BDCP, Interfacing with BDCP, Interfacing with Conservation PlansConservation Plans

Habitat Conservation Planning from Habitat Conservation Planning from Tahoe to the BayTahoe to the Bay

77thth Annual Workshop Annual WorkshopNovember 18, 2009November 18, 2009

Carl WilcoxCarl WilcoxCalifornia Department of Fish and GameCalifornia Department of Fish and Game

BDCP BDCP overlaps overlaps

with 5 with 5 NCCPs or NCCPs or

HCPsHCPs

• Yolo (HCP/NCCP in prep.)

• Solano (HCP in prep.)

• So. Sacramento (HCP in prep.)

• San Joaquin (HCP permitted)

• East Contra Costa (HCP/NCCP permitted)

What Is BDCP?What Is BDCP?

Initially focused on aquatic resources, Initially focused on aquatic resources, BDCP has been characterized as the BDCP has been characterized as the first ever “Aquatic NCCP”. It is:first ever “Aquatic NCCP”. It is: A plan for a system of new water conveyance A plan for a system of new water conveyance

and operations, habitat restoration, and other and operations, habitat restoration, and other ecosystem improvements in the Deltaecosystem improvements in the Delta

A stand-alone plan that must be reconciled with A stand-alone plan that must be reconciled with surrounding planssurrounding plans

An opportunity to provide regional An opportunity to provide regional conservation; andconservation; and

A vehicle for funding that conservationA vehicle for funding that conservation

Emergence of BDCP

Conservation Strategy and

Covered Activities

Habitat restoration

Conveyance and Flow

Initial Coordination Initial Coordination

Periodic meetings convened by the Periodic meetings convened by the Natural Resources AgencyNatural Resources Agency Discussion of broad ranging issues Discussion of broad ranging issues

with Delta and Local Plan managers at with Delta and Local Plan managers at a conceptual levela conceptual level

Regular meetings between Natural Regular meetings between Natural Resources Agency personnel and Resources Agency personnel and county electeds and presentations at county electeds and presentations at regularly scheduled Board of regularly scheduled Board of Supervisors meetingsSupervisors meetings

Ongoing CoordinationOngoing Coordination

DFG/FWS took the initiative to work DFG/FWS took the initiative to work directly with the surrounding plans to directly with the surrounding plans to identify issues related to BDCP identify issues related to BDCP implementation.implementation.

Meetings held through the summer Meetings held through the summer of 2009.of 2009. Need for coordination between the state Need for coordination between the state

and federal fish and wildlife agencies to and federal fish and wildlife agencies to assure consistent guidance among assure consistent guidance among plans.plans.

Ongoing CoordinationOngoing Coordination

Purpose of meetings with individual Purpose of meetings with individual plans:plans: Sharing implementation concernsSharing implementation concerns Identifying possible opportunities for Identifying possible opportunities for

synergysynergy Developing of work products: Developing of work products:

Issues, concerns, and opportunities matrixIssues, concerns, and opportunities matrix Maps capturing this feedback Maps capturing this feedback

Challenges Challenges

Need to build trust among existing Need to build trust among existing plans and BDCP planning process plans and BDCP planning process

Ongoing development and Ongoing development and refinements of key BDCP elementsrefinements of key BDCP elements Covered activitiesCovered activities Conservation measuresConservation measures

Terrestrial conservation strategyTerrestrial conservation strategy Conveyance facility type and alignment, Conveyance facility type and alignment,

operationsoperations Difficulty in sharing data Difficulty in sharing data

Way ForwardWay Forward

Frequent coordination between the Frequent coordination between the fish and wildlife agencies and fish and wildlife agencies and surrounding individual plans as surrounding individual plans as details of the BDCP Conservation details of the BDCP Conservation Strategy are developedStrategy are developed

Seeking and incorporating Seeking and incorporating surrounding plans’ input into BDCP surrounding plans’ input into BDCP Conservation Strategy.Conservation Strategy.

Seeking opportunities to achieve Seeking opportunities to achieve larger regional scale conservationlarger regional scale conservation

Outstanding IssuesOutstanding Issues

How will any inconsistencies between How will any inconsistencies between BDCP and other plans be addressed?BDCP and other plans be addressed?

How will BDCP conservation actions How will BDCP conservation actions on the ground be implemented with on the ground be implemented with respect to other plansrespect to other plans

Consistency within the fish and Consistency within the fish and wildlife agencieswildlife agencies

How will existing permits be affected How will existing permits be affected by BDCP?by BDCP?

Emerging Lessons: Emerging Lessons:

Conservation plan development should Conservation plan development should consider the needs all of natural consider the needs all of natural communities and species in the planning communities and species in the planning area, even those not covered in the plan, to area, even those not covered in the plan, to avoid precluding or limiting their avoid precluding or limiting their conservation and or restoration in the conservation and or restoration in the future.future.

Conservation Plans generally do not include Conservation Plans generally do not include a substantial restoration component which a substantial restoration component which may conflict with other ongoing may conflict with other ongoing conservation efforts.conservation efforts.

Adaptive Management may involve Adaptive Management may involve adapting to the conservation objectives of adapting to the conservation objectives of other planning efforts.other planning efforts.