Riverside Legacy

RIVERSIDE LEGACY is a custom project created by EIP to support the goals of the Regional Conservation Authority (RCA) in Western Riverside County to protect land, plants, and species in one of the fastest-growing regions in the U.S. EIP’s custom solutions provide customers with innovative approaches to outside-the-box restoration and conservation projects based on the specific needs and demands of each unique situation.

The rapid economic development in Riverside County must be balanced with environmental goals and regulations determined by several federal and local government agencies. This Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) calls for the protection of 146 native plants and animals — 33 of which are threatened or endangered species. The MSHCP is the largest such conservation plan in the United States, and conservation related land acquisition is required over a 25-year period. Over the first 16 years of the program, this activity averaged approximately 4,000 acres per year. Now the RCA must increase that pace to some 10,000 acres per year in order to achieve its goals in the required timeframe.

In 2017, EIP began to evaluate potential projects within the MSHCP that would allow for responsible economic development while simultaneously contributing significant conservation acreage to the Authority’s ownership. EIP has now acquired several properties with significant acreage that meet MSHCP criteria, including the site of the extraordinary 2019 poppy bloom that received national attention.

Flower Power Enables Growth in Southern California
The Conservation Fund 2019 annual report