The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 29 advanced a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) that would establish land at a home-state wildlife preserve as a new wildlife refuge and ensure public access and enhanced recreation opportunities.
“Riverside County is now one step closer to being home to a new wildlife refuge that would help it balance its commitment to conserving animal habitat with its need for future growth,” said Rep. Calvert. “As we move forward, it’s critical that all stakeholders, including the federal government, meet their conservation responsibilities to ensure the successful implementation of our planning efforts, including vital transportation improvement projects.”
Rep. Calvert in May 2019 sponsored H.R. 2956 with two Democratic cosponsors to establish the Western Riverside County (Calif.) Wildlife Refuge, which would come from land in the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP), a wildlife preserve that has provided habitat for 146 species of plants and animals since 2004.
In total, 500,000 acres are required for the wildlife preserve under the MSHCP terms. The federal government and the state must acquire one-third of the necessary land for this wildlife preserve, but the feds have not yet met their goal, according to Rep. Calvert’s office, which said that enactment of H.R. 2956 would enable the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to fulfill its obligation as a partner in the MSHCP.
Specifically, H.R. 2956 would establish the boundary for a new wildlife refuge; allow non-federal conservation lands that have already been acquired to meet the terms of the MSHCP to be included in the refuge; provide certainty for development of the required transportation infrastructure; and create new public access, among other provisions, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Calvert’s office.
The bill now heads to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.