	Volume 14 - No. 2 - Spring 2004

The Endangered Habitats League is dedicated to the protection of the diverse ecosystems of Southern California and to sensitive and sustainable land use for the benefit of all the region’s inhabitants. The EHL Newsletter is published quarterly to chronicle our plans, activities, and successes.

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NCCP falls behind schedule in Orange County

Planning for the Rancho Mission Viejo (RMV) – the 23,000 holding that is the center of a global biodiversity “hotspot” – was supposed to proceed with three synchronous processes: land use, habitat, and wetlands. However, the Natural Community Conservation Plan, or NCCP, has fallen behind while the development application for 14,000 units is still moving forward.

Central to Supervisor Tom Wilson’s South County Outreach and Review Effort (SCORE) for RMV planning was an NCCP linked to the development project and to a Special Area Management Plan, or SAMP, for wetland resources. Citing wildlife agency staff shortages as the primary cause of delays, the County of Orange has now decided to allow an environmental impact report for the applicant’s proposal to move forward independently.

EHL is deeply concerned over this sequencing and, along with other groups, has submitted strong legal comments on the revised procedures. We remain fully determined to bring a comprehensive outcome together. Meanwhile, The Heart and Soul Coalition (www.ocheartandsoul.org) continues to mobilize grassroots support for a “win-win” solution.