This proposal requests 2,500,000 in federal grant funds from the fiscal year 2023 cooperative endangered species conservation fund (section 6 of the endangered species act) nontraditional habitat…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI) awarded a $6,250,000 Project Grant under the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CFDA #15.615) to the State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife (Wildlife Conservation Board) on November 1, 2023. The purpose of the grant is to acquire and permanently protect 1,291 acres of essential habitat for 24 species, including 2 federally listed animal species, 3 federally listed plant species, and 19 unlisted species. This will complement the existing County of San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) subregional plan. The grant funds will be matched by $3,750,000 in non-federal funds from the Wildlife Conservation Board, and an additional $53,750,000 in leveraged funds. The Nature Conservancy will purchase the Otay Ranch Village 14 and Planning Areas 16 and 19 property by January 2024 and convey the land to the State of California for long-term management and conservation.

This proposal requests 2,500,000 in federal grant funds from the fiscal year 2023 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 from the wildlife conservation board totaling 3,750,000 (60.00 percent) of the total project cost. Other leveraging funds totaling 53,750,000.00 are outside of the scope of the federal grant funding request but are being secured to complete the acquisition. The acquisition of the otay ranch village 14 and planning areas 16 and 19 property (village 14 planning areas 16 19) will result in permanent protection of conservation lands totaling 1,291 acres that will complement the county of SAN diego subarea plan within the multiple species conservation program (mscp) subregional plan in SAN diego county, california. Due to the propertys strategic location, the acquisition also complements the city of chula vista subarea plan and the city of SAN diego subarea plan. The purpose of the land acquisition proposal is to acquire, permanently protect, and manage highly developable but essential habitat that supports habitat for 24 species covered under the county of SAN diego subarea plan and augments these subarea plans and adjacent conserved lands. The property is located within the SAN diego national wildlife refuge acquisition boundaries and abuts california department of fish and wildlifes rancho jamul ecological reserve and is essential to regional connectivity of these core conservation areas. Priority parcels for conservation are those that meet the goals and objectives for the covered species (listed and unlisted) and associated natural communities. The village 14 planning areas 16 19 property provides habitat for 24 species covered in the county of SAN diego subarea plan including two federally listed animal species, three federally listed plant species, and 19 unlisted species (eight plants and 11 animals). The covered species include: the federally threatened coastal california gnatcatcher (polioptila californica californica), federally endangered SAN diego fairy shrimp (branchinecta sandiegonensis), federally threatened otay tarplant (deinandra conjugens), federally endangered SAN diego button celery (eryngium aristulatum VAR. Parishii), and federally threatened spreading navarretia (navarretia fossalis). The village 14 planning areas 16 19 acquisition parcels are also occupied by a sixth federally listed species, the federally endangered quino checkerspot butterfly (euphydryas editha quino), that is not yet covered by the county of SAN diego subarea plan but is covered by the adjacent city of chula vista subarea plan. The at-risk western spadefoot (spea hammondii) also occurs on the property but is not a covered species in the county of SAN diego subarea plan. If the grant is approved, the nature conservancy will purchase the property by the end of january 2024 and subsequently convey fee title to the state of california who will own and manage the property in perpetuity for the conservation of listed and sensitive species. Conservation and management of the village 14 planning areas 16 19 property would complement the county of SAN diego subarea plan and the SAN diego mscp by securing a coastal california gnatcatcher core area as well as essential wildlife movement corridors to adjacent conserved lands owned by the state and federal governments.