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Detailed habitat assessments were conducted by CBI, TNC, and SDSU within the four designated South County grassland management planning units: Sweetwater Reservoir, Proctor Valley, Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve, and Sycamore Canyon (Figure 1). All four units were assessed in 2011; additional assessments were conducted in 2012 at Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve and Sycamore Canyon. The purpose of these assessments was to document existing habitat conditions and determine habitat suitability for the three target species (burrowing owl, Otay tarplant, and Quino checkerspot butterfly), as well as threats, results of past management actions, and potential management and restoration actions. Data from the habitat assessments were used to identify and prioritize species-specific management actions within each of the four planning areas. In addition, these data were used to identify preliminary vegetation associations, as well as potential restoration sites for native grasslands and forblands. Prior to conducting fieldwork, CBI and TNC reviewed soil maps, aerial photographs, and results of previous vegetation mapping, and plant and wildlife surveys in the project areas and vicinity.

ICF Jones & Stokes conducted baseline biodiversity surveys of the County of San Diego?s (County?s) Sycamore Canyon and Goodan Ranch Preserves (Preserves) to provide the Department of Parks and Recreation with biological data to develop a Resource Management Plan including Area Specific Management Directives (ASMDs). To provide a baseline evaluation of biological resources, the following studies were conducted by ICF Jones & Stokes: (1) vegetation mapping; (2) rare plant surveys; (3) pitfall trap arrays to sample amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals; (4) avian point counts; (5) nocturnal bird surveys; (6) acoustic sampling and roost surveys for bats; (7) small mammal trapping; (8) a track and sign survey for medium-to-large mammals; and (9) a camera station survey for medium-to-large mammals. This report summarizes all survey methodologies and data collected during the 2008 survey period (February through September). This report also includes recommendations for adaptive management, including management and monitoring of vegetation communities and sensitive plants, control of invasive non-native plants, and management and monitoring of sensitive wildlife species, including species covered by the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP).

This annual report represents the results of the final and second annual technical monitoring of the restoration activities at the Sycamore Canyon and Goodan Ranch Invasive Removal and Habitat Restoration Project (Project). Maintenance and monitoring was conducted in accordance with the habitat restoration and non-native plant removal guidelines provided in the Resource Management Plan (County of San Diego 2013) and Vegetation Management Plan (VMP; Dudek 2012).

The County is obligated to monitor habitat preservation and destruction (i.e., gains and losses), habitat quality, and certain covered species. Only the latter two elements are discussed in this report. This report focuses on data collected by County staff, its consultants, or volunteers. This includes efforts funded by Local Assistance Grants that were funded by the California Department of Fish and Game and coordinated by the County. In some instances, other agencies or individuals have surveyed lands for which the County has a responsibility to monitor; these data are reported here to the extent they are known. For the most part, information is presented that pertains to lands that the County is required to monitor under the MSCP, but there are cases where the County has performed surveys on lands managed by other participants, which are reported here as well.