Conservation Corner

Two friends contributed greatly to the BVAS conservation mission this summer. Joan Herskowitz wrote a comment letter on Carlsbad’s request for changes in its HMP implementation plan. Joan has recently taken on the role of Conservation Co-chair for BVAS (replacing Andy Mauro). Former board member and Conservation Chair Karen Messer wrote a comment letter and testified on behalf of BVAS regarding a new fire management plan proposed for San Diego County. The full text of the comment letters may be read by clicking on the links to the right.

Carlsbad Seeks Changes in Habitat Plan
Carlsbad has requested Coastal Commission approval of several changes to the Implementation Plan for its approved Habitat Management Plan and other Land Use Plan provisions. The purpose of the HMP is to provide a comprehensive, city-wide program to preserve the diversity of habitat and protect biological resources while allowing for development within the City. BVAS agrees with the staff report determination that the proposed amendment is inadequate and inconsistent with the goals and requirements of the HMP and should be denied. Missing components of the proposed amendment include: (1) lack of a preserve management plan; (2) lack of resources; (3) no clearly identified communication or defined responsibilities between the City, the resource agencies, and the Commission; (4) no identification of mitigation sites/opportunities within the Coastal Zone; (5) lack of appropriately defined open space requirements; and, (6) failure to require the Commission’s review of specific guidelines that may lead to undesired changes in how the HMP is managed.

County Fire Management Plan
The County of San Diego has drafted a “Vegetative Management Plan” in response to concerns raised by the destructive wild fires of recent years. The plan is under review by various agencies and stakeholder groups, including members of the conservation community. The County’s goal is to have a plan approved by the Board of Supervisors early this fall. While everyone recognizes the need to address threats posed by uncontrolled wildfires, there remains significant disagreement on how this can best be accomplished.

Does protection from wildfire have to mean indiscriminate
clearing of our county’s natural open spaces?

BVAS and other conservation groups feel the current proposed recommendations would likely be devastating to much of the habitat quality and diversity of our county, and would not result in any major improvement in protection from catastrophic fire. Federal and state land management regimes have largely abandoned this kind of vegetation management as ineffective. The proposed plan primarily calls for a massive clearing of native vegetation, ignoring what many feel are the major tools of fire prevention: Power line modifications, zoning to avoid fire-prone areas, planning clustered and defensible communities, construction standards to make houses defensible, and a sound plan to “shelter-in-place” residents living in risky areas.

This plan continues to march rapidly toward finalization
despite the serious concerns raised. County politicians seem
determined to have a plan to point to, however flawed and
destructive of the environment, prior to the fall fire season.

-Andy Mauro