1. Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan
California
County
Planning
Commissioners
Association
Conference
October 10, 2013
2. What is a Habitat Plan?
Programmatic Endangered Species Permitting Plan
Regional Plan to conserve species & habitats in exchange for a permit to
“take” threatened or endangered species
Endangered Species Act –
Federal
Endangered Species Act (ESA)
California
Laws
Endangered Species Act (CESA) –
protecting threatened and endangered wildlife and plant species.
3. Endangered Species Act
Activities that may affect individual species or their
habitat are required to get permits from the Federal
and State Wildlife Agencies
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
California Department of Fish & Wildlife
The Scope of the challenge: California is home to
hundreds of listed species and any one area with
some open land may have several species.
4. Endangered Species Permitting
The most likely activities that need permits are:
Activities that impact water and need federal
(Corps) and/or State (Regional Board) permits
Large controversial projects
Projects in areas with known history of species
presence
Many public projects have less location flexibility
than private projects and are thus more likely to
need permits (new bridge).
5. Endangered Species Permitting
Business as Usual - Endangered Species Permitting:
No connection to General Plans, Capital Improvement
Plans
Local Environmental review (CEQA) doesn’t provide ESA
permits.
Uncertainty – when permits needed?
Very long & potentially costly permitting process
Habitat provided in exchange for ESA permits is
fragmented, no regional connectivity.
Developers and Local agencies (Roads depts.) have long
term habitat mitigation encumbrances.
7. Why a Regional Habitat Plan?
Link Endangered Species Permitting to City and County
General Plans and regional infrastructure needs.
Plan for purchase and preservation of best habitat in
region – Regional Reserve System
8. Why a Regional Habitat Plan?
Provide a systematic approach to issue endangered
species permits.
Consolidate Wildlife and Wetland Permits
Remove uncertainty from process – Economic
Development
Provide local control over process
10. Costs of Doing a Habitat Conservation Plan
Time---can take 8 to 10 years
Complexity---Plan is really a long term permit and
needs permit level of detail
Dollars---heavy science and detail requirements lead to
substantial budget
Staff time---Plan development needs considerable input
from various parts of government organization
Hard to sell development impact fees--- trigger
objections/concerns/controversy
End Product---strong commitments to a complicated
implementation process
11. Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan
50 Year Plan
Six Local Partners –
Two Wildlife Agencies
18 Plant and Wildlife Species
