Maria B. Wong, AICP
Executive Director, Yolo County Habitat/Natural Community Conservation Plan Joint Powers Agency
Maria Wong currently serves as the Executive Director to the Yolo County Habitat/Natural Community Conservation Plan Joint Powers Agency, where she oversees development of the Yolo Natural Heritage Program.
She is a professional land use planner with over 20 years experience in local and regional planning. Her specialized experience includes Public Policy and Economics related to Conservation; Environmental Compliance; Land Use Policy; and Partnership Development between private stakeholders, local, state, and federal agencies. Maria holds degrees in En-vironmental Studies and Economics, and is completing a master's degree in Public Policy & Administration.
The Yolo County Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) Joint Powers Agency (JPA) was formed in August 2002 for the purposes of acquiring Swainson's hawk habitat conservation easements and to serve as the lead agency for the preparation of the countywide Natural Communities Program, now known as the Yolo Natural Heritage Pro-gram. The JPA governing board is composed of representatives from member Agencies, which include two members of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, one member each from the city councils of Davis, Woodland, West Sacramento and Winters, and one ex-officio member from UC Davis.
The Yolo Natural Heritage Program will conserve the natural open space and agricultural landscapes that provide habi-tat for many special status and at-risk species found within the habitats and natural communities in the county. The JPA recently completed the first phase of the Yolo Natural Heritage Program. Some important accomplishments during the first phase include establishment of a Steering Advisory Committee and a Technical Advisory Committee, preparation of a draft Ecological Baseline Report, development of a GIS database, and completion of the Independent Science Advisors process. The next major phase (funded in part by a 2005 federal Section 6 planning assistance grant), currently underway, focuses on development of conservation strategies and preserve design alternatives.
