Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority (wr-rca) Note: Acronyms used throughout the report can be

R1

The RCA Executive Board needs to ensure that all Board Members are adequately trained in the mission and operational mechanisms of The Plan. Board Members must fully understand their essential role as primary policy makers of the RCA. The Executive Board should develop timely evaluations of the performance of The Plan, and report on the progress of RCA in meeting its goals to the Board. They need to ensure that information about the long-term trends of this agency is understood by all Board Members. Board Lack of Awareness of Financial Pitfalls

R2

The Executive Board needs to direct the RCA staff to provide members of the Board with actionable information about the long term trends in income and land reserve. This will illuminate the concern about progress towards the land acquisition goal of The Plan. Over $1 Billion Dollars Will Be Needed Within the Next Ten Years!

R3

The Executive Board urgently needs to work with the RCA staff to identify all options anticipated in the 2017 Nexus report regarding the revision of the scheduled mitigation fees. In addition to other funding mechanisms, including loans and alliances with other federal agencies, the Board should explore other options to meet the overwhelming costs of future land acquisition. The Executive Board should make recommendations, provide justification for proposed mitigation rate increases and present other tax options to the entire Board for review and confirmation. Tax options are described in the 2008 Rand report. The Board should convene the Funding Coordination Committee, which is described in The Plan, Volume 1, Section 6.6.2.D, and meet with the wildlife agencies to address these common funding concerns. All agencies, including the wildlife agencies, need to improve collections to meet their land acquisition goals. Endowment Fund is Underfunded

R4

The Executive Board should require the RCA staff to propose options for building the endowment fund to the level of $70,000,000 to support habitat monitoring and maintenance for the remaining 50 years of The Plan. The RCA management staff needs to clearly report on the level of the underfunded endowment reserves for future protection of the MSHCP lands in conjunction with the quarterly budget reports. While it is possible to delay the accumulation of an endowment fund for future habitat monitoring and maintenance, doing so would reduce the time needed to reach the land acquisition goal. It would be a risky option since recent fee collections have been so low. The entire Board needs to be aware of the status of resources needed to complete the acquisition of the land reserve and the endowment to support the maintenance of the future expansive land reserve. They should review proposals to seek nonprofit funding to build up the endowment. Efficiencies of Outside Contractors vs. In-House Staff

R5

RCA management staff should review the use of internal staffing versus the use of many costly outside contractors. More biological assessment and land acquisition activities could be brought in-house. Trained in-house staff could handle more basic biological assessment and land acquisition duties. Many fees paid to outside contractors could be reduced by efficient use of internal staffing. Insufficient Financial Commitment for Maintenance & Security of Habitat Reserve

R6

Shift resources to add more contract land management park rangers. Coordinate with County Sheriff and Code Enforcement Departments to assist park rangers in controlling on-going damage to the habitat reserve from trespassers, mountain bikes and excess motor sport vehicles, as well as homeless encampments. Seek available grants from California Off- Highway Motor Vehicle Registration for management of OHV recreation and security. Use funds for posting signage and limiting vehicle access into the preserve and for repairs on the expanded acreage of protected lands. Legislative Solutions for Funding Are Far From Certain

R7

Review the effectiveness and over-reliance on K-Street lobbyists as a source of needed future fundings. Consider integration of RCA habitat lobbying with other County lobbying efforts. Lack of Public Understanding

R8

RCA should improve outreach efforts to the general taxpaying, voting public. Provide public education about the RCA’s conservation mission and build a public constituency of those who may be asked to approve future funding mechanisms to support its goals. Create public understanding of the importance of this conservation plan in reducing delays in the development of public infrastructure projects and the value of protecting the habitat for endangered species. More Useful Annual Reports

R9

The Annual Report should serve as a benchmark to be used for evaluating compliance with The Plan requirements and goals. The report should provide graphic description of the RCA’s progress towards The Plan conservation goals. It should identify significant issues in The Plan implementation and proposed remedies for concerns which may delay implementation. Copies of the Annual Report should be made available to the public and presented at an open workshop where they may comment. Consolidation of Duplicate Bureaucracy

R10

The consolidation of RCA within an existing multi-city management structure would provide:  Operational improvement  Reduction of duplication of bureaucracy  Cost reduction  Increased public visibility  Increased financial oversight WRCOG could serve this function, as Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) does for Coachella Valley Conservation Commission (CVCC). Acronyms CDFW – California Department of Fish and Wildlife CVAG – Coachella Valley Association of Governments CVCC – Coachella Valley Conservation Commission ESA – Endangered Species Act of 1973 16 U.S.C § 1531 et. seq. HCA – Western Riverside Habitat Conservation Agency HANS – Habitat Evaluation and Acquisition Negotiation Strategy JPA – Joint Powers Authority K Rat – Kangaroo rats are small rodents of genus Dipodomys that are native to western North America. The common name derives from their bipedal form. They hop in a manner similar to the much larger kangaroo, but developed this mode of locomotion independently. Stephens' kangaroo rat (Dipodomys stephensi) is endemic to the Southern California region of the United States, primarily in western Riverside County. The natural habitat of Stephens' kangaroo rat is sparsely vegetated temperate grassland. This habitat has been destroyed or modified for agriculture, therefore the Stephens' kangaroo rat is listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. K Rail – A Jersey barrier is also known in the western United States as K-rail, a term borrowed from the California Department of Transportation specification for temporary concrete traffic barriers, or colloquially as a Jersey bump. K Street – A major thoroughfare in the United States capital of Washington, D.C. known as a center for numerous lobbyists and advocacy groups. In political discourse, "K Street" has become a metonym for Washington's lobbying industry since many lobbying firms were traditionally located in the section in Northwest Washington. MSHCP – Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan; often referred to as The Plan OHV – Off Highway Vehicle Attachment #1 – 14 RCA – Abbreviated term for WR-RCA City Members are: Banning, Beaumont, Calimesa, Canyon Lake, Corona, Eastvale, Hemet, Jurupa Valley, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Norco, Perris, Riverside, San Jacinto, Temecula, Wildomar as well as the unincorporated areas of the County of Riverside SAWA – Santa Ana Watershed Association The Plan – the short name used for MSHCP TUMF – Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee USFWS – United States Fish and Wildlife Service WIFIA – Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act WRCOG – Western Riverside Council of Governments WR-RCA – Western Riverside Regional Conservation Authority Report Issued: 06/26/2019 Report Public: 06/28/2019 Response Due: 09/30/2019 Attachment #1 – 15