Project Name: Crestridge Preserve, South Crest, Expansion 3, San Diego County
Board: Wildlife Conservation Board Link to Board Meeting and Agenda: www.wcb.ca.gov
Agenda Date: November 20, 2008
Agenda Item: 15
Allocation: $250,000.00
County: San Diego
Size: Fee title to 29± acres
Bond Section providing funding: Public Resources Code Section 75055(c): Natural Community Conservation Plans
The primary purpose of this acquisition is to protect threatened and endangered species and a key wildlife corridor, and to further joint federal, state and local Natural Community Conservation Planning NCCP) efforts in San Diego including the San Diego County Multiple Species Conservation Plan (MSCP).
Like the nearby Department of Fish and Game's 2,400± acre Crestridge Ecological Reserve, the proposed project property contains a variety of landscapes and habitats, primariy including coastal sage scrub habitat for the California gnatcatcher, and habitat for over 50 other sensitive and protected species. Further, the acquisition is located in a critical "biological core and linkage area" in the South County Subarea Plan of the County of San Diego's MSCP established pursuant to the Natural Community Conservation Planning Act. The acquisition would increase the protected block of biologically diverse habitat, augmenting habitat corridors between lands south of Interstate 8 and those to the north, including the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's San Diego National Wildlife Refuge and the Cleveland National Forest.
The League would accept ownership and management of the proposed acquisition. Ultimately, the League intends to transfer the property, along with other holdings, to the Endangered Habitats Conservancy for perpetual management. The League (ultimately Conservancy) would manage the property in conjunction with the existing Ecological Reserve and other nearby acquisitions. Compatible public uses include hiking, photography, bird watching and the League's unique on-site educational program, which assists in development of standards-based multidisciplinary programs combining science, technology, art, history and language arts.
The property has an appraised market value of $475,000.00, as approved by the State Department of General Services. The State's proposed grant will provide $240,000.00 toward the purchase. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant, in the amount of $235,000.00, will be accepted by the Board and subgranted to the League to be applied toward the purchase of the property. It is anticipated that $10,000.00 will be needed to cover internal-projected related expenses by the Board bringing the total proposed allocation for this project to $250,000.00.
The purposes of this project are to protect threatened and endangered species and wildlife corridors, and to implement federal, state and local Natural Community Conservation Planning efforts in San Diego County. These purposes are consistent with the stated purposes of the funds provided to the Wildlife Conservation Board under Chapter 6, Section 75055(c) to implement or assist in the establishment of Natural Community Conservation Plans and with the general priority characteristics for natural resource protection projects described under Chapter 10, Section 75071(a) Landscape/Habitat Linkages protection and (e) non-state matching contribution.
