Section 2801 Of Chapter 10. Natural Community Conservation Planning Act From California Fish And Game Code >> Division 3. >> Chapter 10.
2801
. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) The continuing population growth in California will result in
increasing demands for dwindling natural resources and result in the
continuing decline of the state's wildlife.
(b) There is a need for broad-based planning to provide for
effective protection and conservation of the state's wildlife
heritage while continuing to allow appropriate development and
growth.
(c) Natural community conservation planning is an effective tool
in protecting California's natural diversity while reducing conflicts
between protection of the state's wildlife heritage and reasonable
use of natural resources for economic development.
(d) Natural community conservation planning promotes coordination
and cooperation among public agencies, landowners, and other private
interests, provides a mechanism by which landowners and development
proponents can effectively address cumulative impact concerns,
promotes conservation of unfragmented habitat areas, promotes
multispecies and multihabitat management and conservation, provides
one option for identifying and ensuring appropriate mitigation that
is roughly proportional to impacts on fish and wildlife, and promotes
the conservation of broad-based natural communities and species
diversity.
(e) Natural community conservation planning can provide for
efficient use and protection of natural and economic resources while
promoting greater sensitivity to important elements of the state's
critical natural diversity.
(f) Natural community conservation planning is a voluntary and
effective planning process that can facilitate early coordination to
protect the interests of the state, the federal government, and local
public agencies, landowners, and other private parties.
(g) Natural community conservation planning is a mechanism that
can provide an early planning framework for proposed development
projects within the planning area in order to avoid, minimize, and
compensate for project impacts to wildlife.
(h) Natural community conservation planning is consistent with,
and will support, the fish and wildlife management activities of the
department in its role as the trustee for fish and wildlife within
the state.
(i) The purpose of natural community conservation planning is to
sustain and restore those species and their habitat identified by the
department that are necessary to maintain the continued viability of
those biological communities impacted by human changes to the
landscape.
(j) Natural community conservation planning is a cooperative
process that often involves local, state, and federal agencies and
the public, including landowners within the plan area. The process
should encourage the active participation and support of landowners
and others in the conservation and stewardship of natural resources
in the plan area during plan development using appropriate measures,
including incentives.