Number of pages: 70

Month: January

Year: 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) is to provide guidance for the management of the vegetative resources of the County of San Diego’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) Santa Margarita Preserve (Preserve) through specific and adaptive management practices. The three main components of vegetation management for the Preserve include: invasive species management, habitat restoration, and fire management. This information is needed to ensure vegetation communities that provide wildlife habitat for shelter and breeding, movement corridors and foraging opportunities are managed for preservation and function. While this VMP is intended to be a standalone document, the information and recommendations presented will be used by DPR to develop Area Specific Management Directives (ASMDs) as part of the Resource Management Plan (RMP) being prepared for the Preserve. In addition, the VMP provides fire response personnel with critical site information for emergency fire response within and immediately adjacent to the Preserve boundaries and identifies targeted fuel management actions that can be implemented as preventative measures. The Invasive Species Management section of this VMP lists the non-native invasive plant species observed on the Preserve, identifies and prioritizes target species for removal, and outlines standard removal methods. The Habitat Restoration section of this VMP identifies potential restoration opportunities within the Preserve and outlines standard restoration methods. The Fire Management section of this VMP outlines a framework to address wildfire risk and enables environmental documentation of strategic fuels management that may be needed. The framework includes discussion of fire prevention, suppression, and post-suppression fire control activities within and adjacent to the Preserve. The goals and objectives, as well as the recommendations in this VMP, are consistent with the County’s MSCP and the County of San Diego Vegetation Management Report (County of San Diego 2009), which addresses vegetation management criteria for wildland and urban areas of unincorporated San Diego County. It is anticipated that this VMP will be revised once every five years, as needed, in conjunction with anticipated Preserve RMP updates. The VMP may be revised on a shorter timescale if there is a change in circumstance, for example, acquisition of additional Preserve land or a wildfire event on-site.

Prepared for: County of San Diego, Department of Parks and Recreation;

Prepared by: ICF International;

Keywords: 1993 Laguna Fire; avian point counts; bat surveys; butterfly surveys; camera stations; fire management; habitat restoration; MSCP; rare plant surveys; restoration; small mammal trapping; vegetation management; vegetation mapping;