Conserve habitat in order to streamline infrastructure
Fixing bridges, alleviating traffic, addressing the housing shortage and protecting the environment may seem like conflicting priorities.
In the same breath the state and federal governments are promoting unprecedented investments in infrastructure, while setting ambitious goals to reduce emissions and conserve our open space.
These goals and policies can often work against each other, but they don’t have to.
What if we told you that there is a way for open space conservation to spur infrastructure and real estate development and that it is already happening in western Riverside County?
The federal government limits species and habitat displacement from real estate and infrastructure development projects through the enforcement of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Typically, when projects might impact any listed species, the federal government must step in on a project-by-project basis to permit the development. Well, Riverside County is home to dozens of these animals while also one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States.
You can probably imagine how costly and time consuming the federal permitting process became for crucial infrastructure projects. But in 2004, Riverside County and 18 cities joined together as partners with the federal government to put an end to this cycle and develop the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP).
Administered by the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority (RCA) and managed by the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC), the MSHCP funds land acquisition, habitat management, and species monitoring.
Now, when the RCTC, the county, cities or homebuilders need to build infrastructure that moves our region forward, we have a plan.
Everyone has skin in the game — the federal government, the state of California, local agencies such as RCA, RCTC, and cities, as well as homebuilders.
As long as our community keeps special habitat areas set aside, the federal government no longer needs to micro-manage every single project; instead they are partners in our region’s growth. But with this plan comes a responsibility to purchase and set aside those habitat areas.
This wildlife preserve will total 500,000 acres running throughout western Riverside County and protect 146 plant and animal species. Almost 350,000 acres were already managed for conservation by the government and the RCA has already acquired over 63,000 acres.
The MSHCP has accelerated the development of countless projects since its inception in 2004, building vibrant communities, creating jobs, and saving millions of dollars for taxpayers and homebuilders alike. Thanks to HCPs, habitat conservation is inextricably linked to infrastructure development and is the key to our continued growth as a region, state, and nation.
We still have a long way to go to realize the promise of the MSHCP, and we are working with the federal government to get there.
That is why we developed H.R. 972, the Wildlife Refuge Conservation and Recreation for the Community Act.
Introduced on Feb. 11, this legislation would create a wildlife refuge in the MSHCP area for the benefit of public access and sustainable economic growth throughout Riverside County.
As Congress considers an infrastructure bill we are working together with our fellow Californians in the House and Senate to get this legislation across the finish line. The legislation already enjoys the support of Rep. Mark Takano, D-Riverside, who is an original cosponsor and partner in this effort.
The growing bipartisan consensus is that we must include H.R. 972 in the infrastructure package to protect our region’s species, preserve our open space, and grow our regional economy. Investing further in HCPs will foster a balance of continued growth and prosperity in communities nationwide with environmental sustainability. Sometimes, it is possible to have it both ways.
We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to set our community on a sustainable path toward economic growth and prosperity in perpetuity. Let’s get to work.