The Endangered Species Act — a law at both the state and federal levels — was created to protect plants
and animals at risk of becoming extinct. These laws mandate protections for endangered species before new construction projects begin. Citizens representing diverse interests — including agriculture, builders and the environment — have partnered to design two conservation plans; one for western Riverside County and the other for the Coachella Valley. The western Riverside County Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) is the Blueprint component that would make it possible to plan future homes, highways and schools. In addition to publicly held open space, the goal of this effort is to preserve up to 153,000 acres of private property while protecting more than 140 plant and animal species. Special care is being applied to ensure the MSHCP is respectful of private property owners. To view the western Riverside County MSHCP online, visit www.RCIP.org. To view Coachella Valley’s MSHCP you can visit their website at www.co.riverside.ca.us/cvag/mshcp.

 This map provides a general
description of the proposed MSHCP conservation areas. The areas being considered for conservation are shown in BLUE. It should be noted that only 1/2 of the land depicted for potential conservation may be needed for the final plan.
  Undeveloped private property included in the conservation plan will only become part of the final reserve if the owner is willing to offer their land for conservation. No land will be taken through “eminent domain” and land offered for sale will be purchased at fair market value.
  Currently, the MSHCP is in the plan development stage, with environmental studies being conducted. The Draft plan will be released for public review by early summer 2002. For details about specific property being planned for conservation, visit the web site at www.RCIP.org.