Mid-Sacramento Valley Regional Conservation Investment ...Introduction (Meegan Nagy, RD 108)...

March 20, 2018

2:00-3:30 PM

Meegan NagyAaron GabbeKatie Riley

Mid-Sacramento Valley Regional Conservation Investment Strategy

Public Meeting

Reclamation District 108 Office

Colusa, CA

Introduction (Meegan Nagy, RD 108)

Mid-Sacramento Valley Regional Conservation Investment Strategy

(RCIS) (Aaron Gabbe, ICF)

Voluntary Mitigation Credit Agreements (Katie Riley, Environmental

Incentives)

Question and Answer Session

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MID-SACRAMENTO VALLEY REGIONAL CONSERVATION INVESTMENT STRATEGY

Presentation Overview

Upper & Mid Sacramento Regional Flood Management Planning

Regional Flood Management

Planning

March 20, 2018


WHAT IS REGIONAL FLOOD MANAGEMENT PLANNING?

• Locally driven assessment of regional flood risks• Local ideas for reducing identified flood risks• Follow up to Central Valley Flood Protection

Plan• Common interests & goals• RFMP provides a vision for a flood-safe region

– Identifies opportunities for flood-risk reductions– Prioritized list of actions


WORKING LANDS PILOT PROGRAM• Objective to remove barriers to project

implementation by developing advanced mitigation opportunities.

• Mid & Upper Sacramento Regional Flood Management Planning Group and Environmental Defense Fund developed a proposal to design and implement a pilot program for advance and ongoing mitigation using the Central Valley Habitat Exchange


RFMP AND THE REGIONAL CONSERVATION INVESTMENT STRATEGY (RCIS)

• RCIS will aid implementation of RFMP flood-risk reduction measures– Provides incentives for landowners to propose

conservation actions for species in need of mitigation offsets from flood management projects


MAP


RCIS STEERING COMMITTEE

• RCIS development guided by Steering Committee – Reclamation District 108– Colusa County– Sutter County– Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency– California Department of Water Resources– California Natural Resources Agency– Sutter Bypass Water Users Association– Caltrans– Environmental Defense Fund– Environmental Incentives– Conservation Strategy Group


HOW TO STAY IN CONTACT

• www.musacrfmp.com– eNews registration– Documents – Meeting notices

• www.rd108.org– Documents– Meeting notices

[email protected]

RCIS Program Overview

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Mid-Sacramento Valley RCIS

Public Meeting

Mid-Sacramento Valley Regional Conservation Investment

Strategy (RCIS)

Program Overview and Origins

Overview of Regional Conservation Investment Strategies

Overview of the Mid-Sacramento Valley RCIS

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AB 2087 Signed by CA Governor Sept. 22, 2016; effective Jan. 1, 2017

Added to Section 1850-1861 of CA Fish and Game Code

Voluntary, non-regulatory program

Designed to:

Improve conservation planning and delivery

Streamline mitigation for public infrastructure projects

Be faster and less expensive tool than others available now

Unlock advance mitigation for the first time

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Regional Conservation Investment Strategy Program

Prepared by any public agency

CDFW approves an RCIS for up to 10 years (with 10-year extension options)

Once approved, Mitigation Credit Agreements can be authorized

Addresses species’ needs and mitigation (focal species) within a comprehensive

conservation strategy

Compatible with, not replacement of, Natural Community Conservation Plans

State tool, but could serve other regulatory needs

E.g., can be linked to other mitigation needs (water, air, carbon)

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Regional Conservation Investment Strategy

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RCIS Program Framework: Hierarchy

Regional Conservation Assessment

• Scale: Ecoregional or multi-county• Provides broad ecological context for RCISs• Few requirements for CDFW approval; flexible tool• Optional - not being done for Mid-Sacramento

Valley

Regional Conservation Investment

Strategy

• Scale: Multi-county, county, or sub-county• Conservation priorities for focal species• Modest requirements for CDFW approval; flexible• Required for Mitigation Credit Agreements

Mitigation Credit

Agreement

• Scale: watershed, multiple sites• Enables advance mitigation• Detailed requirements for CDFW

approval• Required to create mitigation

credits

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RCIS Program Framework: On the ground

Mitigation Credit Agreement

Describes:Conservation actions and

habitat enhancement actionsConnection to RCIS

conservation goals and objectivesService area Credit ledger and release

schedule

Includes: Conservation easement Long-term management funding Adaptive management and

monitoring strategy Performance standards and metrics


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Released in April 2017, slight revisions in June, 2017 and February 2018

Provide clarifications and recommendations for Regional Conservation Assessment (RCA) Regional Conservation Investment Strategy (RCIS) Describes what shall be included in an RCIS

Mitigation Credit Agreement Guidelines due out summer 2018 Mitigation Credit Agreement template Mitigation Project Proposal template

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RCIS Program Guidelines

Statewide RCIS Program – Current (2018)

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Statewide RCIS Program (2017-2021)

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Regional Conservation Investment Strategy Overview

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Public Meeting

Focal species

Landscapes, working lands and natural communities, and other natural resources

Pressures and stressors

Conservation goals, measurable objectives, and priority objectives

Conservation actions, habitat enhancement actions, and priority actions

Climate change adaptation opportunities

Best available science

Existing and future infrastructure and development

Adaptive management and monitoring framework

Existing mitigation and conservation banks

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RCIS Elements

Conservation Actions and Habitat Enhancement Actions

Examples:

Land acquisition and protection with easement

Habitat enhancement actions on working lands

Habitat restoration on private or public land

Installation of wildlife crossings

Fish passage barrier modification

Restoration of fish rearing habitat

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RCIS Approval Process

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WE ARE HEREFOR MSV RCIS

Initial Steps in MSV RCIS Process

Steering committee meetings

Determine strategy area

Select focal species

Assemble data for conservation analysis

Existing conservation plans

Land cover

Relevant physical conditions

Species occurrence

Infrastructure and development (current and future)

Working lands

Develop conservation strategy

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Initial Steps in the RCIS Process – Determine Strategy Area

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Great Central Valley in Colusa and Sutter Counties

DRAFT FOCAL SPECIES LIST

DRAFT RCIS Focal SpeciesMID-SACRAMENTO VALLEY REGIONAL CONSERVATION INVESTMENT STRATEGY

Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle Chinook Salmon (Fall/Late-Fall-, Winter-, and Spring-

Runs) Central Valley Steelhead Green Sturgeon Giant Garter Snake Western Pond Turtle Tricolored Blackbird Yellow-billed Cuckoo Swainson’s Hawk Bank Swallow

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Map natural resources – working lands and natural communities

Used to analyze habitats, wetlands, rivers, and identify conservation priorities

Basis for modeling species’ habitat

Compiled from existing datasets

Initial Steps in RCIS Process – Map Resources

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LAND COVER DATA

Initial Steps in RCIS Process – Model Focal Species’ Habitat

“Expert opinion models” to characterize distribution of a species, based on known occurrences and habitat affinity

Utility

Conservation planning at regional scale

Identify gaps in protected habitat

Inform conservation goals and objectives

Identify conservation priorities (e.g., where to focus conservation investment)

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Example –Giant Garter Snake Habitat Model


RCIS Document Outline

Chapter 1: Introduction Background and purpose Strategy area Focal species selection process

Chapter 2: Environmental and Land Use Setting Working lands and natural communities Focal species Existing and future infrastructure and development Threats and stressors to natural resources

Chapter 3: Conservation Strategy Conservation goals and objectives Conservation actions, habitat enhancement actions Conservation priorities Adaptive management and monitoring

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Chapter 4: Implementation RCIS updates and amendments MCA development process Mitigation banks

Chapter 5: References Technical Appendices As needed


Mid-Sacramento Valley RCIS Next Steps

Continued stakeholder outreach

Agency Draft #1: to CDFW in spring 2018

Agency Draft #2: to CDFW in late summer 2018

Public review period

Final RCIS expected end of summer/early fall 2018

Seeking volunteer partners for Mitigation Credit Agreements

Questions?

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Questions?

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3/22/2018Presentation Title

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Mid-Sacramento Valley Mitigation Credit AgreementsSupporting Working Lands & Species

KATIE RILEYSENIOR ASSOCIATE, WILDLIFE & LAND

ENVIRONMENTAL [email protected]

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Mitigation Credit AgreementsA New, Advance Mitigation Crediting Tool under the RCIS Program

Focused on two focal species compatible with working lands, with the potential to add more over time.

Mid-Sacramento Valley Mitigation Credit Agreement

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Mitigation Site Pilot Projects

August 2017 call for landowners interested in pre-project planning and technical assistance

Eight properties selected for initial HQT assessments and technical assistance

Next steps– Relevant HQT assessments this

winter/spring– Restoration and management plans

this summer

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Habitat Metrics

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3/22/2018 39http://cvhe.org/tools

Example Habitat AssessmentGiant Gartner Snake

Site Score Before Restoration Potential Site Score Post-Restoration

45% 85%

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Photo: Daniel Nylen

Scoping Credit Demand

Working with potential MCA credit buyers, with a focus on flood mitigation needs

Developing financing strategies for first MCA mitigation sites

Approx. bimonthly meetings with CDFW

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MCA Framework• Legal agreement signed by CDFW

& MCA Sponsor• Includes approved standards for

mitigation credit sites

Mitigation Site Proposals• Technical documents developed by

Mitigation Site Sponsors, approved by CDFW, MCA Sponsor

• For each Mitigation Site, provides details of habitat project, including long-term management

Species or Habitat Appendices

• Technical documents approved by CDFW

• For each species or habitat, defines standards and process for crediting, including metrics and RCIS alignment

Appendices & Templates

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Proposed Document Structure

Mitigation Site-specific Exhibits

Relatively static,

once approved

Updated with each new mitigation site or species/habitat added

Anticipated Deliverable Timeline

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT

Steering Committee review of proposed MCA Structure and

OutlineCDFW meeting – draft

content and key questions

MCA Draft Framework sent to Steering

Committee for review MCA Framework, including 1+ mitigation

site(s), sent to CDFW for review*

* Contingent on final approval of the RCIS

CDFW meeting (TBD)

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KATIE RILEYSENIOR ASSOCIATE, WILDLIFE & LAND

ENVIRONMENTAL [email protected]

QUESTIONS?

Mid-Sacramento Valley Regional Conservation Investment ...Introduction (Meegan Nagy, RD 108)...

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