Stephens' Kangaroo Rat Mitigation Fee

The RCHCA has a Section 10A permit granted by US Fish and Wildlife Service for SKR.  This permit allows for "take" of SKR as part of development activity.  "Take" is defined by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as any attempt to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct as it relates to SKR.  As individual projects are proposed and approved in the SKR Plan Area, public and private land developers are required to pay a SKR mitigation fee for land that is developed and removes habitat of SKR. 

Developers benefit from the streamlined process in the SKR Plan Area because projects within this area do not require individual review and approval by the wildlife agencies.  

The Mitigation Fee is $500 per gross acre of the parcels proposed for development. However, for single family residential development, wherein all lots within the development are greater than one-half (1/2) acre in size, the Mitigation Fee is $250 per residential unit.

 For agricultural developments, which require development permits, excluding the construction of single family residences in connection, a Mitigation Fee of $100 or one percent (1%) of the valuation of the buildings to be constructed, whichever is greater shall be paid, provided that at no time shall such fee exceed the amount required to be paid if a fee of $500 per gross acre were applied to the parcel proposed for agricultural development.

The Mitigation Fee shall be paid upon issuance of a grading permit, a certificate of occupancy, or upon final inspection, whichever occurs first.