Currently, local, state, and federal agencies, in cooperation with local landowners, are engaged in coordinated land use and natural resource conservation planning efforts to address future economic development within a 91,000 acre portion of Southern Orange County. The three planning processes underway are: 1) an amendment to the County's General Plan and Zone Change for the Rancho Mission Viejo "Ranch Plan"; 2) development of a Special Area Management Plan/Master Streambed Alteration Agreement (SAMP/MSAA) for the San Juan Creek and San Mateo Creek watersheds; and 3) development of a South County Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP).

The respective lead agencies and cooperating landowners involved with the development of these plans agree that a coordinated approach is the best method to address the sensitive biological, aquatic, and hydrological helpful_hints of Southern Orange County. Although all of the lead agencies will coordinate the development and completion of the plans, each of the agencies will be required to prepare separate environmental decision documents for each plan (i.e., Environmental Impact Statements/Reports (EIS/EIR)), in accordance with their respective legislative requirements and regulations.

ELEMENTS OF THE COORDINATED PLANNING AND
APPROVAL PROCESS FOR SOUTHERN ORANGE COUNTY