The County of Sacramento hired PMC as the lead biological services consultant for the South Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan (SSHCP) in 2010.
The South Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan (SSHCP) will provide a regional approach to balancing development against conservation and protection of habitat, open space, and agricultural lands in approximately 374,000 acres within south Sacramento County, including the cities of Elk Grove, Galt, and Rancho Cordova.
The SSHCP will protect 30 species of plants and wildlife, including 10 that are listed as threatened or endangered under either the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), or both. The SSHCP also protects vernal pool, wetland, and stream habitats that are subject to the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and California's Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act.
The SSHCP also seeks a programmatic Streambed Alteration Agreement under Fish and Game Code Sections 1600, et seq. PMC is working closely with Sacramento County planners in order to develop a conservation strategy for 30 species of plants and animals that will ensure the continued survival of those plants and animals, while simultaneously accommodating private property rights and foreseeable future urban development. In order to accomplish this, PMC used sophisticated biological and geographical analyses to design a conceptual preserve system that maintains habitat connectivity, utilizes the most advanced habitat restoration and creation techniques, and incorporates active, adaptive monitoring and management of protected habitat. PMC biologists will continue working with Sacramento County to obtain the requisite approvals and permits from federal and state agencies in order to effectuate the SSHCP.