The San Diego region is truly a remarkable place, with unique coastlines, canyons, mesas, grasslands, forests, and deserts. We are committed to protecting our region’s habitats through conservation and mitigation activities.
Environmental mitigation means avoiding, minimizing, or counteracting negative environmental impacts caused by our transportation projects. Environmental conservation means protecting and preserving natural environments through management, monitoring, restoration, and preservation.
Habitat Vision: Protect, Connect, and Respect
The vision for regional habitat conservation is to protect, connect, and respect species and their natural habitats to prevent extinction in San Diego County.
We protect existing native species through strategic acquisition, management, and monitoring of critical habitat areas identified in the regional habitat conservation plans.
We connect habitat areas through wildlife corridors and linkages and enhance peoples’ access, where appropriate, to natural areas.
We respect local, native species and habitats by balancing the demands for recreation opportunities with the desire for intact, natural landscapes. We encourage community respect for natural lands through increased public outreach and education that helps people connect to and deepen their respect for nature.
These efforts improve the region’s quality of life and further conservation efforts.
Regional Habitat Conservation Task Force
The Regional Habitat Conservation Task Force includes representatives from the City of San Diego, the County of San Diego, North County, Central San Diego, East County, South County, state and federal wildlife agencies, and several other conservation and nonprofit organizations. This group of experts guides the TransNet Environmental Mitigation Program (EMP) and provides expertise on regional habitat conservation issues.
For more information on the task force, contact Senior Regional Planner Kim Smith at kim.smith@sandag.org or 619.699.6949.
