Type: report

Article abstract: The Crestridge Ecological Reserve is a nearly 2,400-acre Ecological Reserve as designated by the California Fish and Game Commission and a unit of the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) in San Diego County. The property is subject to a Conservation Bank Agreement with the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Designation as a reserve has protected Crestridge from the threat of development. The CDFG and MSCP both require the preparation of a habitat management and monitoring plan for the reserve that includes area-specific directives for the land and the species it supports, including species listed as "covered" under the take authorizations of the MSCP. Implementation protocols of the plan are intended to encourage the maintenance or improvement of the habitat quality of the reserve, while remaining adaptable to changing conditions on the reserve. The plan addresses the interface between adjacent developed lands and habitats in the reserve, appropriate land uses within the reserve, and enforcement standards for those uses that are compatible with the short- and long-term maintenance goals of the reserve. The Back Country Land Trust (BCLT), under a management agreement with CDFG, will work with the CDFG to implement the Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan. In accordance with the plan, BCLT and CDFG will coordinate stewardship efforts for land management, monitoring, and maintenance. BCLT will also develop and implement volunteer and environmental education programs and encourage appropriate use of the land by the general public and the local community.