About 1,300 acres of wildlands that serve as habitat for endangered and threatened wildlife in San Diego County, CA, are now permanently protected.
The area near Chula Vista, CA, was proposed for home development but will be preserved following state acquisition of the land. Conservation of the land follows after legal challenges from environmental groups.
“In an acquisition and closing facilitated by the Nature Conservancy for $60 million, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will now own and manage the property as an expansion of the Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve,” the Center for Biological Diversity announced.
The property is joined with the nearby San Diego National Wildlife Refuge. The land is habitat to the endangered Quino checkerspot butterfly, San Diego fairy shrimp, California gnatcatcher and golden eagles.
