Walker Canyon in Lake Elsinore is closed for poppy viewing until further notice to ensure safety of residents, visitors, and sensitive habitat. Click here for updates.

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Recreational Opportunities

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Species Spotlight

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MSHCP Fees

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The Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority (RCA)
manages one of the largest habitat conservation plan in the nation by:
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Environmental permits held by the RCA have helped improve Riverside County transportation by expediting freeway and road projects by as many as five years, saving taxpayers.

Latest News

71/91 Interchange Project Supports Continued Movement by Native Wildlife

The Riverside County Transportation Commission, along with project partners, kicked off construction of the 71/91 Interchange Project in Corona in January. Not only do commuters, residents, and freight vehicles use this interchange for travel between Riverside,...

Walker Canyon Temporarily Closed for Safety and to Preserve Local Habitat

Poppy bloom in Lake Elsinore expected to be smaller; avoid the areaWalker Canyon, the site of the California Poppy “Super Bloom” that drew thousands of visitors in 2019, is temporarily closed to visitors for safety reasons and to help protect sensitive habitat. The...

Board Elects Johnson RCA Chair for Third Term

The RCA Board of Directors unanimously appointed Lake Elsinore Mayor Natasha Johnson to a third term as RCA Chair last month. The RCA Board of Directors also elected Norco City Councilmember Kevin Bash as Vice-Chair. Since 2021, the RCA has spent nearly $27.5 million...

RCA Helps Expedite Construction of I-215 Placentia Avenue Interchange in Perris

Thanks to the RCA's streamlined environmental permitting process, the Riverside County Transportation Commission and project partners were able to speed up delivery of the newly opened Interstate 215 Placentia Avenue Interchange Project in Perris. The new interchange...

Add to Your New Year’s Resolutions: Day Trip to Lake Skinner

Are you daydreaming of rolling hills, a sparkling lake, hiking, and nature? Pack your fishing gear, bike, and snacks for a day trip to Lake Skinner Recreation Area near Temecula. Famous for the Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival, the site offers many...

The RCA Goes to Washington

If the least Bell’s vireo could fly to Washington, D.C. to ask federal officials to help protect its habitat in southern California, it would take flight. Fortunately for this endangered bird and other protected native plant and animal species in western Riverside...

USFWS Awards RCA Grant Funding to Acquire Habitat in Riverside County

The coastal California gnatcatcher, San Jacinto Valley crownscale, western spadefoot toad, spreading navarretia, Stephens’ kangaroo rat, and other endangered and threatened native animals and plants soon may have more protected habitat in Riverside County. The U.S...

The MSHCP Will Help Meet California 30×30 Initiative

The California Natural Resources Agency has embarked on an ambitious goal of conserving 30 percent of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. In April, the state released an implementation strategy to carry out this plan, which includes forging partnerships...

Species Spotlight: Endangered San Bernardino Kangaroo Rat Hops in Western Riverside County

Though named for our neighboring county to the north, the San Bernardino kangaroo rat makes its home within the western Riverside County MSHCP area of the San Jacinto River and Bautista Creek. This small rodent, a federally endangered species and a State Species of...

Route 91/Van Buren Blvd Interchange in Riverside has Helped Relieve Traffic Congestion

In the 1990s and early 2000s, driving east or west on Van Buren Boulevard to either March Air Force Base or what is now called Jurupa Valley was a long, slow trip. It required crossing the narrow and heavily congested Van Buren Blvd/91 interchange. A pizza delivery...