EHL is part of a statewide coalition seeking to increase federal and state funding for our regional habitat plans.

The California Habitat Conservation Planning Coalition was founded in 2008, with impetus from EHL. It is composed of representatives of local governments, business, and conservation interests with a stake in the success of the plans, along with state and federal wildlife agency advisors.

Comprehensive programs to create regional reserves and to permit infrastructure and other development started in Southern California with the San Diego MSCP, Orange County NCCP, Palos Verdes Peninsula NCCP, and Riverside MSHCP. But they quickly took root in Central and Northern California, most of whose plans are represented in the Coalition. The San Francisco Bay Delta and renewable energy development in the desert are also the subject of these plans. Successful implementation requires considerable land acquisition over and above project mitigation, and this in turn requires a steady infusion of federal and state funding. Often, federal and state commitments to land acquisition are built into the plans.

Federal funding starts with an Administration request. In recent years, the House of Representatives has decimated the request, with the Senate partially restoring it. Compounding the problem is that the Obama Administration’s requests have also declined, lowering the starting point. The Coalition has documented that conservation funding has suffered disproportionate cuts compared to other federal programs, and that there is a huge unmet need across the nation.

The Coalition has identified local Congressional champions, helped organize “sign on letters” for Members, and travels yearly to Washington, DC. There, coalition members––including EHL­­­­––meet with the Office of Management and Budget, Appropriations Committee staff, and House and Senate offices. We provide educational materials on the economic benefits of the plans and show broad, multi-interest support. Without the Coalition’s work, federal funding would be far less.

Also, the Coalition has provided consensus viewpoints on a number of policy issues relating to the Endangered Species Act and offered suggestions to the federal government on improving the effectiveness of its regulatory programs. It serves as a forum for communication where concerns can be raised and discussed and scientific information shared. There is outreach to local decision-makers and a newsletter is published periodically. Central to the Coalition’s operation is the tireless work of its Executive Director, John Hopkins of the Institute for Ecological Health in Davis.