The Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority (RCA) was awarded $13.7 million in Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP) 30×30 grant funding by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The RCA implements the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) and utilized the grant funding to acquire 74 acres of land in the Silo Hills area near the city of Hemet.

“Silo Hills contains one of the last remaining vernal pool complexes in western Riverside County. Protecting these lands forever benefits our environment and future generations to explore and learn from,” said RCA Chair and Norco City Councilmember Kevin Bash. “I am thankful to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Service, the 30×30 program, and all the partners helping to bring funding to western Riverside County to protect our lands. Investment from our State is critical to the MSHCP’s success.”

​The $13.7 million will contribute to the State’s goal of conserving 30% of its land and coastal waters by 2030. Many species anticipated to be on the property are severely restricted in their global distribution due to their specific adaptations for this highly specialized and geographically limited habitat. The Silo Hills property will protect endangered and threatened species, such as the Riverside fairy shrimp and vernal pool fairy shrimp, that are specially adapted to life in vernal pools, one of the most threatened habitats in California. Several narrow endemic plant species such as the San Jacinto Valley crownscale, Davidson’s saltscale, and smooth tarplant are also supported by the vernal pool and alkali playa habitats at Silo Hills.

The RCA was created in 2004 to implement the MSHCP, one of the largest such plans in the nation. In addition to protecting native species, the MSHCP streamlines the environmental permitting process for needed infrastructure like transportation and housing.