SANDAG allocates $1 million for habitat conservation activities

The San Diego Association of Governments board approved the allocation of $1 million for habitat management and monitoring implementation activities during Fiscal Year 2006.

The December 16 vote also approved the process to allocate the funds, including a call for projects. The 17-0 vote, with SANDAG’s Imperial Beach and Lemon Grove representatives not present, also approved the criteria for eligible land management activities and the rating system for considering fund requests.

“I think this is going to work because of the people doing it,” said Poway Mayor Mickey Cafagna, who chairs the SANDAG board.

The extension of the TransNet sales tax, which was approved by the county’s voters in 2004 and takes effect in 2008, includes an environmental mitigation program. The program establishes the Regional Habitat Conservation Fund for habitat acquisition, biological monitoring, and land management based on the economic benefit of achieving specified assurances with state and Federal regulatory agencies through the economic review process.

In 2005 SANDAG approved the creation of the Environmental Mitigation Program Working Group, which is chaired by Coronado City Council member Carrie Downey. The working group has prepared a needs assessment to identify short-term and long-term activities necessary to implement habitat conservation plans including biological monitoring, land management, and land acquisition. The assessment evaluated existing responsibilities and available funding to perform those activities.

SANDAG had previously recommended $1 million in Fiscal Year 2006 for management and monitoring implementation activities. “We had to figure out the best use of that money and where it should go,” Downey said.

The first task will be a conserved lands data base for the San Diego region, which is estimated to cost between $100,000 and $125,000. “The data base is going to give us a picture of how the preserve is being assembled,” Downey said.

The second task involves a contract with the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct post-wildfire monitoring. “Hopefully much of it is recovering, but we’d like to know how much,” Downey said.

The monitoring task is expected to cost between $100,000 and $150,000, which leaves approximately $750,000 for eligible land management projects. Those management activities may include exotic species removal, trash pickup, trail maintenance, building or repairing fences, weeding of vernal pools, and erosion control. Future years will provide additional funding for such activities.

The initial $750,000, and likely future amounts, will be distributed to various jurisdictions depending on the success of their applications. A call for projects will be issued annually; the deadline for 2005-06 applications is January 19. The criteria approved by the SANDAG board gives points for sites supporting rare species types, critical linkage parcels or regional wildlife corridors, likely success of long-term management activities, consequences of lack of management, willingness to assume long-term management through dedicated staff, and percentage of matching contributions available to complete the project.

“It will be based on the importance environmentally and the ability to effectively spend the money,” Downey said.

The working group will appoint a selection committee at its January 10 meeting, and that selection committee will rank the projects in accordance with the criteria. The SANDAG board is scheduled to approve the list of projects at its March 24, 2006, meeting.