Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the goals of the Yolo Natural Heritage
Program?
The Yolo Natural Heritage Program goals are to conserve Yolo County’s
natural heritage with its broad array of native species and habitats;
to support the long-term viability of the County’s agricultural
economy; to promote smart, sensible economic growth and development; to
protect natural areas and features that help define the character of
Yolo County; and to preserve key open space areas and enhance
opportunities for recreation.
Why is the Yolo Natural Heritage Program Important?
California supports the richest diversity of plants and animals in the
country and the growing California population and expanding economy are
rapidly changing the landscape. These changes require
balancing the needs of our natural heritage with the needs of our
residents. Local governments in Northern California are
responding with conservation plans to ensure protection of biodiversity
for generations to come. The Yolo Natural Heritage Program
will be the conservation plan to protect the natural wealth of Yolo
County for future generations.
What Will the Plan Achieve?
The plan will provide a comprehensive, scientifically-sound plan to
ensure long-term conservation of Yolo County’s rare and sensitive
plants and animals. It will provide predictability,
streamlining, and efficiency to state and federal regulatory programs
that protect endangered species, and will demonstrate compatibility
between good agricultural and rangeland practices and species/habitat
conservation objectives. The plan will complement other Yolo
County efforts that protect and manage biodiversity, natural resources,
and open space, and will leverage local, state, and federal funding to
help achieve the goals of the planning process.
What Are the Conservation Benefits?
The planning process determines species needs in a strategic,
comprehensive process informed by science. The plan then
provides the tools to enable large, connected preserves that contribute
to the conservation of species to be assembled over time.
Unlike project-by-project mitigation, the plan provides a way to get
ahead of the curve and do meaningful conservation by allowing us to
plan for the needs of native species today before they are at risk.
What Are the Regulatory Benefits?
The Yolo Natural Heritage Program will provide a means for maintaining
compliance with state and federal endangered species laws for public
and private activities throughout Yolo County. The plan will
provide comprehensive regulatory coverage for currently listed
species and those that may be in the future, and will provide
regulatory assurances that guarantee landowners and others
predictability, reliability, and certainty regarding endangered species
regulation now and in the future.
