STAKEHOLDERS

SAN ELIJO LAGOON RESTORATION PROJECT

San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy, in coordination with San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and project stakeholders, are working to address the restoration of San Elijo Lagoon.

San Elijo Ecological Reserve is located within the City of Encinitas, and is owned and managed by California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation (County Parks), and San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy (SELC).

Next Steps: Combined EIS/EIR
Future environmental review and permitting processes will involve many of the stakeholders. Because of both federal and state discretionary actions, the SELRP will be evaluated pursuant to the federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Given the project complexity and range of potentially significant issues, the appropriate environmental document will be a combined Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/ Environmental Impact Report (EIR). 

SELRP Stakeholder Goals
Biodiversity status and initiatives associated with San Elijo Lagoon

San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve is designated as supporting biological habitats of special significance (BIOL) and as a State Ecological Reserve (1983) by California Department of Fish and Game Commission.

California Coastal Commission

• Identified the reserve as a Critical Coastal Area in 2002

California Coastal Conservancy’s Strategic Plan

• Goal 5: Restoring and enhancing biological diversity in coastal watersheds
• Goal 6: Improving water quality, habitat, and other coastal resources within coastal watersheds and the ocean
• Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project (supported by state Coastal Conservancy): Restoration and enhancement of coastal wetlands is a Tier 1 priority

San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)
San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve is included as a preserve in both:

• County of San Diego’s Multiple Species Conservation Program
• North County Multiple Habitat Conservation Program (including Encinitas and Solana Beach sub-area plans)

California Department of Fish & Game California Natural Diversity Database

• San Elijo is listed in the Recovery Plans for the Pacific Coast population of the WesternSnowy Plover and the California Least Tern.
• An additional 22 species or habitats of San Elijo Lagoon are included in this Natural Diversity Database.

San Diego County
The Conservancy works with San Diego County to restore and enhance San Elijo Lagoon, the only County-operated coastal wetland. The two organizations have leveraged efforts to protect additional acreage in the Escondido Creek watershed and improve visitor facilities.
Newest projects include:

• Opening the San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center in 2009
• Constructing the boardwalk which allows for stroller and wheelchair access along the Nature Center loop
• The County-funded Nature on Wheels exhibit, completed by SELC in 2008, enables staff to transport Nature Center collections to community and school events, reaching people beyond the reserve’s boundaries in these outreach programs.

City of Encinitas

• San Elijo Lagoon has been identified in the certified Local Coastal Plan as an environmentally sensitive habitat area which should be preserved and restored, consistent with Public Resource Code 31252.