Carlsbad starts land-management transfer process

By: BARBARA HENRY - Staff Writer | Friday, December 9, 2005 11:31 PM PST ∞

CARLSBAD ---- City officials agreed last week to start negotiating with a Fallbrook environmental company to allow it to take over what's expected to be an expensive project: the management of approximately 600 city-owned acres where bobcats, birds and butterflies roam.

Founded in 1990, the Center for Natural Lands Management already monitors environmental conditions on nearly 1,600 acres of privately owned land in the city limits, including many parcels of native habitat around the La Costa housing developments.

"(The center) already has such a presence in Carlsbad, (and) we hope to take advantage of the cost savings of scale," senior planner Mike Grim said as he discussed the proposed contract last week with the council.

Though the city might save some money by getting habitat management services in bulk, it is still taking about parting with a large chunk of cash.

City officials estimate that Carlsbad will spend nearly $400,000 in the first year of the company's contract. The money would pay for everything from massive trash removal efforts to fencing the habitat. Annual expenses after that ---- regular biological studies, site visits and repair work, among other things ---- are expected to run $181,000.

Why would the city want to part with the cash? Improving the condition of its open space areas is a key element of the cityís effort to put its new Habitat Management Plan into action, city officials said.

Part of a regional conservation effort, the massive habitat document guides all housing, commercial and industrial development within city limits. Approved in 2004, the document details what land can be built on and what must be preserved. With its approval, plus the now-pending habitat management efforts, the city will gain exemptions from some of the extensive federal and state environmental permitting requirements.

Repairing the damage
Under the terms of the city's proposed contract, the Center for Natural Lands Management will be responsible for improving conditions on a range of city properties, including the 226-acre Lake Calavera area in northeastern Carlsbad and a tiny stretch of native habitat in Poinsettia Park.

Itís the tiny parcels that will give the company the most grief because they are surrounded by developed land, said Executive Director Sherry Teresa.

"While we want (people) to use it and appreciate it, we have to balance that with protecting endangered species ... and the smaller the parcels are, the more difficult that will be to do," Teresa said.

Small habitat patches can face extensive damage from people, pets and invasive plants, she said. People illegally build bike racing tracks and even small areas to putt a golf ball in these spots. Pets harass the wild animals, and invasive plants from nearby developments ---- the low-growing ice plant and the razor-sharp pampas grass in particular ---- send their seeds into the native areas.

Removing the exotic plants and repairing damaged habitat will be the center's responsibility. It will also need to conduct an extensive public education campaign to keep the problems from continuing, Teresa said.

Founded in 1990, the Center for Natural Lands Management has found a niche market handling the long-term care of wild places throughout California. The company, which employees 23 people, currently is responsible for more than 48,000 acres, including a sprawling 29,000-acre preserve in the Thousand Palms area where the fringe-toed lizard lives.

In addition to the city-owned property, the company is negotiations to take over more private land in Carlsbad, including the native habitat around the Carlsbad Oaks housing development now being built, Teresa said.

In related news
News that the center would be gaining Carlsbadís city property management contract was praised by area environmentalists last week.

"They have an excellent reputation," said Fred Sandquist of the Carlsbad Watershed Network.

While area environmental leaders praised the center, they did not have such warm words for a related action that the City Council took last week.

When the council approved the start of negotiations with the center, it also approved an inch-thick planning document that will guide the city, the center and area wildlife agencies as they attempt to improve conditions in the open space areas.

Known as the Open Space Management Plan, it details everything from how often management reports will be filed to how to control illegal off-road vehicle activity. Environmentalists said last week that they were given the final version of the proposed document just days before the council meeting.

"We weren't aware that it was coming before the council so quickly," Sandquist said.

Diane Nygaard, a Sierra Club member and the leader of the Preserve Calavera organization, said the document lacked much-needed details about how the habitat areas will be cared for and how the public will know that the work has been accomplished.

City officials called it a work in progress, saying they plan to hire a biological consultant next year to help advise them on issues relating to the habitat preserves.

"A lot of the biological issues here will be addressed by that biological steward," Grim said.

There will be more on habitat planning-related items coming before the council next week. The city is poised to raise its habitat preservation fees on developers to pay for long-term, habitat management expenses.

Contact staff writer Barbara Henry at (760) 901-4072 or bhenry@nctimes.com.

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