Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP)

Status of NCCP Planning Efforts

 

• Bay Delta Conservation Plan. DFG, Resources Agency, Department of Water Resources, Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, and delta water contractors have started work on a Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP). The BDCP will be crafted to address water operations and facilities in the legal delta. The BDCP will focus primarily on aquatic ecosystems and natural communities, but may also cover adjacent riparian and floodplain natural communities. The Planning Agreement was signed in late 2006. Species that are intended to be the initial focus of the BDCP include aquatic species such as Central Valley steelhead, Central Valley Chinook salmon (spring run and fall/late-fall runs), Sacramento River Chinook salmon (winter run), Delta smelt, green sturgeon, white sturgeon, splittail, and longfin smelt. Other species that will be considered for inclusion in the BDCP include Swainson’s hawk, bank swallow, giant garter snake and valley elderberry longhorn beetle.
  
  The Butte County Plan.  The Butte Regional HCP/NCCP is being coordinated by the Butte County Association of Governments (BCAG) on behalf of the cities of Biggs, Chico, Gridley, Oroville as well as the County of Butte.  The plan area covers approximately two-thirds of the county (564,270 acres) and is evaluating coverage of 36 species, including the following state-listed species: Swainson’s hawk, Western yellow-billed cuckoo, bank swallow, and giant garter snake.  The natural communities to be addressed by the plan include oak woodland and savanna, grassland, riparian, wetland, and aquatic.  Chaparral and conifer-dominated forest communities are higher in elevation and are located primarily outside of the planning area so will not be covered under this plan.  BCAG has completed most of their Phase One tasks that include developing: the administrative draft baseline ecological assessment report; a supporting GIS database; a planning and decision making structure; draft covered species accounts; and determining the preliminary plan area.  Phase Two tasks are currently moving forward and will include: Science Advisors’ Report; Planning Agreement;  public participation plan; covered activities descriptions; covered species accounts; impact analysis; draft conservation strategy alternatives; and implementation cost estimates.

  CALFED. (Approved) The CALFED Bay-Delta Program is comprised of 25 state and federal agencies working cooperatively to improve the quality and reliability of California’s water supplies while restoring the Bay-Delta ecosystem. The CALFED Programmatic NCCP was approved in June 2000. An NCCP Permit was issued in September 2004 for the Environmental Water Account. Information is available at the CALFED website.

  Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP). The final CVMSHCP was produced in February 2006 and is being revised to remove the City of Desert Hot Springs which has declined to participate. Information on the plan is available at the Coachella Valley Association of Governments website. The CVMSHCP covers the central portion of Riverside County which is the westernmost edge of the Sonoran Desert. The plan area covers 1.1 million acres, a diverse mixture of 27 desert and mountain natural communities, and proposes coverage for 27 species in a reserve system of 747,600 acres. State-listed species include desert tortoise, Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard, desert pupfish, least Bell’s vireo, southwestern willow flycatcher, and Peninsular bighorn sheep. Independent scientific advisors were convened to provide additional scientific guidance on the plan, and their report was released in April, 2001.  

  East Contra Costa County Plan. (Approved) The East Contra Costa County NCCP was approved and a permit issued in August, 2007. The permit was issued to Contra Costa County; Cities of Brentwood, Clayton, Oakley, and Pittsburg; Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District; East Bay Regional Park District; and the East Contra Costa Habitat Conservancy (the entity formed to implement the plan). The plan area covers 174,000 acres, and covers for 28 species. Grazed annual grasslands are the most common landcover in the undeveloped portions of the planning area.  Other natural communities present include oak woodland, oak savannah, chaparral/scrub, riparian scrub and woodland, and permanent and seasonal wetlands. State-listed species being addressed in planning include San Joaquin kit fox, Swainson’s hawk, Alameda whipsnake, and giant garter snake. A preserve system between 23,800 and 30,300 acres will be assembled during the 30 year permit term.

  Imperial Irrigation District. The NCCP Planning Agreement between Imperial Irrigation District (IID), Department of Fish and Game, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service completed public review, and was signed by DFG in May 2006.  Through the plan, IID will provide for the conservation of up to 300,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water per year.  All or a portion of the conserved water will be transferred to the San Diego Water Authority, Coachella Valley Water District, and/or the Metropolitan Water District.  Mitigation for the water transfers centers on maintaining the salinity levels of the Salton Sea for the growth, survival, and reproduction of the tilapia population.  This, in turn, will continue to provide for the level and duration of use of the piscivorous (fish-eating) birds that depend on this body of water for their survival.  Through this NCCP process, 10 plants and 89 animals will be covered within the 500,000 acre geographic region.  Many of these species are only state listed.  These include the Algadones Dunes sunflower, Arizona Bell’s vireo, bank swallow, gila woodpecker, gilded flicker, elf owl, peregrine falcon, greater sandhill crane, Swainson’s hawk, western yellow billed cuckoo, tricolored blackbird, and California black rail.  Other sensitive species, including the burrowing owl, will be protected through the conservation of general habitat types, such as scrub habitat, drain habitat, Salton Sea, desert habitat, freshwater aquatic habitats, and agricultural fields.  Information on the water transfer can be found on IID's website.

  Mendocino Redwood Company Plan. Mendocino Redwood Company is transforming its landscape approach to sustainable yield timber harvesting into an HCP/NCCP intended to conserve listed and unlisted species and natural communities on its lands.  The proposed plan will cover approximately 232,000 acres of private lands within the timber harvest zones of Mendocino and Sonoma Counties that the company currently owns or holds timber rights to. The Department completed review of the version 4 Administrative Draft in early 2007. The report of the independent scientific advisors was completed in late summer 2003, and an administrative draft of the plan was produced in late fall of 2003.  A planning agreement was signed in August 2003. MRC conducted four stakeholder outreach workshops, and a report on the results and other plan information is posted to MRC’s website.

  Orange County Central-Coastal NCCP Subregional Plan. (Approved). This subregional NCCP, approved in July 1996, establishes a 37,380 acre reserve system in a 208,000 acre planning area. The plan protects significant areas of 12 major habitat types and covers 39 sensitive plant and animal species. Reserve lands are managed and monitored by The Nature Reserve of Orange County. 

  Orange County Northern Subregion. A Chevron USA 4(d) permit concurrence letter was issued by the wildlife agencies that will allow Chevron to complete oil field abandonment operations. The permit also commits Chevron to setting aside and managing a 28 acre preserve area for California gnatcatchers and funding cowbird control efforts. 

  Orange County Southern Subregion. The County and major landowners have prepared a final HCP, a special area management plan, and master streambed alteration agreement that were approved by the Board of Supervisors in November, 2006. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a permit in January 2007. The final plan does not meet the NCCP standards and therefore any state listed species take will be permitted under the California Endangered Species Act. The plan is available at Orange County's website. The plan encompasses 91,000 acres, with 57,000 acres of natural habitat including coastal sage scrub, chaparral, grassland, riparian, and oak woodlands. State-listed species covered by the plan include least Bell’s vireo, southwestern willow flycatcher, and thread-leaved brodiaea. An update to the County's General Plan and Zoning Ordinance is also underway. A series of public workshops were held in 2002 and 2003 to provide the opportunity for public input on alternatives for the three planning efforts. The Board of Supervisors approved the Rancho Mission Viejo plan for development in 2004.

  Palos Verdes Peninsula Subregional Plan. The City of Rancho Palos Verdes NCCP encompasses 8,661 acres of which only 2,368 acres support natural vegetation. The final plan approved by the City Council in August 2004 and is awaiting permits. The City has addressed conservation of most of the coastal sage scrub habitat on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. With additional conservation of other habitats such as southern cactus scrub, grassland, and riparian scrub, the plan intends to cover 20 species, including one state-listed species, Lyon’s pentachaeta.  
  
  Placer County Conservation Plan. Placer County, DFG, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized an NCCP planning agreement in December 2001. The County is preparing the NCCP in three phases. Phase 1 is underway now and covers 273,983 acres of the valley floor and low foothill portions of the County. A total of 28 animals and 5 plants are on the proposed covered species list. State-listed species included for analysis of coverage are Swainson’s hawk, giant garter snake, and Bogg’s Lake hedge-hyssop. The wildlife agencies are reviewing a February 2005 administrative draft. Draft species accounts have been posted on the plan's data website. The County is working to establish a process to review and evaluate interim projects so as to avoid foreclosing conservation options and receipt of desired permits. The County has initiated data gathering for Phase 2 which covers 273,717 acres in the foothills and the Martis Valley areas. Phase 3 has not yet started but will cover 412,153 acres of public and private timberlands. Meeting minutes and other plan information are posted on the County's HCP/NCCP website.  

  Western Riverside County Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP).  (Approved). On June 22, 2004, the California Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved and issued permits for the Western Riverside MSHCP. Riverside County took a new approach to land use planning: simultaneously integrating creation of an NCCP with an update of the County General Plan and a transportation corridor plan. This integrated approach allowed for longer term development and transportation planning to be balanced with conservation of sensitive resources in a much more comprehensive way. The MSHCP builds upon a previously approved habitat conservation plan which only addressed Stephens' kangaroo rat. The MSHCP project area is 1.2 million acres and the proposed conservation area, including public lands, is approximately 500,000 acres. The core area reserves include habitats such as riparian, oak woodland, and 15,000 acres of coastal sage scrub. Implementation of the MSHCP is being coordinated by the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority (RCA).

  San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP). (Approved). In December 1996, the Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved a habitat plan that encompasses 582,000 acres and establishes a 172,000 acre preserve system in southwestern San Diego County. This subregional plan covers 85 species of plants and animals and 23 vegetation types. The MSCP area encompasses the following eleven planning subareas in various stages of plan development. Other jurisdictions within the MSCP subregion include Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, and National City. These cities have not initiated the development of subarea plans. Approved subarea plans to date include Chula Vista, La Mesa , Poway , City of San Diego , and the County of San Diego.

  Components of the San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program biological monitoring program have been under review since 2003 and are in the process of being revised. A team from San Diego State University has produced several reports.

  City of Chula Vista MSCP Subarea Plan. (Approved). In January 2005, permits were issued to the City of Chula Vista for a subarea plan under the MSCP of San Diego County. The subarea plan will preserve approximately 9,243 total acres, 4,993 acres within the City limits and an additional 4,250 acres in the unincorporated area of San Diego County. The subarea plan provides for the conservation of 86 species including the state-listed salt marsh bird’s-beak, Otay tarplant, light-footed clapper rail, California least tern, and least Bell’s vireo. The City's subarea plan is the first to provide for the conservation of Quino checkerspot butterfly and receive take authorization.  

  City of Coronado MSCP Subarea Plan. Progress on this subarea plan has stalled. The draft plan addresses coastal lands and biological communities along the Silver Strand Peninsula. Roughly 250 acres would be preserved. The City Council adopted the Coronado Subarea Plan in July 1995; however, no permits have been requested from the wildlife agencies. 

  City of Del Mar MSCP Subarea Plan. Progress on this subarea plan has stalled. The draft plan focuses on six areas with significant resources in the mostly built-out city. The primary consideration is the southern area of the city, which includes a portion of the San Dieguito Lagoon. A draft plan has not yet been submitted. 

  City of El Cajon MSCP Subarea Plan. Progress on this subarea plan has stalled. A draft subarea plan has been prepared, but has not been submitted to the wildlife agencies for final review. 

  City of La Mesa MSCP Subarea Plan. (Approved).The City of La Mesa Subarea Plan was approved by the wildlife agencies in November 1999. La Mesa's remaining habitat area consists largely of coastal sage scrub, however all losses will be mitigated elsewhere within the MSCP Subregion.
   

  

  City of Poway MSCP Subarea Plan. (Approved) In July 1996, the City of Poway finalized its multi-species HCP/NCCP subarea plan, which provides incidental take coverage for 43 species of plants and animals. The City of Poway encompasses 25,000 acres and the plan establishes a 13,300 acre Mitigation Area where habitat conservation will be emphasized. A minimum of 78% of habitat within this Mitigation Area will be conserved. 

  City of San Diego MSCP Subarea Plan. (Approved). This approved subarea plan encompasses 206,124 acres within the MSCP Subregion. The City's "Multiple Habitat Planning Area" (MHPA) is approximately 56,831 acres. Approximately 90% (52,012 acres) of the MHPA lands will be preserved for biological purposes. 

  City of Santee MSCP Subarea Plan. This subarea encompasses 10,650 acres of which 57 percent is developed and 43 percent (4,600 acres) is undeveloped. The subarea plan seeks to conserve at least 2,300 acres of primary biological core areas.  The wildlife agencies completed review of the August 2006 administrative draft in early 2007. 

  County of San Diego MSCP Subarea Plan. (Approved). The County subarea is located in the eastern part of the MSCP Subregion. The subarea encompasses 252,132 acres (184,248 acres is habitat), of which 101,268 acres will be conserved. The County subarea plan was approved by the wildlife agencies in March 1998. The County's MSCP Portal offers additional information.

  County of San Diego MSCP Quino Amendment. The County of San Diego is pursuing a Major Amendment to add the Quino checkerspot butterfly as a covered species to the southern subarea. An administrative draft amendment has been reviewed by the wildlife agencies.

  East San Diego County MSCP Subarea Plan. The County of San Diego is embarking on a program to prepare the third of three County HCP/NCCPs for the unincorporated eastern area. The ECMSCP Plan study area covers 1,551,600 acres and is bounded on the west by Ramona and the State Park areas of Descanso and Palomar Mountain, the north by Riverside County, the east predominantly by Imperial County, and the south by Mexico. Indian Reservations are excluded from the study area. The ECMSCP Plan will cover the backcountry communities of Central Mountain, Cuyamaca, Descanso, Pine Valley, Desert/Borrego Springs, Julian, Mountain Empire, Boulevard, Jacumba, Lake Morena/Campo, Potrero, Tecate, portions of Dulzura, and Palomar/North Mountain. The purpose is to protect key sensitive plant and animal populations and habitats within the County. The overall effect of the MSCP plans is the creation of a large connected preserve that addresses the regional habitat needs for a number of species. The ECMSCP Plan currently proposes to cover up to 254 species.  As of June 2008, the Department is considering the entry into a joint Planning Agreement for both the North and East County subarea plans under the NCCP Act with the County of San Diego and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  The Notice of Public Availability and the Proposed Planning Agreement are available for public review.  The independent science advisors process have produced their first report. The County's MSCP Portal offers more information.

  North San Diego County MSCP Subarea Plan. The County produced a preliminary administrative draft of the plan for agency and stakeholder review in November 2006. As of June 2008, the Department is considering the entry into a joint Planning Agreement for both the North and East County subarea plans under the NCCP Act with the County of San Diego and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  The Notice of Public Availability and the Proposed Planning Agreement are available for public review.  The North County MSCP subarea plan study area encompasses about 313,777 acres roughly encompassing the areas north of the San Dieguito River, Elfin Forest and Harmony Grove, north of Camp Pendleton, DeLuz, Fallbrook, Rainbow, Pauma Valley, Lilac, Valley Center, Rancho Guejito and the majority of Ramona. The subarea plan intends to cover 58 species many of which were covered in the existing MSCP Plan but also some additional species -- the most notable being the Stephen’s kangaroo rat which lives in grasslands and the San Diego fairy shrimp which inhabits vernal pools. The County's MSCP Portal offers more information.

  Otay Water District MSCP Subarea Plan. The Otay Water District is preparing revisions to its subarea plan and developing a draft Implementing Agreement for agency review. The District maintains a biological reserve of 230 acres known as the San Miguel Habitat Management Area, which serves as a mitigation bank for District project impacts. Conserved lands will function as components of the MSCP preserve system.  

  Cities of Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, and National City. At this time, these jurisdictions have elected not to participate in the San Diego MSCP.
   

  San Diego Multiple Habitat Conservation Program (MHCP). (Approved).The subregional plan for the northwestern portion of the County (cities of Carslbad, Encinitas, Escondido, Oceanside, San Marcos, Solana Beach and Vista) was approved by the San Diego Association of Governments Board of Directors on March 28, 2003. The subregional plan encompasses 111,908 acres (29,962 acres of natural habitat), and provides conservation for 77 species in a 20,593 acre reserve. State-listed species covered by the plan include San Diego thorn-mint, Encinitas baccharis, Orcutt’s spineflower, Belding’s savannah sparrow, and Stephen’s kangaroo rat. NCCP permits will be issued to participating cities upon completion and Department approval of their individual subarea plans.

  City of Carlsbad MHCP Subarea Plan. (Approved). On November 15, 2004, the City of Carlsbad Habitat Management Plan was approved and state and federal permits were issued. The Carlsbad subarea plan is the first to be approved and permitted under MHCP. The subarea encompasses 24,570 acres (8,758 acres is habitat), of which 6,400 acres will be conserved.  The subarea plan provides for the conservation of 43 species.  

  City of Encinitas MHCP Subarea Plan. The City has delineated a preliminary preserve planning area and released its draft subarea plan for public review in June 2001.  The subarea plan is analyzed in the MHCP EIR/S.

  City of Escondido MHCP Subarea Plan. The City has acquired the 3,058 acre Daley Ranch, a cornerstone open space conservation area within the City. A subarea plan was released for public review in June 2001. The subarea plan is analyzed in the MHCP EIR/S. 

  City of Oceanside MHCP Subarea Plan. The City released its subarea plan  for public review in June 2001. The subarea plan is analyzed in the MHCP EIR/S.

  City of San Marcos MHCP Subarea Plan. The City released its subarea plan for public review in June 2001. The subarea plan is analyzed in the MHCP EIR/S.

  City of Vista MHCP Subarea Plan. The City area will be covered by the MHCP subregional plan, but a draft subarea plan has not yet been submitted.  
  

  San Diego County Water Authority.  The San Diego County Water Authority administrative draft subarea plan has been reviewed by the wildlife agencies. The Authority is revising the Conservation Analysis appendix based upon input from the science advisors in order to meet the requirements of SB 572.

  San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) Company Subregional Plan. (Approved). The NCCP Plan for SDG&E, a linear NCCP extending from southern Orange County south to the Mexican border, was the first plan approved in San Diego County (1995). The project covers 110 plant and animal species and emphasizes avoidance of impacts. The plan establishes mitigation requirements, which may include revegetation or use of up to 240 acres of mitigation credits set aside in several land parcels purchased by SDG&E as mitigation banks. SDG&E's properties and easements play an important role in the NCCP Region in providing habitat connectivity in areas where little natural habitat remains. An amendment to add the Quino checkerspot butterfly is being prepared for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approval. .

  San Diego Joint Water Agencies Subregional Plan. The JWA NCCP describes how three water agencies in San Diego County will manage their lands to conserve natural habitats and species while continuing to provide their mandated water services. The plan addresses more than 5,000 acres of habitat. The subregional plan will serve as an umbrella document for the subarea plans of the water districts: Helix Water District, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, and Sweetwater Authority. Each water district will also prepare their own subarea plan. In July 2003,  SB 572 was signed into law by the Governor, amending the NCCP Act to provide grandfathering coverage to the water agencies. A series of public workshops was held in summer 2004, and input from independent scientists was completed in 2006.

  Santa Clara County HCP/NCCP. Santa Clara County, the City of San Jose, the Santa Clara Valley Water District, and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority have initiated preparation of an HCP/NCCP covering 440,318 acres in the southeastern portion of the County. The planning area boundaries generally coincide with the Coyote watershed (excluding the most northern area) and the Uvas/Llagas watershed. The planning area includes portions of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west, the central portion of the Santa Clara Valley, and portions of the Diablo Range to the east. Initial focus of the planning effort includes 26 sensitive species including five state listed species: Tiburon indian paintbrush, rock sanicle, bank swallow, least Bell's vireo, and San Joaquin kit fox. The Department of Fish and Game signed the Planning Agreement in May 2006.

  

  Yolo County HCP/NCCP. The Yolo County Habitat JPA launched the Yolo Natural Heritage Program in March 2007.  This effort includes the continuing preparation of a joint HCP/NCCP. The JPA is a Joint Powers Authority of five local public agencies formed to prepare a regional conservation plan for Yolo County. The HCP/NCCP will describe the measures that local agencies will perform in order to conserve biological resources, obtain permits for urban growth and public infrastructure projects, and continue to maintain the rich agricultural heritage and productivity of the county. The nearly 400,000 acre planning area provides habitat for 28 sensitive species occurring within five dominant habitats/natural communities. This list includes seven state-listed species: palmate-bracted birds beak, Colusa grass, Crampton’s tuctoria, giant garter snake, Swainson's hawk, western yellow-billed cuckoo, and bank swallow. Interim conservation activities include acquiring permanent conservation easements for sensitive species in the plan area. The independent science advisors' report was finalized in March 2006.

  Yuba/Sutter HCP/NCCP. In 2001 the Counties of Yuba and Sutter committed to becoming joint applicants on an HCP/NCCP that would address the impacts of proposed transportation projects and any resulting development in the area. The Plan area is currently approximately 200,100 acres and while the central valley is dominated by agriculture, significant natural communities and ecosystems remain including vernal pool grasslands, aquatic, riparian and riverine habitats, wintering habitat for a variety of migrant bird species, and wetland habitats. Recently the partners have begun  to implement a plan for public participation, including the creation of an Advisory Committee and drafting a Planning Agreement. The independent science advisors' report was finalized in February 2006.  A baseline GIS data inventory of physical and biological resources is being conducted. A project web site is available to keep the public and all interested parties informed of the progress of the process.