San Diego County has been a national leader in habitat conservation planning, setting aside areas where rare and endangered species can thrive in the midst of ongoing development. Now, 12 years after a plan for the southern, inland part of the county was adopted, a second habitat plan has been released, this time for the inland North County.
The North County Multiple Species Conservation Plan (MSCP) covers an area that is east of the cities of Oceanside, Encinitas, San Marcos, Vista, and Escondido and which runs north to the Riverside County line. The MSCP's boundaries encompass 295,000 acres, of which 100,000 acres are proposed to be off limits to development. The North County MSCP is intended to protect 63 rare or endangered species, including the California gnatcatcher. Stephens' kangaroo rat, San Diego fairy shrimp, Quino checkerspot butterfly and coast barrel cactus. The area contains chaparral, coastal sage and some forests.
The 12-year-old South County MSCP has been considered a success for providing habitat. It was supposed to …
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