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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Comm Reports/1992/02/05 (3) INFORMATION ITEM January 28, 1992 To: Chair and Members of the Planning Commission Bob Leiter, Director of Planning ~:/ Gordon Howard, Principal Planner!, 1J \ Creation of Permanent Natural Preserve Areas - NCCP Program Via: From: Subject: The Planning Department has been monitoring and participating in important and newsworthy events for the past nine months related to the creation of permanent natural preserve areas within Chula Vista, the South Bay, and San Diego County as a whole. These events were triggered by the announcement that both the Federal and the State governments had been petitioned by environmental organizations to list the California Gnatcatcher, a small songbird, as an endangered species. Listing would essentially halt all proposed development of a public or private nature which would impact the bird or its habitat. In September, the U. S. Department of Fish and Wildlife announced its recommendation to list the California Gnatcatcher as an endangered species. After a one-year review period, the Secretary of the Interior must make a decision to list or not list the bird as endangered. If the bird is listed, local jurisdictions must prepare a document called a Habitat Conservation Plan, which outlines steps necessary to assure the long-term survival of the bird as a species, prior to taking any action or approving any project which would negatively impact the gnatcatcher. The State Fish and Game Board, when faced with a decision to declare the California Gnatcatcher as a candidate species for listing on the State list of endangered species, declined to do so. Instead, the State has promulgated a new program, the Natural Community Conservation Planning Act, which is designed to create permanent and contiguous natural preserve areas for a variety of native plants and animals. Such an approach would not only serve to protect the California Gnatcatcher, it would also protect numerous other native species which, if not protected, will soon follow the Gnatcatcher into endangered status. Several local jurisdictions have come forward with programs to create large contiguous wildlife preserves within San Diego County. Of most importance to Chula Vista are 1) the South County NCCP, and 2) the Clean Water Program of the Metropolitan Sewer Service Area's Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP). Chair and Members of the Planning Commission -2- January 28, 1992 SOUTH COUNTY NCCP In October of 1991, staff from the City of Chula Vista and the County of San Diego met with representatives of large property owners in order to explore the possibility of preparing a Natural Communities Conservation Plan (NCCP) pursuant to the recently adopted State program for the South Bay area. A joint effort between the City and County seems appropriate given the facts that I) necessary wildlife preserve areas would cross jurisdictional boundaries, 2) the City and County are already jointly planning the Otay Ranch and (with the City of San Diego) the Otay Valley Regional Park, and 3) several large property owners in the area wish to be assured reasonable future development rights without the uncertainty of the California Gnatcatcher or other threatened species being placed on the Federal or State endangered species list, and are willing to help create a permanent South Bay natural preserve in order to meet their individual goals. To date, a working committee representing staff from both jurisdictions and property owners has prepared a boundary of the proposed planning area for conservation purposes and has worked to anticipate work program and process requirements of the State. Unfortunately, the State has not prepared necessary guidelines and procedures for the program as of yet. Once these guidelines are in place, it is the staff's intent to recommend that the City of Chula Vista "enroll" in the NCCP process, and work cooperatively with the County of San Diego and enrolled property owners to plan for and implement a comprehensive area of natural preserves and wildlife habitat in the southern portion of San Diego County. CLEAN WATER PROGRAM MSCP The Clean Water Program's Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) grew from a requirement in the resolution of the dispute between the Federal government and the City of San Diego over sewage treatment. This requirement stated that the Clean Water Program must mitigate the indirect and growth inducement impacts of an expanded sewer system on the remaining natural open space areas within and adjacent to the service area of this sewerage system. Chula Vista is served by the Clean Water Program. In response, the Clean Water Program developed this work program to design and plan for the creation of comprehensive, large, contiguous open space systems within the central and southern portions of San Diego County. As with the State NCCP program, the goal of this program is the protection of numerous threatened native species and their habitat, as opposed to focusing on a single threatened species such as the California Gnatcatcher. It is the intent of Chula Vista to work closely with the Clean Water Program MSCP, as this program's area overlaps with the South County NCCP planning area. The City of Chula Vista and County believe that the MSCP must be supplemented by a planning effort between the two Chair and Members of the Planning Commission -3- January 28, 1992 jurisdictions which have actual land use and jurisdictional authority over the area in question; however, we intend to share data with the MSCP, and generally prepare plans which are in mutual conformance. EFFECT ON ON-GOING PROJECTS One of the major issues to be resolved in the State NCCP process is the need for "interim" controls to prevent destruction of key natural preserve areas prior to adoption and implementation of the plan. The State has not yet proposed any required or suggested interim measures to control development during the NCCP adoption and implementation process. Several major projects currently undergoing review by the City of Chula Vista are properties which are key to the creation of a natural preserve system, most notably San Miguel Ranch, Salt Creek Ranch, and Otay Ranch. It is staff's intent to keep the Planning Commission apprised of the status of the NCCP program when projects which are impacted by the program are to be considered by the Planning Commission. GH:nr (Nccp)