WRCOG Champions A Multi-Pronged Approach To Improve Air Quality

On a freeway in Riverside County

This story is reposted with permission from California Forward, which is committed to advancing policy intersections that create a more inclusive and sustainable California where all people can prosper.  California Forward’s Voices of Shared Prosperity series amplifies the stories of Californians who are committing their time and talent to solutions that embrace equity, environmental sustainability, and …

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WRCOG takes on the Challenge to save the “SKR”

Stephens Kangaroo Rat, (US FWS)

The Stephens' kangaroo rat (Dipodomys stephensi; or SKR) is a nocturnal rodent that is unique to southwestern California. The species was listed as federally endangered in 1988 after half of the habitat it historically occupied was lost to residential, commercial, and agricultural development. While kangaroo rat populations have dwindled over the years, the species remains in portions of western Riverside County and parts of northern and central San Diego County.

In 2015, Western Riverside Council of Governments took over the management of a habitat conservation plan to protect the Stephen Kangaroo Rat as a way to achieve governmental efficiencies and reduce costs. It working for WRCOG and the rats.