Yolo County Joint Powers Agency
Overview
The Yolo County NCCP/HCP Joint Powers Agency ("JPA") was formed in August 2002 for the purposes of acquiring Swainson's hawk habitat conservation easements and to serve as the lead agency for the preparation of a county-wide Natural Communities Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP), now known as the Yolo Natural Heritage Program. The JPA governing Board is composed of representatives from member Agencies, which include two members of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, one member each from the City Councils of Davis, Woodland, West Sacramento and Winters, and one ex-officio member from UC Davis.
- Yolo Natural Heritage Program.
The Yolo Natural Heritage Program is a county-wide Natural Communities
Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) for the 653,820
acre planning area. The Yolo Natural Heritage Program will
conserve the natural open space and agricultural landscapes that
provide habitat for many special status and at-risk species found within the habitats and natural communities
in
the County.
The Yolo Natural Heritage Program will describe the measures that will
be undertaken to conserve important biological resources, obtain
permits for urban growth and public infrastructure projects, and
continue Yolo County's rich agricultural heritage.
- Swainson's Hawk Interim Mitigation Fee
Program. Established in 1993, the program utilizes
mitigation fees to acquire conservation easements protecting Swainson's
hawk habitat. Currently, the JPA is pursuing several specific
opportunities with local farmers and other property owners. The JPA's
first transaction in July 2006 leveraged a 118-acre acquisition to
complete a 643-acre conservation easement on agricultural land just
north of the City of Davis. A second transaction completed in 2007
allowed the JPA to expand an existing 600-acre habitat easement by 200
acres. Pending transactions totaling 690 acres are expected to close
before the summer. Changes to the Swainson's Hawk Interim Mitigation
Fee program in 2006 (that require developers with projects over 40
acres in size to mitigate directly) have resulted in the protection of
an additional 1,027 acres of Swainson's hawk foraging habitat.
Advisors to the Joint Powers Agency
Steering Advisory Committee - assists in the preparation of the Yolo County HCP/NCCP
Technical Advisory Committee - makes site-specific recommendations to the JPA Board on interim management plans for Swainson's hawk
Independent Science Advisors - advises the JPA regarding science-based issues