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Development Services Department, Planning Services Division, recommending the Board receive the proposed Scope of Work for Pine Hill Preserve Memorandum of Understanding and Rare Plant Conservation Plan, and provide direction to staff to conclude negotiations with Science Applications International Corporation and return to Board with a contract for same.
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RECOMMENDED ACTION: Development Services recommending the Board review and approve the proposed scope of work and direct staff to conclude contract negotiations with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and bring the contract to your Board for consideration at the earliest opportunity.
Background:
As directed by your Board, a scope of services, budget, and schedule has been prepared by SAIC to resolve rare plant conservation and mitigation issues through preparation of a Rare Plant Conservation Plan/MOU. The rare plants involved are the eight plant species endemic to gabbro soils within the Pine Hill Preserve area (see attached summary of the history of rare plant mitigation issues for further background information).
The scope of services envisions that the County would develop a conservation plan and implementation strategy that would address baseline conditions, process between agencies, obligations and outcomes, and achieve consensus on a conservation and mitigation strategy. The end process would result in an MOU between the County, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the State Department of Fish and Game as originally envisioned by the County when it adopted ordinances implementing the Ecological Preserve and related mitigation fee program. The MOU would be subject to Section 7 consultation with the FWS. Through the Section 7 consultation process, FWS would prepare a biological opinion on the conservation plan resulting in an incidental take authorization for any rare plants within the project area that may be affected by future development.
The work schedule p...
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