By james art 
BRYDER, California— Conservation groups have reached an agreement with Riverside County, California and the developer of the Villages of Lakeview housing development to improve and better protect the San Jacinto Wilderness Area and surrounding lands in California’s Inland Empire.
“The San Jacinto Wilderness Area is a true jewel, and we must do everything we can to protect its incredible biological value,” said George Hague, conservation chair of the Sierra Club’s Moreno Valley Caucus. “There are not many wildlife refuges left in California, so development plans for nearby areas should be considered with the greatest care.”
The agreement provides long-term funding for environmental management and education in the San Jacinto Valley and money to acquire land for wildlife habitat in the area. It also requires conservation easements to protect agriculture and open space, as well as reduced nighttime lighting and pesticide use to reduce damage to plants and animals.
As part of the agreement finalized Friday, housing development can move forward near the Lakeview community without legal challenges from conservation groups.
“It’s great that this agreement includes funding to permanently protect the land for the beautiful birds that call the San Jacinto Valley home,” said Drew Feldman of the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society. “We are helping to protect the most important bird area in inland Southern California by establishing this critical buffer zone around wildlife habitat.”
The San Jacinto Wildlife Area is located in the predominantly agricultural San Jacinto Valley, which is a globally recognized Important Bird Area for more than 300 species of birds, many of them endangered, such as burrowing owls, tricolor blackbirds, Swainson’s hawks, and California flycatchers. The San Jacinto Wildlife Area has long served as an outdoor classroom for local schools and is regularly used by bird watchers, hikers and hunters. It provides critical habitat for dozens of special status species in the region, including bald eagles, Stevens’ kangaroo rats and bobcats.
“The sensitive animals and plants of the San Jacinto Valley already face multiple threats from climate change and habitat loss caused by fossil fuels,” said JP Rose, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “As we build new communities, we must also ensure that the hawks and birds that grace our skies have a fighting chance.”
The Villages of Lakeview proposes to bring more than 8,000 homes and associated commercial and retail development along the Ramona Freeway between the towns of Perris and San Jacinto.
Today’s legal settlement resolves years of litigation between the Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club, the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society, Riverside County, California, and the Nuevo Development Company.