This proposal requests 13,000,000 in federal grant funds from the fiscal year 2022 cooperative endangered species conservation fund (section 6 of the endangered species act) nontraditional habitat…

This proposal requests 13,000,000 in federal grant funds from the fiscal year 2022 cooperative endangered species conservation fund (section 6 of the endangered species act) nontraditional habitat conservation plan land acquisition grants program. The federal grant will be matched by non federal funds totaling 4,567,568 (26 percent) of the total project cost. Acquisition of the otay ranch planning area 17 property (planning area 17)will result in permanent protection of conservation lands totaling 2,346 acres that will complement the city ofchula vista s subarea plan (subarea plan) within the multiple species conservation plan (mscp) in SAN diegocounty, california. This proposal is the first phase of the planning area 17 acquisition effort and IT isanticipated that additional grants and funding will be needed to conserve the entire 2,346 acres. The purpose ofthe land acquisition proposal is to acquire, permanently protect, and manage highly developable but essentialhabitat that augments the subarea plan and adjacent conserved lands. Priority parcels for conservation are thosethat meet the goals and objectives for the covered species (listed and unlisted) and associated naturalcommunities. The planning area 17 property provides habitat for three listed species covered in the subarea plan the federally threatened coastal california gnatcatcher (polioptila californica californica), federallyendangered quino checkerspot butterfly (euphydryas editha quino) and federally endangered arroyo toad (anaxyruscalifornicus) as well as the federally endangered mexican flannelbush (fremontodendron mexicanum), a speciesthat was not included as a covered species in the subarea plan due to insufficient data and unknown conservationlevel at the time of permit issuance. A collaboration of the county of SAN diego and city of chula vista, jointlyknown as the preserve owner manager (or POM) will own and manage the property in perpetuity for the conservationof listed and sensitive species. Conservation and management of the planning area 17 property would complementthe mscp by securing a coastal california gnatcatcher core area as well as wildlife movement corridors toadjacent conserved lands.