RCA - Annual Report 2009

Western Riverside County
Regional Conservation Authority

Annual Report 2009

January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009

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Annual Report

The permits were issued on June 22, 2004 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Game. This Annual Report for the fifth full year of operation was prepared and published by the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority and addresses the activities of the RCA during the period of January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009.

Annual Report 2009 (35.1 MB) (PDF format)

APPENDIX A - RCA MSHCP Technical Reports

The following reports, methods, and procedures provide the information that was utilized or developed for the Annual Report 2009 covering the reporting period of January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009. This information is provided in a separate set of PDF documents due to the technical content and detail provided within these reports.

1. GIS Methods and Procedures

The document describes the files and process that was used to prepare the information for the Annual Report as well as the datasets used for rough step reporting and to develop the Habitrak Maps. The methodology of calculating the rough step vegetation, area plans, area plan sub units and jurisdictions for both losses and gains are described.

GIS Methods and Procedures 2009 (PDF - 24 Pgs)

2. Monitoring Survey Results and Reports

Separate documents and reports account for the survey activities undertaken by the Biological Monitoring Program for the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) during 2009. The Biological Monitoring Program monitors the distribution and status of the 146 Covered Species within the Conservation Area to provide information to Permittees, land managers, the public and the Wildlife Agencies (i.e. the California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). Monitoring Program activities are guided by the MSHCP Species Objectives for each Covered Species, the MSHCP information needs identified in Section 5.3 or elsewhere in the document, and the information needs of the Permittees.

Artificial Cover Survey Report 2009 (20 pgs) 1.44 MB

Carnivore Survey Report 2009 (33 pgs) 1.97 MB

Delhi Sands Flower-loving Fly (Rhaphiomidas terminatus abdominalis) Survey Report 2009 (30 pgs) 1.30 MB

Engelmann Oak (Quercus engelmannii) Recruitment Survey Report 2009 (22 pgs) 4.20 MB

San Diego Banded Gecko (Coleonyx variegatus abbotti) Survey Report 2009 (19 pgs) 1.79 MB

Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) Breeding Survey Report 2009 (30 pgs) 1.17 MB

Lake Birds Survey Report 2009 (25 pgs) 1.01 MB

California Beardtongue (Penstemon californicus) Detectability Project 2009 (23 pgs) 19.50 MB

Southwestern Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata pallida) Survey Report 2009 (17 pgs) 1.78 MB

Quino Checkerspot Butterfly (Euphydryas editha quino) Survey Report 2009 (52 pgs) 3.69 MB

Overwintering Raptor Survey Report 2009 (20 pgs) 1.11 MB

Rare Plants Survey Report 2009 (39 pgs) 3.93 MB

Stream Survey Report 2009 (19 pgs) 1.04 MB

Vegetation Community Survey Report 2009 (14 pgs) 1.14 MB

3. Report on Conservation Easement Lands received through 404 Permits
The RCA is required by the Army Corp of Engineers to provide a report each year on the activities concerning all conservation easements that were created through 404 permits

Monitoring of 404 Permit Lands 2009 (9 pgs) 15.8 MB

4. Habitrak Reports
The MSHCP and Implementing agreement requires that the RCA use Habitrak or a methodology consistent for reporting. The annual report was developed utilizing the methodology using GIS as described in Appendix A - 1. GIS Methodology, Process and Procedures of the Annual Report. The analysis, tables, reports and maps for both the Annual Report and Habitrak Map Formats were developed using these GIS datasets. The following reports and maps provide detail information on the projects and data assembled for reporting and summarized in the annual report.

The original Habitrak Application creates a series of tabular reports in a line by line listing of projects and permits selected information from the gains or losses information from each reporting year. In the 2005 Annual Report, these four tabular reports were created from the GIS shape files using the Crystal Reports application provided with ESRI ArcGIS and they consisted of a total of 1191 pages.

Due to the large number of records reported on each year for the Annual Report, these Gains and Losses reports as well as the Habitat Vegetation reports are not very easy to use or find individual records on projects. The RCA has attempted to structure and keep the GIS Shapefiles in a structure that could be used with the existing and revised Habitrak Applications if needed. Several options are provided below to examine the GIS data or recreate the tabular reports if needed:

Use the Crystal Reports in ESRI ArcGIS on the 2009 Gains and Losses files to create any reports needed.
Import the appropriate GIS Gains and Losses files into the Habitrak Application and use it to create the reports. We recommend a review of the Habitrak Documentation on attributes used in the application with the metadata on the attributes provided in this Annual Report before importing files. Some attribute/field names may need to be changed or field sizes may need to be adjusted.
Use ESRI ArcGIS, ArcView or ArcExplorer to geographically examine individual projects of interest and loss and gain records details.

Gains and Losses Maps
The Annual Report includes maps by Rough Step Areas for gains and losses within the MSHCP Criteria Cells. The following maps were developed in an 11" x 17" format by Rough Step Unit to show both the gains and losses within MSHCP Criteria Cells and for the surrounding areas of each rough step that cover the entire Western Riverside County MSHCP area.

Rough Step Unit Index Map for 2009 ( 696 KB)
WRC Rough Step Unit 1 - Gains and Losses 2009 ( 948 KB)
WRC Rough Step Unit 2 - Gains and Losses 2009 ( 972 KB)
WRC Rough Step Unit 3 - Gains and Losses 2009 ( 940 KB)
WRC Rough Step Unit 4 - Gains and Losses 2009 ( 683 KB)
WRC Rough Step Unit 5 - Gains and Losses 2009 ( 964 MB)
WRC Rough Step Unit 6 - Gains and Losses 2009 ( 1.10 MB)
WRC Rough Step Unit 7 - Gains and Losses 2009 ( .98 MB)
WRC Rough Step Unit 8 - Gains and Losses 2009 ( 984 KB)
WRC Rough Step Unit 9 - Gains and Losses 2009 ( 819 KB)

Western Riverside County - Permits and Project Losses -June 22, 2004 through December 31, 2009. Two maps for the entire Western Riverside County MSHCP Area have been created. The plotter ready maps consist of two PDF files of for a map that is 36" x 48". The first PDF is at a resolution of 300dpi the second PDF is at a resolution of 600dpi.
Gains and Losses June 22,2004 through December 31, 2009 Wall Map (4.69 MB)
Gains and Losses June 22,2004 through December 31, 2009 Wall Map (40.9 MB)

5. Clerical Amendments to the MSHCP
The MSHCP and Implementing agreement requires that the RCA report any clerical amendments or changes to the MSHCP Documents.

The RCA did not process or identify any clerical amendments to the MSHCP in 2009.

6. Agricultural Operations Database Methodology, Metadata and GIS Files
The Implementation Agreement for the MSHCP in section 11.3 required that the RCA and County establish a Agricultural Operations database and report on agricultural activities such as agricultural grading permits issued each year. Agricultural grading permits are included within the GIS Loss files for each reporting year. For the 2009 Annual Report the agricultural operations data base was updated with the one Agricultural Certificate of Inclusion issued during 2009. The GIS files and current map as of 12/31/2009 are included as part of the Annual Report for 2009.
Agricultural Operations Map
Agricultural Operations Map 12/31/2009 100dpi (36" x 60") 5.33 MB

Agricultural Operations Map 12/31/2009 300dpi (36" x 60") 17.5 MB

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