San Diego adds new conservation land to Mission Trails Park

San Diego added 25 acres to the wildlife protect at Mission Trails Regional Park by means of a land buy that helps fulfill the county’s conservation plan.

The land is a part of the East Elliot Neighborhood Planning Space, situated simply west of Santee, north of Mast Boulevard and east of Republic Companies Sycamore Landfill.

The town purchased the parcel for $773,500 from a non-public vendor earlier this summer season, stated Mark Berninger, pure useful resource supervisor for the open area division of the Parks and Recreation Division.

Cash for the acquisition got here from the town’s Habitat Acquisition Fund, which collects mitigation charges from developments too small to require their very own mitigation tasks, he stated.

The parcel will type a part of the town’s portion of San Diego County’s A number of Species Conservation Program, a regional effort to protect 900 sq. miles of land important to native vegetation and animals.

The brand new addition to Mission Trails Park is important habitat for the California gnatcatcher, an endangered songbird, Berninger stated, and likewise hosts different animals equivalent to mule deer and bobcats. It’s additionally habitat for uncommon vegetation such because the San Diego goldenstar and the small succulent variegated dudleya.

The parcel’s worth additionally stems from the truth that it was undeveloped and on the market, he stated.

“We’re attempting to purchase all of those properties or protect them by means of conservation easements,” he stated. “This one was particular as a result of it was out there. It’s turning into an increasing number of troublesome to buy these, and to have keen sellers who can meet our necessities.”

The sale closed in late June, and metropolis botanists and biologists are surveying the parcel to find out which species are current and protect them, Berninger stated. Like different preserved wildlife areas, will probably be open to the general public for passive recreation equivalent to climbing, birdwatching and images.

“It’s actually essential for us to amass these properties to fill out our preserves,” Berninger stated. “This property goes into one hundred pc conservation, so there isn’t a growth sooner or later and we are able to ensure this property is there for our grandkids and their grandkids to take pleasure in.”