The San Francisco Bay Area is a region filled with scenic views of San Francisco Bay, lakes, rivers, hillsides, vineyards, and other open spaces. It is well known for its natural features and historic landmarks, and the region offers a wide range of recreational opportunities and outdoor activities. These natural resources contribute to the quality of life here and are some of the reasons why people want to live and work in this region.

To preserve these features and protect the region's natural systems, the FOCUS Program is partnering with land trusts, open space districts, parks and recreation departments, local jurisdictions, and others involved in planning for conservation and open space protection. As part of FOCUS, these partners were asked to nominate areas to be designated as Priority Conservation Areas (PCAs) for the region.

What are Priority Conservation Areas?
Priority conservation areas are areas of regional significance that have broad community support and an urgent need for protection. These areas provide important agricultural, natural resource, historical, scenic, cultural, recreational, and/or ecological values and ecosystem functions.

The purpose of designating priority conservation areas through the FOCUS Program is to accelerate protection of key natural lands in the San Francisco Bay Area through purchase or conservation easements within the next few years. Conservation will be promoted through regional designation by:

• Coordinating conservation efforts within a regional framework of near-term priorities
• Providing a strong platform on which to leverage public and private resources
• Building upon prior and existing land protection efforts and investments
• Providing opportunities for forging new partnerships

Knowing the region's land conservation priorities will promote collaboration and investment in these areas that are critical to the region's quality of life and ecological diversity.

Regional Adoption of PCAs
In the fall of 2007, local governments, public agencies, and nonprofit organizations nominated over 100 areas for consideration as Priority Conservation Areas. Nominations were reviewed by staff, a review panel, regional committees, and local governments. Recommendations were based on the three nomination criteria: level of consensus, regional significance, and urgency for protection. The ABAG Executive Board adopted a set of Priority Conservation Areas on July 17, 2008. Click here to view a map of FOCUS Priority Development Areas and Priority Conservation Areas.

Directing Incentives to PCAs
FOCUS staff are working with land conservation funding entities to raise awareness of the funding opportunities in these areas. Additional funding opportunities and partnerships will be explored as informational materials are developed to highlight the conservation values of each of the adopted areas.

The need to maximize conservation investments through a coordinated, regional strategy is identified as an action item in the report Golden Lands, Golden Opportunity released in February 2008. This publication is the result of over 100 conservation groups coming together to safeguard the San Francisco Bay Area's "golden lands" — farms, hills, watersheds, and forests — that support the health, economy, and well-being of the region and the entire state. The FOCUS program is highlighted as an example of a successful regional planning model that advances the vision laid out in the report. To download a copy of the report, visit www.golden-lands.org.

Nominating a PCA
The nomination deadline for nominating PCAs was August 17, 2007. To learn more about the PCA nomination process, see the Nomination Guidelines for Priority Conservation Area Designation.