game Inland Deserts Region
Bobcat photo by Gerald and Buff Corsi
Introduce myself, topic of talk, thank commission for the opportunity to speak.

2. What is a MSHCP? Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan
San Diego banded gecko
Yellow-breasted chat
Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan
Natural Community Conservation Planning Act (1991)
Regional or area-wide plan at landscape level
Allows compatible economic activity
Streamlined permitting
Keeps unlisted species off the list, which prevents future needs for permitting
California Fish and Game Code §§ 2800 et seq.)

4. Issue: Riverside County recognized that land use and infrastructure decisions were driven by environmental issues.
Goals:
Infrastructure development, especially roads, to support growth
Streamlined Permitting
Addresses environmental issues as a component of land use and infrastructure planning
Protect and sustain endangered and threatened animals and plants, and their habitats in a comprehensive way
Set the background for the driving forces behind the plan – rapid growth, great natural beautify, Riverside County motiviated to form plan.
will result in much greater and more biologically effective habitat and species conservation than a project-by-project approach could produce

5. Provides “Take” for 146 plant and animals species
1.26 million-acre Plan Area
Federal and State Permits issued in June 2004
75-year plan
Permits issued to :
County of Riverside, 18 local jurisdictions (Cities), Flood Control District, RCTC, Waste Management, Parks and Open Space District, Caltrans, State Parks

6. Main Plan Components Habitat (Acquisition) Implementation Management
Monitoring

7. What are the Major Habitat Elements? Cores and Linkages

8. Core: a block of habitat that will generally support the life of one or more Covered Species.
Each core has:
an acreage total
(i.e., 7,470 acres)
specific biological considerations (e.g., habitat types, movement of species)
specific planning species
(e.g., California gnatcatcher, Munz’s onion, bobcat)

9. Linkages (2 types) Linkage Constrained Linkage
Linkage is a connection between a core habitat

10. Implementation
Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority (“RCA”) (coordinate implementation, collect and expend fees, purchase land, manage and monitor lands, administer MSHCP permits)
Coordination between Wildlife Agencies, RCA (Monthly Meetings), and Permittees
RCA Obligations Under the Plan joint regional authority formed by the County and the Cities. This authority shall be called the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority (“Regional Conservation Authority or RCA”).
•Collect and expend local development mitigation fees
•Purchase lands to assemble the Reserve and coordinate assembly of the conservation lands with permittees
•Coordinate implementation with Cities and County
•Manage and monitor conservation lands
•Administer and oversee implementation of the MSHCP permits
RCA is not a regulatory agency
RCA has noland use authority
Review projects for consistency
Transportation – Coordinate and consistency reviews on large circulation projects
Compliance review – annual reports

11. Acquisition Goal: Funding Sources: Conserve 500,000 acres
347,000 acres of existing conserved lands
153,000 acres to be acquired for Conservation
Acquired within first 25 years of the 75 year permit.
Santa Rosa Plateau
Funding Sources:
Local Development Mitigation Fees
Density Bonus Fees
Regional Infrastructure Contribution
Landfill Tipping Fees
Section 6 grants
WCB – bond funds
Progress:
To date, RCA has acquired 41,621 acres
(27% of the 153,000-acre goal)
15,828 acres from the federal and state governments
25,793 acres RCA through its members and partner agencies.
Los Angeles Pocket Mouse

12. California Horned Lark
Successes
Large Habitat Blocks Conserved
- 43,034 acres (28%) acquired
- RCA manages 26,000 acres of ARL
Without MSHCP
only get conservation when listed species are impacted
conserve only portions of properties which may not be connected to other conserved lands.
Results in fragmentation and increased edge effects
California Horned Lark

13. Success story – linking habitat to SJWA
San Timoteo/Badlands

14.
2011

15. Management and Monitoring
Requires monitoring and management of the Conserved lands and management of additional 55,000 acres of locally owned lands

16. Western Riverside MSHCP Summary
1.26 million acres
146 species
500,000 acres to be conserved
347,000 acres in conservation at start of plan
43,034 acres (28%) have been acquired by Local Permittees and state and federal agencies (12/31/10)
MSHCP permits issued to : County of Riverside, 18 local jurisdictions (Cities), Flood Control District, RCTC, Waste Management, Parks and Open Space District, Caltrans, State Parks

17. Questions?

18. Thank You
Contact Information: Heather Pert, Ph.D. Staff Environmental Scientist WR MSHCP Coordinator Inland Deserts Region
Santa Ana Sucker