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video of this and neighboring preserves
Physical Description: The Rancho La Costa Habitat Conservation
Area ranges from El Camino Real to Elfin Forest within the Cities of Carlsbad and San
Marcos and the County of San Diego. Although the site is broken into many parcels, the
total land owned by the Center is close to 1,500 acres. The preserve includes Box Canyon,
a very steep, but unique feature of the area.
Conservation Purpose: This site has been protected as mitigation
to off-set impacts of development projects in the vicinity and acts as a regional corridor
connecting Batiquitos Lagoon and Lake Hodges. The site is biologically rich site and
representative of the high diversity of coastal San Diego County's natural habitats.
Habitat Types: Over 80% of this preserve is covered in two native habitat types, coastal sage scrub and mixed chaparral. The preserve also has a few acres of cottonwood woodland located within Box Canyon.
Several threatened or endangered species occur on this site including Del Mar manzanita,
(Arctostaphylos glandulosa var crassifolia), coastal California gnatcatcher, (Polioptila
californica californica) and thread-leaved brodiaea (Brodiaea filifolia).
Management: The focus of management here
is to protect the preserve from negative human abuses, monitor plant and wildlife species
and conduct research projects. The questions here focus on whether or not the conserved
natural communities and species can persist, or for how long, and what management measures
are required to reduce their risk of extirpation.
Formation and History: The Preserve areas were deeded to the
Center from January to December 2002. The Preserve was created as mitigation for Morrow
Developments La Costa Villages development, and Brookfield Homes and Skandia Development
University Commons development.
Access: Only portions of the Preserve east of Box Canyon are open to the public for passive recreation.
No motorized vehicles, shooting, camping or fires are allowed. The portion of the preserve
north and west of Box Canyon is temporarily closed, and no access is allowed at any time
of the year.
For information and inquiries
please contact: Jessica S. Vinje
Preserve Manager
(760)294-8439
Phone/Fax
e-mail: jvinje@cnlm.org Markus
Spiegelberg
San Diego Area Manager
(619)295-4953 Phone/Fax
e-mail: mspiegelberg@cnlm.org |
