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San Diego Conservation Resources Network (CRN)
Project Abstract:
Over the next decade, approximately one-half million acres of habitat will be set aside for conservation in San Diego County to protect the region’s outstanding biological diversity. Protection and management of this open space will require substantial funding and staffing and a coordinated commitment from diverse groups, including municipalities, resource agencies, and local citizens' groups. To encourage and facilitate the participation of citizen groups, several local land conservancies are collaborating to form a nongovernmental organization, the Conservation Resources Network (CRN), which will provide information, technologies, and technical services to local land conservancies and to help mobilize and coordinate volunteers to assist with land conservation and management activities. In addition, the CRN will provide a point for coordinated contact with other organizations involved in habitat conservation, particularly local governments and the state and federal resource agencies.
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Project Goals:
1. Form a non-profit organization to provide services to nongovernmental organizations active in land conservation and management efforts in San Diego County.
2. Make available information and technological tools to facilitate land conservation and management by nongovernmental organizations.
3. Educate citizens of San Diego County about the world-renowned natural resources of the region and threats to these resources.
4. Assist with the mobilization of volunteers to participate in conservation and management efforts in San Diego County.
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Research Priorities (and suggested topics for investigation):
Periodic meetings of the core group of land conservancies in the process of forming the Conservation Resources Network. Outreach to other organizations to solicit their involvement. Seek funding to implement the goals of the Conservation Resources Network and the member organizations. Once the CRN is formally established, an annual work program and measurable objectives will be set.
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Full Description of Project:
The San Diego region is renowned for its rich natural resources and biological diversity. In fact, scientists have identified Southern California as one of 25 global hotspots for biodiversity and species endangerment. The San Diego region is also at the forefront of regional habitat conservation planning, with three large-scale conservation programs in various stages of planning and implementation under the state's Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP) program. As a result of these planning efforts, it is projected that hundreds of thousands of acres will be conserved in San Diego County over the next decade and will require long-term management and monitoring to ensure their future viability. Approximately 200,000 acres already have been proposed for conservation as part of the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) and Multiple Habitat Conservation Program (MHCP). The North County MSCP, in the beginning stages of planning, and the even larger East County program, anticipated to begin planning in the next year, are projected to more than double this total, making the overall responsibility for regional habitat conservation, management, and monitoring at least 500,000 acres.
However, continued urban growth and recreational use of conserved open space can irretrievably alter biogeographically unique habitats and associated species and change the character of rural communities. Lack of appropriate stewardship of protected lands will threaten our ability to conserve imperiled resources and to protect evidence of the historic and prehistoric human uses of our landscape. The enormous challenge facing the San Diego region in the next few years is mobilization and coordination of resources to adequately manage a half-million acres of conserved habitats.
There is a sizeable community of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in San Diego County involved in the conservation and management of the region’s important biological and cultural resources, which are increasingly threatened by development pressures. This community of land trusts and Friends groups has similar goals and a demonstrated commitment to working together, but often lacks the capacity and tools to meet their organizations’ objectives. One approach to supporting the needs of many NGOs in the county is the establishment of a Conservation Resource Network. Such a collaborative will support the constructive involvement of citizens and citizen organizations in the implementation of the San Diego region's habitat conservation planning and protection efforts, biological and cultural resources stewardship activities, applied research and biological monitoring, and adaptive habitat management. In addition, the CRN could facilitate environmental education and help to coordinate volunteerism by students and the public.
A grant has been obtained to support development of a private, non-profit Conservation Resources Network to support the activities of the conservation community. The Conservation Resources Network will be governed by local conservancies, land trusts, and Friends groups participating in conservation and management in San Diego County. The CRN is developing Internet-accessible information and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to facilitate land conservation and management. The CRN is also developing a volunteer coordination capability to mobilize citizens to participate in land management activities. Future activities are planned to include the provision of specialized biological analysis capabilities and services in support of land conservation programs.
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Project Participants:
Craig Adams, San Dieguito Rive Valley Conservancy
Michael Beck, Endangered Habitats League
Mike Kelly, Friends of Peñasquitos Canyon
Rob Hutsel, San Diego River Park Foundation
Tim Costanza, Escondido Creek Conservancy
Kris Preston, Friends of Hellhole Canyon
Jerre Stallcup, Conservation Biology Institute
Michael White, Conservation Biology Institute
Ann Van Leer, Conservation Consultant
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Link to Narrative:
http://www.consbio.org/cbi/pdf/hcrc/RSS_Prospectus.pdf
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