Escondido Mayor McNamara files Support for North County MSCP

One of the most important decisions to be made about the fate of wildlife and plant species in the North County, will be decided on October 28 by the San Diego Board of Supervisors.

Last week, Escondido Mayor Paul McNamara sent a letter to Chair Cox and the Board of Supervisors and joined us to urge the Supervisors’ support for completion of the North County Multiple Species Conservation Plan. In his support letter he recommends support for Option 5 of the ICF analysis report.  Sierra Club strongly endorses Option 5, the full Habitat Conservation Plan option and is grateful for the Mayor’s support on this important issue.  Further, Sierra Club is an active member of the Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Coalition which has actively engaged on this issue for years and filed this comment letter.

Sierra Club is on record to Revise and Adopt a North County MSCP (Option 5). This is the only option that meets both the HCP and NCCP standards and is the only option which meets legal requirements under the General Plan and provides ecosystem-based conservation planning and management. Further, any other option makes unlikely the assemblage of effective wildlife corridors between core habitat areas. Many species of wildlife require corridors and climate change will exacerbate this need. Without corridors, the County will experience increased risks of extinctions of sensitive and rare species west of the mountains.  Last, a quality MSCP is our best strategy for ensuring that critical habitat is protected and housing is more easily constructed (reduced regulatory burden) in areas where it makes sense—urban infill and along or near transportation corridors.

We urge all North County Sierra Club members to:

1. Write Chair Cox and the Supervisors and urge them to support Option 5 at their October 28th meeting.  Please email Dianne Jacob <Dianne.Jacob@sdcounty.ca.gov>, Kristin Gaspar <Kristin.Gaspar@sdcounty.ca.gov>, Nathan Fletcher <Nathan.Fletcher@sdcounty.ca.gov>, Greg Cox <Greg.Cox@sdcounty.ca.gov>, Jim Desmond <Jim.Desmond@sdcounty.ca.gov> and copy Mark Wardlaw <mark.wardlaw@sdcounty.ca.gov>,
2. Contact your local governmental representatives and urge them to urge them to support Option 5 as well.

Sierra Club has a Habitat Planning Task Force and will be working diligently to ensure that the North County MSCP protects our precious plant and animal species. Contact Mary Clarke if you want to get involved or join our Conservation Committee by emailing conservation@sierraclubncg.org.