Q. Why is the project necessary?

A. In the absence of an SSHCP, landowners have to negotiate individually with federal and state regulators to mitigate for habitat loss. The current process typically requires lengthy negotiations between the landowner and the regulators, costing both parties considerable time and money. Furthermore the current process is not beneficial to wildlife. It has resulted in fragmented habitats that are difficult to manage efficiently and are typically not large enough to provide long-term species protection.

Q. Who will be affected by the South Sacramento SSHCP?

A. The interest groups primarily affected by the SSHCP will be development and building communities. The SSHCP will provide the developer with regulatory relief by identifying up front the cost and time for complying with habitat regulations. Permit acquisition will be completed in months instead of years, and costs associated with legal negotiations, land holding and habitat maintenance and monitoring should also decrease.

Q. Where will development be permitted and where will preservation occur?

A. As holders of the Section 10 permit, the participating jurisdictions will regulate development and related activities within the plan area. Development will be concentrated within the County’s Urban Service Boundary (USB) and existing city limits and spheres of influence (as of 2005); an area termed the Urban Development Area (UDA). The majority of preservation will be focused outside of the UDA, but will also occur in core areas within the UDA that are of high conservation value. While habitat preservation goals for the SSHCP have been defined, core preservation areas are still being developed.

Q. Will landowners be required to sell their land to provide preserves for the SSHCP?

A. No, sale of private lands or other participation in the SSHCP, such as through conservation easements, is strictly voluntary.

Q. What regulatory permits will a project proponent require in addition to meeting the SSHCP fee requirement?

A. It is anticipated that the SSHCP will serve as an umbrella plan that will include compliance with federal and state Endangered Species Act permits (Sections 10 and 2081), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the California Environmental Quality ACT (CEQA), the Clean Water Act (Sections 404 and 401), and the California Department of Fish and Game’s streambed alteration agreement. No additional biologically related permits will be required; however a project proponent must still obtain standard land use permits through local agencies.

Q. How will the SSHCP reduce the cost of regulatory compliance?

A. The SSHCP will shorten the time frame for permit acquisition, which will allow developers to avoid paying interest on land loans while awaiting authorization. The one-time mitigation will be less costly than the cost of cumulative permits, including vernal pool and Swainson’s hawk permits and CEQA and NEPA take permits. Participation will ensure against additional costs as a result of future listings.

Q. How much will the SSHCP charge and what is the basis for the cost?

A. Mitigation options are being developed and cannot be determined until the economic analysis is complete. Through the economic analysis a mitigation structure will be established that takes into account the amount of land needed to create preserves and the costs associated with managing those preserves in perpetuity.