Western Riverside MSHCP
The Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) is a comprehensive, multi-jurisdictional, long-term effort to conserve 146 plant and animal species, including endangered and threatened species, and associated habitats on more than 1.2 million acres in western Riverside County. The MSHCP goal is to set aside 500,000 acres for preservation by 2029.
Project Facts
- Regional Conservation Authority (RCA)
- Riverside County, California
- Project is ongoing
- 395,000 acres of reserves in place
- Plan implemented by RCA, Riverside County, and 18 local jurisdictions
The Challenge
Riverside County officials were concerned with rapid rate of urban development in the western region and the subsequent loss of natural habitat and associated species. The plan’s primary purpose is to facilitate transportation infrastructure to serve future growth within the plan area while proactively addressing environmental mitigation in a comprehensive manner, rather than using a piecemeal, project-by-project approach.
The Solution
Work on the project involved a variety of innovative approaches to develop the MSCHP and integrate it within the county’s overall plan. The project’s five phases included database assembly, visioning/alternatives development, plan preparation/environmental documentation, plan processing, and meetings and hearings. The plan enables a more streamlined process for implementing infrastructure projects and provides for more meaningful, contiguous, and comprehensive mitigation for plant and animal species and associated habitats.
What We Did
- Biology
- CEQA/NEPA
- Habitat Conservation Planning
- Stakeholder Outreach
- Endangered Species Permitting
- Environmental Constraints Analysis
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