Training
It is important for all professionals charged with making evaluations of proposed projects to thoroughly understand the MSHCP and what is required by it.
These individuals include the staff of member agencies named in the original state and federal permits that enabled the MSHCP as well as consulting professional biologists charged with providing studies for projects being considered in area covered by the plan.
Members
In order to ensure that member agencies comply with the standards of the MSHCP, RCA provides training to member Agencies’ staff that covers:
- The overall contents of the MSHCP
- Responsibilities of members when evaluating projects
- Criteria to use when evaluating projects
- Understanding the requirements for biological surveys
- Understanding how projects are affected by reserve assembly requirements
- How to submit projects for Joint Project Review
- How the Joint Project Review process works
- How to submit a correct Joint Project Review application
- The Joint Project Review timeline
- The process of paying and remitting mitigation fees
- The current status of MSHCP implementation
Click below for a copy of the slide presentation used for this staff training. The training is offered every year.
MSHCP Permittee Implementation Manual
The RCA publishes a manual that is intended to be used by Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) Permittees to better understand that requirements for Plan implementation. This manual contains additional details of the Plan and its Implementation from what is covered under the annual training for the Permittees.
- Introduction
- Implementation Roles
- MSHCP Consistency Determination Process
- Making Consistency Determinations
- Annual Reporting
- Fee Collection and Reporting
- References
- Appendices
Click below for a PDF copy of the Implementation Manual.
Consulting Biologists
Consulting biologists hired to evaluate a project’s compliance with the MSHCP or to conduct species surveys need to understand what is required in order to successfully complete their contracts. RCA has developed training materials designed to explain the following:
- Requirements of the MSHCP
- Area covered by the plan
- Requirements for riparian/riverine areas and vernal pools
- Requirements for narrow endemic plant species surveys
- Requirements for criteria area species surveys
- Requirements for animal species surveys
- Requirements for evaluating urban/wildlands interfaces
- Requirements for species survey reports
- Requirements for Joint Project Review submissions
- Determining consistency with the MSHCP
- Requirements for evaluating a project’s relationship to reserve assembly objectives