HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-10-05 - AGENDA REPORTS - SOUTH COAST WILDLANDS PROJ (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO: a nand Ci y Councilmembers
FROM: ar c an, un I mber
DATE: October 5, 2004
SUBJECT: SOUTH COAST WILDLANDS PROJECT PRESENTATION
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council receive a presentation on the South Coast Wildlands (SCW) Project.
BACKGROUND
The South Coast Wildlands is a non-profit public benefit corporation formed in 2001 whose primary
objective is to develop regional science -based conservation area designs to protect and restore the full
range of species and ecosystems native to the South Coast Ecoregion.
In 2000, a coalition of agencies, including the SCW took decisive action to preserve the Coal Canyon
corridor connecting the Chino Hills and the Santa Ana Mountains. In that year, the three key parcels
in the linkage were added to Chino Hills State Park. CalTrans agreed to decommission the Coal
Canyon interchange, making it the first freeway interchange in the U.S. to be converted into a wildlife
underpass and the state is starting a $1.5 million effort to restore the habitat in the Coal Canyon
linkage.
The SCW Project is working to maintain and restore connections among wildlands in the Southern
California Ecoregion through the South Coast Missing Linkages effort. This project addresses
fragmentation at a landscape scale, and the habitat needs for a variety of taxa. SCW's approach is to
identify and prioritize habitat linkages that conserve essential biological and ecological processes.
This project gathers the most current biological data for linkage designs to ensure the viability of the
full complement of species native to the region. SCW's methods involve partnering with
public/private agencies, gathering existing data, identifying impediments to and opportunities for
connectivity, and stimulating a collaborative effort for each important linkage.
The SCW has identified the Upper Santa Clara River Watershed as having a wonderful biodiversity
and being significant on an ecoregional scale and a critical wildlife linkage.
The end result of the South Coast Missing Linkages Project will be a detailed comprehensive report
describing various opportunities for conserving connectivity for 15 key landscape linkages associated
with the Ecoregion.
Agenda Item: I __
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Direction as detennined by the City Council.
MSCALUAPACT
None
ATTACHEMENTS
None