The public is invited to attend a meeting of the Placer County Fish and Game Commission Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011, to learn more about local efforts to conserve open space and wildlife habitat.

The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. in the Planning Commission Hearing Room at the Placer County Community Development Resource Center, 3091 County Center Dr., in Auburn. The building is near the intersection of Bell Road and Richardson Drive and its entrance is off of County Center Drive, a short north-south road that enters the DeWitt Center from Bell.

The guest speakers will be Assistant Director Loren Clark of the county Community Development Resource Agency and Executive Director Jeff Darlington of the Placer Land Trust.

Clark will give a presentation on the proposed Placer County Conservation Plan. It seeks to balance growth and the conservation of wildlife habitat, wetlands, and other natural resources in Placer County and would create a comprehensive framework for complying with federal and state environmental rules. The plan would provide the business community with a streamlined approval process for development projects.

Darlington will give an update on the Land Trust’s latest efforts, including its recent acquisition of 1,773 acres of the Bruin Ranch in North Auburn. Placer County and the California Wildlife Conservation Board both contributed to the acquisition.

The Fish and Game Commission is a seven-member advisory body. It advises the Board of Supervisors on issues that affect fish and wildlife in Placer County and helps with habitat improvement, public awareness and natural resource education efforts.