Type: report

Article abstract: Introduction A. Background The Calavera Hills Phase II Habitat Preserve (Preserve) is a 144 acre open space set aside for permanent conservation by Calavera Hills II, LLC, the developer of Calavera Hills Phase II. This conservation area has been set aside as partial mitigation for impacts to natural habitat resulting from the approved Phase II development. The limits of the Preserve (Figure 1) have been approved by the City of Carlsbad, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) with the primary goal of protecting habitat of the federally listed coastal California gnatcatcher, as well as other listed species and other sensitive plant and wildlife species that are covered under the City of Carlsbad Habitat Management Plan (HMP). A varying number of gnatcatchers have been observed to occupy the preserve area in different yearly surveys. The site has been evaluated through the Calavera Hills Phase II Environmental Impact Report. It contains approximately 110 acres of coastal sage scrub (CSS), approximately 8 acres of southern mixed and chamise chaparral (SMC), approximately 16 acres of nonnative grasslands (NNG), 2 acres of eucalyptus woodland (EUC), and 8 acres of other vegetation types including disturbed and ruderal vegetation. Listed and sensitive animal and plant species also occupy the site. Pursuant to the requirements of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) Biological Opinion dated March 14, 2002, Calavera Hills II, LLC is required to name and endow a public or private natural land management entity to manage the conserved area resources in perpetuity. The resource agencies and organizations have determined that setting lands aside and preventing development is not sufficient to preserve and protect biological integrity. Identifying the critical processes and elements that need protection, then planning, budgeting and funding for sustaining these processes and elements in perpetuity is the essence of long-term land protection. B. Purpose The purpose of this Habitat Management Plan is to establish the parameters for the permanent protection and management of the conservation area. The intent of this plan is to assure that the monitoring and management provides for the protection of vegetation within the area is protected from future disturbance in order that it can persist as viable California gnatcatcher nesting habitat and that the preserved area becomes biolo