Squinting against a bright spring sun, a small group of San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) planners and CivicSpark Fellows stood on a bike and pedestrian path on a levy next to White Slough in northwest Stockton.

To one side was a new residential neighborhood and to the other beyond the levy and canal was farm equipment working land. The group was there to learn more about SJCOG Inc., SJCOG’s nonprofit arm that administers the San Joaquin County Multi-Species Habitat Conservation and Open Space Plan to restore, maintain and preserve habitat for 97 plant and animal species.

The plan, one of the first of its kind in Northern California, began in 2001 after more than seven years of talks between builders and developers, conservationists, landowners, state and federal regulators, and jurisdictions in the county.

“Imagine having the building development community, conservation community, regulators, policymakers, all at one table trying to work things out,” Steve Mayo, the SJCOG Inc. habitat program manager, said of the momentous achievement. “We had to have a lot of consensus-building to end up with the plan.”

So far, SJCOG Inc. has about 24,279 acres in 113 preserves throughout the county done via conservation easements, or voluntary pacts to permanently limit development and other uses to protect the land’s conservation value. The plan allows for up to 109,302 acres of land converted to habitat and 100,000 acres of habitat conservation in San Joaquin County by 2051 when the plan is scheduled to expire.

The plan provides a strategy for balancing the need for conserving open space and development, while protecting the region’s agricultural economy and landowner rights. It also provides long-term management of habitat for those 97 species, especially those listed or may be listed by the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) or the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). The plan satisfies those state and federal requirements for development, provides and maintains multiuse open space that contributes to the quality of life of county residents, and helps to keep building costs down, which contributes to making homebuying more affordable.

Any construction project in the county that might disturb habitat can be covered by the plan with proponents voluntarily agreeing to provide land elsewhere to replace the disturbed land or pay fees so SJCOG Inc. can buy land to be restored, maintained and preserved as habitat. Sometimes that includes buying development rights from landowners such as farmers and ranchers with the agreement the land won’t ever be developed.

Project supporters who forego the habitat plan can go through the regular state and federal approval process, which can cost more money and time. The higher costs are likely passed along to consumers.

“I think in the past 25 years, we’ve had a few projects opt out of the habitat plan,” Mayo said. “Within weeks to six to eight months, they turn right back around to us and say, ‘We’ll go through the plan.’”

While not all sides may get exactly what they want, the plan remains the best way in most cases.

“San Joaquin County has the best deal, really, in terms of the number and variety of projects that are covered to the ease of the process,” said Doug Leslie, with land management firm ICF managing SJCOG Inc.’s holdings. “San Joaquin County has a great plan.”

The group Mayo was leading saw examples throughout the county of the program’s work, including habitat restoration, improvement and preservation on land worked by a fifth-generation farming family in Lodi, the former proposed site for a community college campus now used for cattle grazing near vernal pools, and a site where elderberry plants and oaks were planted to restore habitat and where University of the Pacific has placed dozens of small bird houses for conducting a wren study.
 
Mayo at the first stop told the group of the need for flexibility. The Great Recession caused homebuilders to pause building the nearby homes, leaving a natural habitat to grow up around manmade lakes in the neighborhood. A protected turtle population found in the habitat during an environmental survey had to be relocated.

“As we move forward, things change,” Mayo said. “Cost change, ideas change. Anything with the species can change, so we have to think outside the box.”

The field trip moved north onto Nuss Farms just west of Interstate 5 and north of State Route 12 for an example of rehabilitation work SJCOG Inc. has completed – planting hedgerows and riparian woodland, redirecting a road, and replacing an open water ditch with a pipeline so the farmer could reclaim farmland and better recycle water.

Dave Nuss and his three sons are using regenerative farming techniques – cover crops, reducing tillage, and integrating habitat friendly farming – to grow tomatoes, peppers, garlic, basil and more on a SJCOG Inc. preserve serving as habitat for Swainson’s hawk, great egret, greater sandhill crane, and great blue heron. The land that the Nuss family is transforming is adjacent to another SJCOG preserve and land held in a trust, so habitat is clustered together.

At the next stop off North Lower Sacramento Road and north of Liberty Road, cows stayed under shade trees out of the afternoon sun as Mayo described the surrounding habitats, including riparian, creek, slough, vernal pools and grassland. Through a locked gate and a short walk from the road was a landlock slough and several vernal pool sites with State Route 99 within sight.

Elderberry bushes, oaks and other plants were planted at another preserve across North Lower Sacramento Road. Along the slough and nearby tree line were small birdhouses for research study by University of the Pacific.
The plan has been a success.

“Early on critics doubted the plan’s viability,” said John Beckman, CEO of the Building Industry Association of the Greater Valley and a longtime member of the Habitat Conservation Plan Technical Advisory Committee. “The success shows we can achieve remarkable outcomes for the benefit of society when government agencies collaborate effectively with the private sector.”

Together, these and other SJCOG Inc. preserves across the region are helping to assure green space and wildlife habitat will remain a vibrant part of San Joaquin County’s long-term future.

Habitat Program’s 2024 annual report will be presented to the Board of Directors at the next meeting on June 26, 2025.

Video: San Joaquin Council of Governments Habitat Conservation Plan.