UC Riverside's Center for Conservation Biology has partnered with the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority in organizing a two-day workshop - the inaugural annual Science and MultiSpecies Habitat Conservation Plans Symposium - to address the science behind Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP), the primary tool for balancing development and nature conservation in the United States.

The workshop, which will include presentations from scientists and managers working at population, community, ecosystem and landscape levels, will take place May 15 and 16 at the UCR Palm Desert Graduate Center, 75-080 Frank Sinatra Drive, Palm Desert, Calif.

"In this workshop, we'd like to get representatives from management and regulators to talk with scientists about how more science can be incorporated into the HCPs," said Edith Allen, a professor of plant ecology at UCR, who is co-chairing the workshop with Thomas Scott, a natural resources specialist on campus. "With good science included in the decision making process, counties will be better advised on where they can set up habitats and what the sizes of these habitats should be."

Habitat conservation planning governs the fate of millions of acres of wildlands across the United States. The plans, which require a complex integration of science, policy and management, recently have come under some criticism for their lack of strong science.

Because of the Endangered Species Act (1973), which legally required habitat conservation planning, some endangered species such as the bald eagle, were successfully brought back from the edge of extinction. Riverside County alone has approximately 150 species of concern in its plans.

For more information on the workshop, call 951-827-5494.

The mission of the Center for Conservation Biology at UCR is to assist in the conservation and restoration of species and ecosystems by facilitating the collection, evaluation, and dissemination of scientific information. The center proactively identifies new research priorities in conservation biology and inaugurates new collaborative research programs. It also develops research programs in response to existing needs in conservation biology.

Additional Contacts:
Center for Conservation Biology, 951-827-5494
Veronique Rorive, 951-827-2621

The University of California, Riverside is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment of about 17,000 is projected to grow to 21,000 students by 2010. The campus is planning a medical school and already has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Graduate Center. With an annual statewide economic impact of nearly $1 billion, UCR is actively shaping the region's future.