SCH Number 2023030471

Project Info

Title

City of Santee Multiple Species Conservation Plan (MSCP) Subarea Plan

Description

The proposed project is the Santee MSCP Subarea Plan, which implements the MSCP Subregional Plan for the City of Santee. The intent of the Plan is to balance urban growth in certain undeveloped areas of the City with the preservation of wildlife habitat supporting sensitive plant and animal species. The Plan would allow for future private and public development to occur within these undeveloped areas by requiring land to be set aside and managed for permanent open space at levels acceptable to the USFWS and CDFW. The Plan comprehensively addresses how the City will conserve species pursuant to the NCCP Act of 1991, CESA and ESA.The future adoption of the Plan would allow the transfer of take permitting authority to the City by which landowners obtain federal and State authorizations for the take of certain listed rare, threatened, or endangered species, while at the same time permanently protecting and managing sufficient land to preserve these species within the subregion. The Plan analyzes 20 sensitive species that would be "covered" under the Plan, defines "Covered Activities" and envisions a 2,263-acre Managed Preserve. The draft PEIR concluded that no significant and unavoidable impacts would result from the proposed Subarea Plan or alternatives, and all impacts were determined to be less than significant since the Subarea Plan does not specifically authorize or approve the Covered Activities. Covered Activities will be required to undergo separate City environmental review independent of the Subarea Plan, relying on the Subarea Plan to ensure compliance with the ESA and CESA.In order to receive take authorizations that can be conveyed to third parties under the City’s control, the City will certify the PEIR, adopt the Subarea Plan and Implementing Agreement between the City and Wildlife Agencies (IA) that will memorialize the terms of the Subarea Plan, promulgate a Habitat Loss and Incidental Take (HLIT) Ordinance that will define a permitting structure as to how to address biological impacts, and process a General Plan Amendment (GPA) that will incorporate the approved Subarea Plan by reference.

2 documents in project