Revision of Riparian Habitat Mitigation Guidelines

Overview

The Pima County Regional Flood Control District (District) is in the process of revising its standards and guidelines for mitigating and protecting riparian habitat in Pima County. The purpose of the riparian habitat protection regulations is to minimize flood and erosion damage for all county residents, property, and infrastructure by protecting riparian vegetation along watercourses and floodplains.

In September 2005, the Board of Directors of the Flood Control District of Pima County adopted Floodplain Management Ordinance, Ordinance No. 2005-FC2. Chapter 16.30 of the FMPO contains revised riparian habitat protection regulations necessitating the revision and updating of the Regulated Riparian Habitat Mitigation Standards and Implementation Guidelines (mitigation guidelines) developed in 2001.

In order to facilitate the drafting of the new mitigation guidelines, the District has organized a Mitigation Working Group. The Group will work with the District to develop the new mitigation guidelines. To aid the District and the Mitigation Working Group in this effort, two studies are being conducted. One will report to the Group on the effectiveness of the existing mitigation guidelines, the other, on mitigation banking concepts. Once preliminary guidelines have been developed, they will be presented to the public. The public will be invited to comment on the proposed guidelines, and their comments will be incorporated into the draft that will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for adoption. A Riparian Habitat Mitigation Guidelines Revision Information Sheet (PDF) outlining the key revisions has been created. A complete version of the proposed guidelines, as revised, will be made available on this page once the document is finalized, which will be done after the Mitigation Working Group meets on December 11, 2008.

Mitigation Working Group

The Mitigation Working Group consists of members from the community, the development community, public agencies, and conservation organizations in Pima County. The Mitigation Working Group will meet four times to review the current mitigation guidelines, and help District staff develop effective guidelines for implementation of Ordinance 2005-FC2.

Meeting #1: July 17
Meeting Agenda (7-17-07, 16kb)
Meeting Slides (7-17-07, 3.2mb)
Meeting Minutes (7-17-07 46kb)

Meeting #2: August 29
Meeting Agenda (8-29-07, 12kb)
Meeting Handouts (8-29-07, 23kb)
Meeting Minutes (8-29-07, 59kb)

Meeting #3: November 14, 2007; 3PM-5PM
Meeting Agenda (11-14-07, 12kb)
Meeting Minutes (11-14-07, 27kb)
Meeting Comments (11-14-07, 18kb)
LA Comments (11-14-07, 395kb)

Meeting #4: Thursday, January 31, 2008; 3PM-5PM
Meeting Agenda (01-31-08, 17kb)
Meeting Slides (01-31-08, 99kb)
Meeting Minutes (01-31-08, 38kb)
Implementation Guidelines, Cover and Table of Contents (rev. 02-08, 173kb)

Mitigation Working Group Member Invitation

List of MWG members

Lori Lusting, Southern Arizona Home Builders Association (SAHBA)
Kendall Kroesen, Tucson Audubon Society
Carolyn Campbell, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection
Annie Wallace, Rincon Institute
Tim Johnson, American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
Ramon Gaanderse, Metropolitan Pima Alliance
Jim Tress, WestLand Resources
Priscilla Storm, Diamond Ventures
Susan Lauer, Pima Couty resident