Board approves consent agenda; conservation groups urge more land-acquisition funding

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved the consent agenda on June 10 with a voice vote; Supervisor Desmond registered a 'no' on consent item one citing concerns about adding costs to residential housing projects.

Conservation organizations and advocates used the consent-agenda public-comment period to thank staff for work on the Multiple Species Conservation Plan (MSCP), request increased funding for land acquisition in South and North County MSCP areas, and encourage prompt rollout of a native landscaping ordinance. The San Diego Bird Alliance and Sierra Club representatives highlighted successful trail rerouting to protect nesting golden eagles and asked the county to raise land-acquisition funding from the budgeted $2 million to $8–10 million annually to leverage state and federal grants.

Why it matters: MSCP implementation and land acquisition affect long-term habitat protection and permit certainty for development. Commenters said the county's land-acquisition appropriation is too small to effectively match outside funding opportunities and to secure key parcels before development occurs.

Board action and votes: The consent items were approved by voice vote; the record notes Supervisor Desmond's no on item one. The board also accepted public support for MSCP items and directed ongoing staff work on native landscaping and related conservation policy measures.