Riverside County is at the epicenter of California’s population explosion. From the rolling hills of Temecula to the palm tree–lined streets of Coachella Valley, Riverside County offers a growing job base, newly built designer homes, great schools, and proximity to employment and recreational opportunities in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties.

But the very growth that has made the Inland Empire economy larger than the economies of 25 other states also threatens the quality of life for the 1.5 million men, women, and children who currently reside in Riverside County and find it an attractive place to live, work, and play.

As a result, Riverside County’s leadership has embarked on an unprecedented, three–year planning effort to simultaneously prepare environmental, transportation, housing, and development guidelines for the first half of the twenty–first century, based on population doubling in 2020.

The result is the Riverside County Integrated Project. Called RCIP, it is a comprehensive, three–part, integrated program to determine future conservation, transportation, housing, and economic needs in Riverside County.

RCIP simultaneously addresses what has been three separate planning efforts in the areas of conservation, transportation, and land use. These three elements are addressed by the following RCIP planning programs.

MSHCP: RCIP will protect our natural environment by conserving habitat and open space through a Multi–Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP). The MSHCP will provide open space as well as protect the watersheds and environmental needs of the County. It is designed to protect over 150 species and conserve over 500,000 acres in Western Riverside County. THE MSHCP will streamline regulatory review related to endangered species, return local control to the County, and conserve resources for future generations.