On September 22, 2016, the Governor signed Assembly Bill 2087 which created CA Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Regional Conservation Investment Strategy pilot program (Program). The Program went into effect on January 1, 2017 and is administered by CDFW's Habitat Conservation Planning Branch in Sacramento.
RCISs are a voluntary, non-regulatory, and non-binding conservation planning tool designed to incentivize and guide investments toward natural resource conservation and climate resilience. The RCIS Program uses a science-based approach to identify conservation and enhancement opportunities that, if implemented, will help California's declining and vulnerable species by protecting, creating, restoring, and reconnecting habitat and may contribute to species recovery and adaptation to climate change and resiliency.
In November 2019, the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife approved the Santa Clara County RCIS (SCCRCIS), the first such plan in California. The SCCRCIS promotes the conservation of sensitive species, habitats, and other natural resources within Santa Clara County. The SCCRCIS includes goals and objectives for wildlife and habitat conservation, as well as actions and priorities which can guide investments in ecological resource conservation and potential opportunities for compensatory mitigation for impacts to species and other natural resources.
SCCRCIS
Those actions will benefit the conservation of focal species, habitats, and other natural resources and they may be used as a basis to provide advance mitigation through the development of credits (See Mitigation Credit Agreements below). Examples of potential RCIS conservation and habitat enhancement actions include, but are not limited to:
The development of RCISs does not create, modify, or impose regulatory requirements or standards, regulate land use, establish land use designations, or affect the land use authority of a public agency. Once approved by CDFW, an RCIS may be valid for up to 10 years. CDFW may extend the duration of an approved or amended RCIS for an additional 10 years provided the RCIS is updated to include new scientific information and the RCIS continues to meet the Program’s requirements as outlined in Fish and Game Code (Chapter 9, Section 1850, et seq.).
The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (Authority) worked closely with a Steering Committee including representatives from The Nature Conservancy, Valley Transportation Authority, Valley Habitat Agency, State Coastal Conservancy, Conservation Strategy Group and others to develop the SCCRCIS.
The SCCRCIS Study Area covers the entirety of Santa Clara County and identifies conservation goals, priorities, and actions to protect endangered species, acquire land, restore habitat, and install wildlife crossings.
The SCCRCIS also identifies planned infrastructure works in the County, including major transportation, water, transmission, and renewable energy projects. The SCCRCIS provides valuable information for infrastructure agencies to consider how strategic conservation investments could be made in advance of future project impacts to fulfill mitigation requirements, expedite project timelines, and generate effective conservation outcomes at a regional scale.
