In Reply Refer to:
2023-0013844-S7-TA-OR and 2081-1999-012
December 18, 2024
Sent Electronically
Christopher Wright
Lead Project Planner
City of San Clemente
Community Development Department
910 Calle Negocio
San Clemente, California 92673
Subject: Approval of the Center for Natural Lands Management as Grantee of the Forster Ranch East Preserve, City of San Clemente, Orange County, California Dear Christopher Wright:
This letter is regarding the City of San Clemente’s (City’s) proposed conservation of the Forster Ranch East Preserve (Preserve), located northwest and southwest of the Avenida La Pata and Camino del Rio intersection and east of the Forster Ranch Ridgeline Trail. The primary concern and mandate of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is the protection of fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. The Service has legal responsibility for the welfare of migratory birds, anadromous fish, and endangered animals and plants occurring in the United States. The Service is also responsible for administering the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Department) is the State’s Trustee Agency for fish, wildlife, and plant resources and a Responsible Agency pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA; Public Resources Code sections 15386 and 15381). The Department is responsible for the conservation, protection, and management of the State's biological resources, including rare, threatened, and endangered plant and animal species, pursuant to the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), and administers the Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP) program.
As summarized in a concurrence letter, dated February 11, 1998, from the Service and the Department (collectively, Wildlife Agencies), for the Interim Habitat Loss/4(d) Permit Findings for the Laing Forster Ranch Project (project) (FWS-OR-2295.6), Laing Forster Ranch LLC and the City proposed to conserve the Preserve as partial mitigation for impacts associated with the project. Laing Forster Ranch LLC transferred ownership of the preserve to the City in the year 2000 with the understanding that the City would grant a conservation easement over the preserve to an entity approved by the Wildlife Agencies (Laing Forster Ranch LLC 2002). In 2007, Laing Forster Ranch LLC requested that the Wildlife Agencies approve the Center for Natural Lands Management (CNLM) as grantee of the conservation easement over the Preserve (McGuire 2007).
Attachment 3
Christopher Wright (2023-0013844-S7-TA-OR and 2081-1999-012) 2 This letter serves as the Wildlife Agencies’ approval of CNLM as conservation easement grantee and easement endowment manager for the City’s proposed conservation easement over the Preserve.
If you have any questions, please contact Christina Lupoli1 of the Department or Lauren Kershek2
of the Service.
Sincerely,
Erinn Wilson-Olgin
Regional Manager, South Coast Region
Scott Sobiech
Field Supervisor
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service California Department of Fish and Wildlife
LITERATURE CITED
Laing Forster Ranch, LLC. 2002. Letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Game with subject: Implementation compliance for previously approved Interim Habitat Loss Mitigation Plans, City of San Clemente (FWS-OR2295.6). July 10.
McGuire, M.R. 2007. Letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Game with subject: Forster Ranch - City of San Clemente. February 5. 1 [email protected].
2 [email protected].
IRU
JONATHA
N SNYDER
Digitally signed by
JONATHAN SNYDER
Date: 2024.12.18
13:42:14 -08'00'