Monterey County Regional Conservation Investment Strategy

1. Monterey County Regional Conservation Investment Strategy Stakeholder Catch-Up Webinar June 20, 2019

2. Welcome & Introductions • Diana Edwards, AECOM • Della Acosta, Rincon Consultants • Mike Zeller, Transportation Agency for Monterey County • Stakeholder Introductions

3. Agenda RCIS Overview Monterey County RCIS Vision Project Status Next Steps Discussion

4. RCIS Overview RCIS is a strategy with actions to achieve regional conservation through strategic, scientifically-grounded conservation investments. • Enabled by AB 2087 • Administered and approved by CDFW • Can be used as basis for mitigation credit agreements (MCAs)

5. RCIS Project Components • Engage Stakeholders and Steering committee • Establish Conservation Goals and Objectives • Identify Focal Species and Other Conservation Elements • Conduct Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment • Develop Conservation Priorities and Actions • Create Companion Webportal

6. Conservation Elements May benefit through conservation investments and Mitigation Credit Agreements. Focal species are identified and analyzed in an RCIS and will benefit from conservation/habitat enhancement actions in an RCIS. Other Conservation Elements (OCEs) are natural communities, biodiversity, habitat connectivity, ecosystem functions, water resources, and other natural resources. Non-Focal Species are associated with focal species or OCEs and will benefit from conservation actions in an RCIS.

7. Mitigation Credit Agreements (MCAs)? CDFW guidelines to be released this year Advance mitigation tool where implementing conservation/habitat enhancement actions identified in an RCIS creates mitigation credits MCAs may be used to fulfill compensatory mitigation requirements including the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), CDFW’s Lake and Streambed Alteration program, or the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Any entity may prepare an MCA, and can only be created within an approved RCIS area MCAs can be created for focal and non-focal species, and other conservation elements in an approved RCIS

8. Monterey RCIS Vision TAMC’s Priorities Measure X Funded by Caltrans SB 1 Grant

9. Monterey RCIS Vision Deliver strategic, scientifically-grounded conservation investmentswhile facilitating permitting of critical and resilient infrastructure

10. RCIS Timeline 2019 2020

11. Stakeholder Involvement • Guide conservation planning in Monterey County • Assist in developing conservation goals, objectives, priorities, and actions • Provide guidance on best available science and data within the county. • Identify focal/non-focal species and other conservation elements • Commitment: • Two 2-hour in-person meetings • 4-hour conservation strategy workshop • Receive monthly emails • Periodic deliverable review • One webinar

12. Steps to Date • Established Steering Committee • Project Website: https://www.tamcmonterey.org/programs/regional-conservation-investment-strategy/ • Developed RCIS Outline • Two In-person Stakeholder Meetings • Meeting with CDFW • Draft Focal Species List • Existing Conditions Underway

13. Next Steps • Draft Existing Conditions Report • Stakeholder Meeting in late July/early August • Final Focal Species List • Conduct Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment • Begin to Develop Conservation Strategies

14. Thank You Michael Zeller – Mike@tamcmonterey.org Diana Edwards – Diana.Edwards@aecom.com Della Acosta – dacosta@rinconconsultants.com