Approve the Notice of Acknowledgement with Granite Construction Company, Swainson's Hawk Conservation Easement with Cache Creek Conservancy, and the Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle Conservation Easement with Yolo Habitat Conservancy related to the County-owned Woodland Reiff Property near Cache Creek; and direct staff to proceed with steps necessary to enroll the Woodland Reiff property in the Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan and Natural Community Conservation Plan ("Yolo HCP/NCCP") reserve system. (No general fund impact) (Cook/Sabatini)

1.  Authorize the Board Chair to execute the Notice of Acknowledgement with Granite Construction Company;
    
2. Authorize the Board Chair to execute the Woodland Reiff Swainson's Hawk Conservation Easement with the Cache Creek Conservancy;
    
3. Authorize the Board Chair to execute the Woodland Reiff Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle Conservation Easement with the Yolo Habitat Conservancy; and
    
4. Direct staff to proceed with the steps necessary to enroll the Woodland Reiff property in the Yolo HCP/NCCP reserve system.

Sustainable Environment

On December 2, 2014, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors ("Board") adopted Resolution No. 14-126 supporting a conservation partnership with the Yolo Habitat Conservancy in connection with implementation of the Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan and Natural Community Conservation Plan ("Yolo HCP/NCCP").  The partnership envisioned donated easements on between 250 and 660 acres of County-owned land within the area covered by the Cache Creek Area Plan ("CCAP").

The 115.5-acre Woodland Reiff property (APN #025-350-035) is within the CCAP (Attachment A) and was previously transferred to the County by Granite Construction Company ("Granite") to satisfy Zone File #2007-071 ("Granite Esparto Mining and Reclamation Project") Condition of Approval #44 and Mitigation Measure 4.5-1c, as accepted by the Board on July 23, 2019.  The site contains foothill riparian, riverine, and grasslands habitat that supports the conservation of Yolo HCP/NCCP covered species.  County staff have coordinated with the Cache Creek Conservancy and Yolo Habitat Conservancy to ensure that the proposed conservation easements are consistent with the biological goals and objectives of the CCAP and the HCP/NCCP, while also being compatible with the goals and objectives of the Cache Creek Parkway Plan.

An existing endowment funded by Granite and held by the Cache Creek Conservancy will pay for on-going monitoring and management costs associated with the Woodland Reiff Swainson's Hawk Conservation Easement.  The Yolo HCP/NCCP will pay for on-going monitoring and management costs associated with the Woodland Reiff Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle Conservation Easement.

Staff recommends that the Board approve the proposed Notice of Acknowledgement (Attachment B); the Woodland Reiff Swainson's Hawk Conservation Easement (Attachment C); and the Woodland Reiff Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle Conservation Easement (Attachment D). 

The Notice of Acknowledgement recognizes that a total of 91 acres of the proposed Woodland Reiff Swainson's Hawk Conservation Easement area will count toward Granite's fulfillment of Swainson's hawk mitigation requirements related to the Granite Esparto Mining and Reclamation Project, and releases Granite's interest in the property so that the proposed conservation easements can be established.  The proposed conservation easements will count towards the fulfillment of the conservation commitments of the Yolo HCP/NCCP and support the partnership between Yolo County and the Yolo Habitat Conservancy as described in Resolution No. 14-126.

The Woodland Reiff Swainson's Hawk Conservation Easement will also fulfill the Swainson's hawk foraging habitat mitigation obligations for the Granite Esparto Long-Term Off-Channel Mining and Reclamation Project (Zone File #2007-071) and the Esparto Community Park and Aquatic Center (Zone File #2010-004). 

Both conservation easements follow the Yolo HCP/NCCP conservation easement template and have been approved by the Yolo Habitat Conservancy, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Cache Creek Conservancy
Granite Construction Company
Yolo Habitat Conservancy