The BVAS Conservation Mission

The BVAS Conservation Mission is to help educate BVAS members and the general public on important conservation issues, to influence public policy and programs in order to better protect the natural environment, and to actively support programs to protect, preserve, restore, and enhance natural ecosystems on a local, regional, national, and international level. Click here for details of how we accomplish this mission.

         


 

 

 

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

 

Current Conservation Issues and Position Papers

Click on a link below to open the indicated position paper in a separate browser window.

Letter to the California Coastal Commission supporting the Commission Staff Reports on City of Carlsbad HMP Implementation plan.

Letter to the San Diego Planning Commission regarding the County of San Diego Fire Management Plan Proposal

One-page flyer describing the Audubon Watchlist for 2007 and highlighting the San Diego County birds on the list.

Ric Shellhamer’s excellent video "Defending Buena Vista Lagoon" has been placed on YouTube and may be viewed by clicking here.

Salton Sea Restoration Plan - history and current status

Salton Sea Restoration Plan - map of the proposed plan

Sign-On Letter In Opposition to the Carlsbad Desal Plant - Final Draft

Letter to local newspapers opposing the proposed development on Buena Vista Lagoon

Letter to Oceanside City Council opposing the proposed concrete batch plant at Loma Alta Creek

Position paper on the Lagoon Restoration

Letter to Oceanside regarding the DEIR for the Former South Coast Quarry Amended Reclamation Plan

Letter to Fish and Wildlife regarding the South Bay Saltworks

Final draft of our comment letter to the City of Oceanside on the Boardwalk Project proposed for the site directly across the street from the nature center. 

   
   
If you have any conservation alerts, comments, or concerns that you would like to bring to the attention of BVAS, please click here to send an email to the Conservation Chair, Andy Mauro.
     
     
     
 
Webmaster: Larry Spann

The contents of this website are copyrighted by BVAS Audubon
All photos are copyrighted by Suzann and Larry Spann, unless otherwise indicated. Please do not use without permission.