County of San Diego MSCP Monitoring Summary Report January 1998 - June 2007

Type: report

Article abstract: The MSCP Implementing Agreement (Section 14.5) states that the "County will be responsible for the biological monitoring of its own, specified public lands, as well as mitigation lands obtained by it in fee title or easement, and lands acquired by it for the MSCP using the regional funding program or other local sources." The scope of these monitoring efforts are guided by the following documents: Implementing Agreement1: Chapter 14 Final MSCP Plan2: Table 3-5, Sections 5.4.1 and 5.5 and 6.3.1 and 6.3.2 and 6.4.1 County Subarea Plan3: Sections 1.6 and 1.7 Ogden's Biological Monitoring Plan (Ogden BMP) 4 Area-specific Management Directives (ASMDs) developed for County properties (according to Table 3-5 of the Final MSCP Plan and the County's Framework Management Plan5) Ongoing adaptive methods discussed through the MSCP Monitoring Committee (a subcommittee to the Habitat Management Technical Committee) Habitat Management Plans developed for the Santa Fe Valley, 4S Ranch, and other private open space, and the Resource Management Plan for Otay Ranch. In some instances, regional monitoring points recommended by the Ogden BMP may fall in areas where multiple agencies own(ed) land (e.g., McGinty Mountain, San Vicente Highlands and Boulder Oaks). Some of these areas have management and/or monitoring agreements between agencies that will help address issues of responsibility. In other cases, coordination between agencies is a necessary next step in order to achieve a coordinated and effective regional monitoring program. ASMDs are to direct management and monitoring actions on preserves owned by or dedicated to the County within the MSCP. These directives will be developed and implemented to address species and habitat management needs in a phased manner for logical and discrete areas, once conserved as part of the preserve, including any species-specific management required as conditions of the take authorizations. Species

Number of pages: 99

Month: July

Year: 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this report is to summarize the biological monitoring efforts of the County of San Diego (County) within its South County Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) Subarea Plan for each species over the past 9 1/2 years. This report will also provide a general outline of the County’s planned monitoring activities for the next three years in compliance with Section 14.5 of the Implementing Agreement entered into among the County of San Diego, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Game dated March 17, 1998 (Implementing Agreement). The County has previously described past monitoring efforts in annual reports and survey reports (e.g., Local Assistance Grant reports). Monitoring data was input into the County’s Biological Observation Database and is available through BIOS and SanGIS for analysis by the Wildlife Agencies who have the primary responsibility for coordinating the monitoring program, analyzing data, and providing information and technical assistance to take authorization holders as provided for by the Final MSCP Plan.

Prepared for: California Department of Fish and Game; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;

Prepared by: County of San Diego;

Keywords: corridors; habitat monitoring; MSCP; rare plant monitoring;