DATE:
May 1, 2024 and June 5, 2024
01
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
SET HEARING FOR JUNE 5, 2024:
SANTA YSABEL COUNTY PRESERVE - APPROVE ACQUISITION OF APPROXIMATELY 540 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE PRESERVE FROM SANTA YSABEL RANCH, LLC AND RELATED CEQA EXEMPTION (5/1/2024 - SET HEARING; 6/5/2024 - HOLD HEARING) (DISTRICT: 5)
Title
Body
OVERVIEW
The Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) enhances the quality of life in San Diego County by providing exceptional parks and recreation experiences and preserving natural resources. A core aspect of DPR's conservation program is acquiring open space lands that support sensitive species and habitat. DPR has identified approximately 540 acres of vacant land available and has entered into an agreement to purchase the property adjacent to the existing Santa Ysabel County Preserve in Santa Ysabel. If acquired, the existing approximately 6,370-acre Santa Ysabel County Preserve would be expanded to approximately 6,900 acres, conserving chamise chaparral, Engelman oak woodland, and grassland habitat.
This acquisition enhances conservation under the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) set by federal and State requirements for special status species conservation. It also supports multiple County of San Diego (County) sustainability goals, habitat and biodiversity, biological connectivity, greenhouse gas reductions, and benefits water and air quality.
Through the County's MSCP Program, the County has acquired over 46,200 acres of open space land for conservation within the three MSCP Subareas. The acreage of preserve lands within the three MSCP Plan Areas include approximately: 14,000 acres within the South County Plan Area, 25,000 acres within the draft North County Plan Area, and 7,200 acres within the proposed East County Plan Area. This acquisition would add 222 acres to the draft North County Plan Area and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 282 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year...
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