MSCP: What to watch for in 2020

02/05/20

MSCP: What to Watch for in 2020

We’re poised to welcome big wins in resource conservation, with audacious goals and a regional vision that envelopes hundreds of native plant, tree and animal species.

Now in its 23^rd year, the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) works across political boundaries – providing a partner list and action plan for County-wide conservation efforts.

Here’s a sneak peek at what’s on the agenda in 2020:

We will add an estimated 550 acres of land to our preserve portfolio by the end of Fiscal Year 2019/20. This is set to expand the footprint of our open space preserves to more than 42,000 based on preliminary reporting for 2019.
We will focus efforts on the North County Plan – adding new land and partners and soliciting support from local communities to help protect open space for future generations to enjoy.
We will increase monitoring at 20 parks/preserves. These include Barnett Ranch County Preserve, Boulder Oaks County Preserve, Del Dios Highlands County Preserve, El Capitan County Preserve, El Monte County Park, Hellhole Canyon County Preserve, Lakeside Linkage, Lawrence and Barbara Daley, Louis A. Stelzer County Park, Lusardi Creek County Preserve, Mt. Olympus County Preserve, Oakoasis County Park, Ramona Grasslands County Preserve, Santa Margarita County Preserve, Simon County Preserve, Stoneridge County Preserve, Sycamore Canyon/Goodan Ranch County Preserve, Tijuana River Valley Regional Park and Wilderness Gardens County Preserve. The Furby-North property is also included in the monitoring program.
We will work on Public Access Plans for two preserves – Dictionary Hill and Keys Creek – holding four public meetings to share information with, and collect feedback from, the residents we serve.
We will complete five new or updated Resource Management Plans. Locations include Bottle Peak County Preserve, Boulder Oaks County Preserve, Lusardi Creek County Preserve, and Mountain Meadow County Preserves, along with Tijuana River Valley Regional Park.

Learn more about the MSCP and plans for the future.

DID YOU KNOW? The Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) balances protection of habitat and species with recreation, development, and agricultural activities. Enacted by the County in 1997 with 11 other jurisdictions, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and various community stakeholders, this 50-year agreement preserves native vegetation and wildlife across a 900-square-mile swath of land in southwestern San Diego County. The MSCP is forecast to be the largest urban preserve in the United States.