ABAG-MTC’s Priority Conservation Areas (PCA) Program — which indicates regionally significant areas to be protected and improved — has been revised. PCAs include natural habitats, farms and ranchlands, recreation areas, urban green spaces and locations that can help fight the effects of climate change.

Over the past year, ABAG-MTC staff collaborated with local governments to update existing the boundaries of Priority Conservation Areas, aligning them with the recently refreshed PCA planning framework, and solicited nominations for new Priority Conservation Areas.

The PCA nominations and amendments were recommended by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Administrative Committee last month and approved by the ABAG Executive Board Sept.18. In all, 173 existing PCAs led by 37 local agencies were amended, while 12 required no changes. Sixty-nine new PCAs were nominated by 15 jurisdictions, covering about 130,000 acres.

These steps mark a key milestone in finalizing the updated PCA designations. Questions about the PCA planning framework can be directed to Kate Lyons, klyons@bayareametro.gov.

Meanwhile, the PCA Grant Program, funded through the One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) program and administered by the San Francisco Estuary Partnership, anticipates releasing a call for proposals this month.

A total of $8 million is available for the current grant round of this program. Grants may range from $200,000 to $1 million. The grants are an outgrowth of Plan Bay Area 2050 – the region’s long-range transportation and land-use/housing plan. Contact Ben Botkin at pcagrants@bayareametro.gov with questions.

See all of the ABAG’s Top Stories.