The Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority (RCA) was created in 2004 to achieve one of America’s most ambitious environmental efforts, the Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP). The Plan protects 146 native species of plants, birds, and animals, and preserves a half-million acres of their habitats. Saving land and protecting these species keeps our economy healthy. Development projects can thrive, crucial road and transportation projects can move forward, and infrastructure, the basics needed for a strong economic backbone, can grow, all without sacrificing our region’s environment and quality of life.
The numbers show RCA’s success in achieving MSHCP goals. The Plan covers 1.26 million acres and has the goal of setting aside 40%, or 500,000 acres for preservation by 2029. When the Plan was adopted it included 347,000 acres of public or quasi-public lands, leaving 153,000 acres to be acquired. Today, 81% of the goal for reserves is in place and protects the broad spectrum of plants and animals that live there.
