Yolo County Habitat/Natural Community Conservation Plan JPA

The Yolo County Habitat Conservation Joint Powers Agency (JPA) was formed in August 2002 for the purposes of acquiring habitat conservation easements and to serve as the lead agency for the preparation of a Natural Communities Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan for all of Yolo County. The JPA governing Board is comprised of representatives from Member Agencies which include two members of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, one member from each of the City Councils of Davis, Woodland, Winters and West Sacramento, and one ex-officio member form UC Davis. No mitigation land has been acquired even though the JPA has collected mitigation fees for 2600 acres of development.

Mid 2005, the Friends of the Swainson’s Hawk asked the Yolo County JPA to suspend use of a fee option for mitigation of Swainson’s Hawk impacts of development in Yolo County. FOSH also commented to individual cities requesting the fee option not be used for current development proposals.

On January 9, 2006, the Yolo County Habitat JPA adopted a new policy and new fee substantially in compliance with FOSH's request. The new policy requires land dedications for projects of 40 acres or more and a higher fee per acre for smaller projects. FOSH will continue to participate in the CEQA process for large projects to ensure that mitigation lands are acquired before grading permits are issued, a proviso not included in the JPA's revised policy.

For more information about Yolo JPA, go to their web site at http://www.city.davis.ca.us/yolohabitatjpa/

Yolo County is quintessential Swainson's Hawk territory.