The bay delta conservation plan – a complex regulatory process

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) is being developed to promote the recovery of endangered, threatened and sensitive fish and wildlife species and their habitats in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in a way that will also protect and restore water supplies.

The BDCP is being developed in compliance with the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the California Natural Communities Conservation Planning Act (NCCPA).  Additionally, as the BDCP evaluates habitat, physical and operational alternatives necessary to restore the Delta ecosystem and protect water supplies, state and federal agencies are developing a joint Environmental Impact Report/Statement (EIR/EIS) under both state and federal environmental regulations to determine the potential environmental impacts of the proposed BDCP.  Additionally, the complexity and magnitude of the actions proposed in the BDCP require environmental permits from multiple state and federal regulatory agencies resulting in a need to incorporate multiple agencies and entities into the environmental review and permitting processes.

The EIR/EIS will:

• Fulfill the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Policy Act
• Describe the proposed action
• Analyze the environmental effects of the proposed action and the alternatives
• Support future regulatory actions or approval
• Serve as a decision document as well as a disclosure document