North County Multiple Species Conservation Program Plan

Thank you for your question and recommendations to better represent the public benefits of the North County Plan. Upon adoption of the North County Plan, the County will receive long-term permits from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) under the Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP) Act. The County is then able to extend its permit coverage to public and private projects under its jurisdiction while also providing clear and transparent policies that meet the regulatory requirements of the federal and state ESAs and NCCP Act. These permits also include regulatory assurances from USFWS and CDFW that the terms of the HCP/NCCP will not change. In addition to streamlining the permitting process without compromising the health and longevity of our native wildlands, the focus on smart development protects parkland in perpetuity while facilitating economic growth in San Diego County.

The North County Plan is intended to remove barriers for a variety of covered activities including private and public land uses, land and public infrastructure development, and conservation activities that may result in the “Incidental Take of Covered Species”. In addition to private development projects, the North County Plan includes coverage for County activities which benefit the public, including the operation and maintenance of existing County facilities and a range of future development. This includes but is not limited to parks and recreation amenities, flood control, stormwater, road maintenance and safety improvements, integrated vector & pest management, landfill/burn sites, emergency projects, transportation upgrades, and airport improvements. Additionally, there are also exemptions from the future North County Biological Mitigation Ordinance for new or expanded agricultural operations to simplify the permit process and reduce the financial burden currently taken on by project applicants. Under the North County Plan, the County will be providing mitigation for new or expanded agricultural operations as well as new single-family homes on individual vacant parcels, up to a certain limit, to extend the benefits being realized under the South County Subarea Plan and ensure mitigation is directed into an interconnected preserve system that will be managed in a comprehensive and consistent manner. 

Thank you for your question. Removal of Rancho Guejito from the North County Plan Area was considered and directed through Board action on October 28, 2020 (6).

The 2017 Preliminary Draft North County Plan relied on Rancho Guejito as a location for potential mitigation and conservation, comprising approximately 36% of the preserve to be assembled. Per a request from Rancho Guejito to be removed from the North County Plan, staff evaluated impacts to the conservation strategy and considered ways to maintain the health of the preserve. As outlined in the Options Assessment prepared by ICF, removal of Rancho Guejito from the Plan Area was recommended because the landowner may actively oppose the North County Plan if they are included; therefore, continued inclusion threatened the viability of the plan.

Based on all this information, the Board voted to remove Rancho Guejito from the Plan Area. The Board also directed that staff explore any necessary changes to the Plan Area, list of Covered Species, and other aspects of the proposed Plan in order to compensate for the loss of the Rancho Guejito land and to make the preserve functional. Staff’s analysis required that the Plan Area be expanded, which was presented during Virtual Public Workshops in Fall 2021. Rancho Guejito will still have to obtain individual take permits if they ever propose significant development on the property. Therefore, conservation and mitigation would take place, just not part of the North County Plan.