February 9, 2012
10 – 12 p.m.

1. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS (10 min.)
2. PRESENTATIONS (45 min.)
Review of November Meeting:
What is the Yuba-Sutter NCCP/HCP?
Role of the Advisory Committee
Where we are in the NCCP/HCP process?
Participants/Plan Area/Covered Species/Covered Activities
Overview of NCCP/HCP Document
Overview of Advisory Committee Schedule
3. DISCUSSION ITEMS (50 min.)
Chapters 1-3
Other Items:
Overview of Projected Impacts
Overview of Conservation Strategies
4. PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS (15 min.)
5. NEXT MEETING

• Federal and state endangered species permit used to accommodate growth and ensure the protection and mitigation of covered species that are federally and state listed.
• Way to streamline the endangered species permitting process for future development.

• ESA = federal Endangered Species Act
• HCP
= Habitat Conservation Plan; defined in federal ESA and agency regulations
• CESA = California Endangered Species Act (part of CA
Fish & Game Code)
• NCCP
= Natural Community Conservation Plan; defined in the CA Fish & Code and state regulations; ties into
CESA
• Take Permit
/ Authorization = ESA and/or CESA authorization to adversely affect a listed species

• Comply with the ESA and CESA by preparing an
NCCP/HCP that fulfills the requirements of an HCP under
Section 10 of the ESA and an NCCP under DFG Code
• ESA purpose: conserve ecosystems and species that depend on them
• Relevant sections:
– Section 4: listing process (threatened and endangered species, critical habitat)
– Section 7: federal agency consultation process
– Section 9: prohibited acts (“take”)
– Section 10: take permits

• Goals and objectives
• Geographic coverage
• Covered species
• Biological goals and objectives
• Covered activities
• Permit duration
• Impacts on species
• Conservation measures
• Expected outcomes with measures
• Monitoring
• Adaptive management
• Assurances requested
• Amendment process
• Changed circumstances and remedial measures
• Unforeseen circumstances
• Alternatives to take

• Meet or help meet recovery
• Protect habitat on a landscape level
• Preserve ecological integrity
• Support sustainable populations
• Sustain movement
• Minimize and fully mitigate
• No jeopardy
• Adequate funding
• Independent science advisors
• Public participation
• Consistency with Planning
Agreement

• Similar planning process, with emphasis on scientific input and public participation
• Similar required components, including impact avoidance/minimization, monitoring, and adaptive management
• Similar approval criteria for take authorization

• Generally, more “shalls” in NCCP Guidelines than in HCP
Guidelines
• Planning agreement required for NCCP; often used but not a requirement for HCPs
• Interim project review process required while NCCP is being prepared; review consistent with federal policy but not required for HCPs
• NCCPs typically must be regional in scale; HCPs can cover large or small areas

• Provide guidance and advise on what you perceive as
“workable” and “not workable” with the NCCP/HCP
• Provide recommendations on how to make the NCCP/HCP as effective as possible

• Completed land cover mapping
• Selected covered species
• Selected covered activities
• Prepared draft impact analysis
• Preparing draft conservation strategy
• Preparing conditions and requirements
• Preparing cost analysis
• Preparing for NEPA/CEQA process
• Approximately 2 years to complete process

• Sutter County
• Yuba County
• Yuba City
• Live Oak
• Wheatland
• Caltrans is a possible future participant
• Levee and reclamation districts opted out – Section 7 nexus
• Marysville has no plans for growth or funds to participate

Land Cover Type
Agricultural
Alfalfa
Irrigated Pasture
Orchards
Other Woody Vegetation
Rice
Row Crops
Vineyards (includes kiwi and other vine crops)
Aquatic
Lacustrine
Riverine
Wildland
Annual Grassland
Blue Oak Savanna Woodland
Fresh Emergent Wetland
Riparian Forest (25-100% shrub and tree >25% mature tree)
Riparian Scrub (25-100% shrub and tree < 25% mature tree)
Valley oak Savanna Woodland (> 10% tree cover)
Vernal Pool Complex
Developed
Barren and Disturbed Lands
Rural Residential (<= 1 unit per acre)
Urban Parks_Golf Course (presense of landscaping)
Urban Riparian_Forest (at least 1/2 perimeter bounded by development
Urban_Suburban (>1 unit per acre)
Urban Wetland (at least 1/2 perimeter bounded by development)
Grand Total

• All actions that could result in take for which the permit will be applicable
• Limit covered activities to those under control of the Permittees
• General description of actions within the Plan Area
• Specific projects
• Ongoing operation and maintenance
• Restoration, habitat enhancement, and monitoring
• Excluded activities

• Location: Occur within the plan area.
•
Timing: Activity is scheduled to occur within the permit term.
• Impact: The activity has a reasonable potential for take.
•
Participant: Discretionary authority over covered activities.
• Definition: Location, size, and other relevant aspects can be defined.
•
Practicability: Consideration of schedule and cost.
• Covered Activities handout Table 1

• Importance of agricultural crops
• Importance of grasslands
• Importance of wetlands and riparian corridors
• Importance of vernal pool complexes
• Other habitat elements

• Purpose: Identify species for which the Plan participants will need take coverage
•
Range: Species in the geographic range
• Status: Listed species; non-listed species with the potential for listing; and other important species
•
Impact: Species affected by the project (take?)
• Data: Are data sufficient to evaluate impacts and develop conservation measures?
• Plus:
Natural communities
– which are essential to protect wildlife resources and allow for appropriate growth
• Covered Species and Communities handout Table 2

• Chapter 1. Introduction
– Overview
– Scope
– Regulatory Setting
– Groups Involved
– Organization
• Chapter 2. Land Use and Covered Activities
– Land Use
– Covered Activities and Projects
– Project and Activities Not Covered
• Chapter 3. Physical and Biological Resources
– Data Collection
– Setting (Physical Characteristics, Veg. Communities, Covered Species)

• Chapter 4. Impact Assessment and Levels of Take
• Chapter 5. Conservation Strategy
• Chapter 6. Conditions on Covered Activities
• Chapter 7. Monitoring and Adaptive Management Program
• Chapter 8. Plan Implementation
• Chapter 9. Funding
• Chapter 10. Assurances
• Chapter 11. Alternatives to Take

• Questions?
• Missing information?
• Other suggestions?

• Sutter County General Plan Update
• Yuba County General Plan Update
• City of Yuba City
• City of Live Oak
• Wheatland

• Total – 33,128 acres
• Agricultural Land-cover Types – 23,880 acres
– Alfalfa – 5.7%
– Irrigated Pasture – 16.4%
– Orchard – 12%
– Rice – 2.6%
– Row crops – 6.5%
• Non-Agricultural Land-cover Types – 9,248 acres
– Annual grassland – 24.6%
– Riparian – 1-7.4%
– Valley oak savanna woodland – 10.8%
– Vernal pool complex – 11.3%

• Sutter County
• Yuba County
• City of Yuba City
• City of Live Oak
• Wheatland
• Transportation projects

• Are there areas identified for growth that are of particular concern?
• Thoughts about timeframe for growth?
• Thoughts about variation in growth slated for participants?
• Other comments or thoughts?

• Principles of Conservation Biology
– Reserve design: size, shape, composition, buffers, spatial relationships, management, appropriate uses (e.g., recreation)
– Connectivity (corridors, barriers, species specific, movement, gene flow)
• Specific ecological requirements of species
– Specific habitat and microhabitat requirements (breeding, feeding, spawning, nesting)
– Movement capabilities and requirements (migration)
– Minimum viable population size (demography)
– Population structure, genetic variation, and gene flow

Determine Target
Species and Habitats
Collect Biological
Data
Extrapolate Across
Plan Area with
Models
Identify Existing
Preserves
Conservation
Strategy
Cornerstone
Preserves
Biological
Landscape
And GAPs in Habitat
Protection
Priority
Conservation
Areas
Acquisitions, Easements,
Incentives, Monitoring,
Management
Covered
Activities

Mostly Complete
Determine Target
Species and Habitats
Collect Biological
Data
Identify Existing
Preserves
Cornerstone
Preserves
Conservation
Strategy
Current
Phase
Biological
Landscape
Acquisitions, Easements,
Incentives, Monitoring,
Management
Extrapolate Across
Plan Area with
Models
And GAPs in Habitat
Protection
Priority
Conservation
Areas
Covered
Activities

Habitat Types
Riparian Scrub
Riparian Forest
Fresh Emergent Wetland
Moderately
Well
Protected
Riverine
Annual Grassland
Poorly
Protected
Lacustrine
Barren and Disturbed Lands
Vernal Pool Complex
Blue Oak Savanna Woodland
Valley oak Savanna Woodland
Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Type 4
25%
25%
17%
12%
12%
10%
46%
1%
3%
3%
0%
1%
61%
62%
36%
86%
7%
4%
3%
0%
0%
0%
1%
5%
7%
1%
3%
0%
1%
0%
0%
0%
0%
2%
90%
91%
89%
99%
97%
98%

• Results have also been analyzed by each CPU
• Have also been conducted for modeled species
• Gap analysis being used to develop and prioritize goals and objectives
• Conservation strategy will include criteria for each CPU to acquire, enhance, and/or restore habitat to meet conservation goals

• Primarily easements from willing landowners
• Focus on key species that meet multiple objectives:
– Swainson’s hawk
– Giant garter snake
– Grasslands/vernal pool complexes
• Focus on key communities:
– Riparian corridors
– Agriculture
• Rice and its associated water supply
• Row crops supporting foraging and nesting
– Grasslands

• Framework of easements seem workable?
• Thoughts about Conservation Planning Units?
• Thoughts about where conservation should occur?
• Other comments and thoughts?

• Comments from the public?

• Recommended agenda items:
– Comments on first several chapters – covered activities/species
– Additional impact discussion
– Additional conservation strategy discussion
– Next steps