Agua Caliente Tribal Habitat Conservation Plan

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Agua Caliente Tribal Habitat Conservation Plan

• October 12, 2007
• Prepared by
• Margaret E. Park, Director of Planning Natural
  Resources
• Tribal Planning Development Department

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Why a Tribal Habitat Conservation Plan (THCP)?

• A voluntary Tribal Action
• Protect/manage biological resources
• 21 animals and 3 plants
• Exercise Tribal sovereignty
• Tradition as land use managers
• Stewards of the land
• Streamlines Endangered Species Act compliance and
  eliminates piecemeal approach

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What is a THCP?

• Identifies plants/animals to be protected
• Identifies habitat to be conserved
• Establishes mitigation for future land
  development
• To permit incidental take of endangered
  wildlife as Reservation develops

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VFCA
MCCA
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Valley Floor Conservation Area (VFCA)

• GOAL conserve 1506 acres
• Development allowed with payment of 5,730/acre
  fee minimal reviews
• Extra restrictions near base of mountains to
  protect Peninsular bighorn sheep
• Section 6 sand field habitat acquisition
• Caseys June beetle conservation requirements

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VFCA Target Acquisition Areas (TAA)

• TAAs are conservation areas on and
  off-Reservation
• Allow maximum acquisition flexibility of best
  habitat

• Minimum conservation
• 25 active/ephemeral sand fields
• 25 stabilized sand fields
• 20 other habitat types

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VFCA Section 6 Sand Field Habitat

• Fringe-toed Lizard
• Palm Springs Pocket Mouse
• Coachella Valley milk-vetch

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Gene Autry Trail
Vista Chino
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Caseys June beetle

• Candidate for ESA listing
• Limited distribution
• Unknown life history
• Cooperative research with USFWS
• Development restrictions
• Land dedication requirements

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Mountains Canyons Conservation Area (MCCA)

• GOAL Conserve 19,375 acres
• Future development
• Conserve 85 of property 15 can be developed
  in mountains
• Pay THCP mitigation fee
• No net loss in riparian canyons and palm groves
• Cluster construction to minimize impacts
• Very low density and impact

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Peninsular Bighorn sheep

• Avoid impacts to Peninsular Bighorn sheep (PBS)
  lambing use areas
• Maintain a PBS movement corridor
• ¼ mi. buffer around water sources
• Seasonal restrictions
• Breeding
• Lambing

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MCCA Birds Bats

• Avoid impacts to canyons that provide water and
  vegetation for
• Least Bells vireo
• Summer tanager
• Southern Yellow Bat
• Seasonal restrictions
• Breeding
• Nesting
• Removing fountain grass and tamarisk

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MCCA - Frogs

• Mountain Yellow-legged frog
• California Red-legged frog

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How is habitat acquired for conservation?

• VFCA pay fee and develop
• Tribe buys land with fees and conserves it
  forever
• 4 ac developed 1 ac conserved
• MCCA dedicate land, pay fee
• Tribe maintains dedicated land and conserves it
  forever
• 1 ac developed 5.67 ac conserved

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How is habitat conserved?

• No development No conservation
• Willing sellers only
• 75 years to accomplish HCP goals

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How is conserved habitat managed?

• Research Adaptive management
• Habitat improvement
• Weed removal
• Revegetation with native plants
• Remove non-native animal species

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How is conserved habitat managed?

• Tribal HCP Manager (new position)
• Staff Biologist (new position)
• Consulting biologists (as needed)
• Tribal Rangers
• Canyons Maintenance Crews
• Planners

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How is the Plan funded?

• Cash-flow analyses in Plan
• 1. Expected Build-out
• 220 acres/yr VFCA
• 3.75 acres/yr MCCA
• 2. Maximum Build-out
• 220 acres/yr VFCA
• 40.63 acres/yr - MCCA

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How is the Plan funded?

• Cash-flow analysis assumptions
• HCP Mitigation Fees to fund habitat acquisition
  5,730/acre
• Endowment established to fund conserved habitat
  2.14 earnings after inflation
• Tribal commitment credit for existing expenses

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How is the Plan funded?

• THCP Mitigation Fees
• 5,730/acre
• Will increase as needed for inflation, costs of
  Plan

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How is the Plan funded?

• Endowment Fund
• Revenue from land dedications
• Annual Plan net revenues added
• Year 40 Endowment fully-funded
• Endowment earnings 2.14 after inflation

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How is the Plan funded?

• Tribal Commitments
• Administration of Plan 208,000/yr
• Rangers, maintenance crews 556,000 /yr
• Ensure land is dedicated as development occurs
• At Year 75 of the Plan, the endowment fully funds
  all activities.

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Who benefits?

• Tribe
• Greater self reliance
• No perceived disadvantage vs. CVAG Plan
• Allottee land coverage
• 4,100 acres on valley floor
• 10,270 acres in mountains/canyons
• Developers
• Certainty of requirements
• Simpler process, one-stop shop at Tribal
  Government

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Next Steps

• 90-day public review October 12, 2007 January
  10, 2008
• Open House meeting November 8th
• U.S. Fish Wildlife Service must OK
• Expect OK in Fall 2008 including
• 10(a) Permit issued by Service
• Approved THCP
• Final EIS
• Implementation Agreement (Legal document)