Urban Projects and Activities

This category of covered activities includes anticipated land uses in the four urban planning units – the Cities of Woodland, Davis, West Sacramento, and Winters – that are consistent with Permittee general plans. Specifically, the Yolo HCP/NCCP will cover the implementation of planned residential, industrial, commercial, mixed use, recreational and open space, and public/quasi-public land uses. Examples of such development include the construction of roadways and bridges, schools, and public parks.

 

Rural Projects and Activities

This category of covered activities includes planned land uses consistent with Permittee general plans within the 18 rural planning units and four secondary categories:

 

• General Rural development. This category covers the same, non-agricultural land uses as the Urban Projects and Activities category: residential, commercial, mixed use, recreational and open space, and public/quasi public. It also includes planned growth within the adopted growth boundaries for unincorporated communities and places identified in the Yolo County General Plan, vegetation management, and the implementation of integrated pest management programs.

 

• The Rural Public Services, Infrastructure, and Utilities. This category includes roadways and other transportation infrastructure; water, wastewater, and stormwater projects; energy generation and distribution facilities; municipal services and facilities; landfills, collection facilities, transfer stations; flood control facilities; levees; airports; ports; and other services, infrastructure, and utilities that serve planned land uses consistent with local general plans.

 

• Agriculture and Open Space Development. This category includes agricultural and open space uses and activities that occur outside of approved growth boundaries for unincorporated communities/places in rural planning units. This category is limited to Agricultural Industrial and Commercial, farm dwellings, and planned parks and open space land uses consistent with Yolo County General Plan. Though it does not cover general agricultural land uses and activities outright, they may be authorized under a Certificate of Inclusion if the project proponent qualifies as a Species Participating Entity.

 

• Aggregate Mining. The Yolo HCP/NCCP covers Aggregate Mining within the Cache Creek Area Plan (CCAP) boundary, consistent with the Off-Channel Mining Plan (OCMP). The OCMP and relevant implementing ordinances (i.e., the Off-Channel Surface Mining Ordinance and the Surface Mining Reclamation Ordinance) currently authorize seven off-channel mining operations. Activities under this category include the development of a mine site – clearing surface vegetation, processing mined rock aggregate, etc. – and site reclamation and restoration.

 

Public and Private Operations and Maintenance

This category covers activities that are necessary for the ongoing operation and maintenance (O&M) of existing and planned land uses, facilities, and services in both urban and rural planning units throughout the plan area. The covered O&M activities include those necessary for general rural and urban development; public services, infrastructure and utilities; roads, bridges, bike lanes, and multi-use pathways; flood control facilities; solar energy facilities; and utilities.

 

Conservation Strategy Implementation

In addition to the activities and projects described above, the Yolo HCP/NCCP provides take authorization for the actions involved in the implementation of the plan’s conservation strategy. The plan covers all management actions required by the HCP/NCCP or other actions that might be necessary to achieve the specified biological goals and objectives; limited public access and recreation in the reserve system; habitat enhancement, restoration, and creation; and species surveys, monitoring, and research.

 

Neighboring Landowners Protection Program

With certain provisions and restrictions described in the plan, farmlands within one mile of a site that is part of the reserve system are eligible for take coverage during the course of routine agricultural activities. This take coverage is not automatic; qualified landowners must request it and be willing to have a baseline survey conducted on their property.