Download Draft Planning Agreement Available for Public

Draft Planning Agreement Available for Public Comment
The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has made a proposed planning agreement available to the
public for review and comment. This agreement highlights and solidifies the cooperative partnerships that
DFG has developed with Yuba and Sutter counties, the cities of Yuba City, Live Oak and Wheatland, and
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop a natural community conservation plan (NCCP) covering
parts of Yuba and Sutter counties.
Pursuant to Fish and Game Code section 2810(d), the draft planning agreement will be available for
public review and comment until Dec. 13, 2011.
The primary objective the NCCP is to conserve natural communities at the ecosystem level while
accommodating compatible land use and economic activities. NCCP planning takes a broad-based
ecosystem approach to planning for the protection and perpetuation of biological diversity, and seeks to
anticipate and prevent controversies and streamline endangered species permitting by focusing on the
long-term stability of wildlife and plant communities and by including key interests in the process. As a
part of the NCCP implementation process, habitat reserves will be established for giant garter snake,
Swainsons hawk and other covered species.
The NCCP will also be prepared as a habitat conservation plan (HCP) under the federal Endangered
Species Act.
The proposed planning agreement is available on the DFG website at
http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=39871. The public may review and comment on the
proposed planning agreement before DFG approves it. Comments must be received by Dec. 13, 2011,
and may be e-mailed to at [email protected].
Comments may also be mailed or hand delivered to:
Jeb Bjerke, Environmental Scientist
Department of Fish and Game
1701 Nimbus Road
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670