1998 AGN JAN 13 I14 - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY OF COLTON AGENDA REPORT FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF JANUARY 13, 1998 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council APPROVAL: Len Wood, Interim City Manager AVID R. `ZAMORA Community Development Director SUBJECT: DATE: Approval of Revised Memorandum of Understanding for the Multi -Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) December 17, 1997 BACKGROUND: On May 16, 1995, the Colton City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with San Bernardino County and 11 of the 15 cities within the San Bernardino Valley, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the State Department of Fish and Game, and several private utility companies, to prepare a Multi -Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP), for the San Bernardino Valley. The plan has not moved forward due to a lack of funds. However, the MOU is scheduled to terminate on December 31, 1997. Staff has been informed by San Bernardino County that they have recently received $400,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Although the funds will not complete the entire plan, they allow the County to proceed with biological and land use data collection that is required for this effort. Therefore, the County has requested that a revised MOU be approved by the City, that extends the termination date to December 21, 2000. DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The City of Colton and the other 11 affected cities in the San Bernardino Valley are participants in the effort to develop the MSHCP. As a participant in this effort, the City will be able to better define its role and responsibility in the development and implementation of the plan. The united effort with the surrounding jurisdictions provides definition and certainty to the planning process, and demonstrates a commitment for a comprehensive approach to resolving land use and endangered species conflicts that currently exist. It is staffs opinion that the City should continue this participation with the County and the other signatories, in order to resolve issues involving the species of concern. IteEn# 14