COMMUNITY INPUT

On May 5, 2021 (7), the Board of Supervisors (Board) directed the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to collaborate with the San Diego Regional Biodiversity Working Group (SDCBWG) to "develop a comprehensive Native Plant Landscaping Policy for both public and private property in the unincorporated area, including guidelines, reasonable requirements for County facilities and new developments with accommodations for recreational and other socially desirable uses, incentives for retrofits, and equity-based resources and training to ensure diverse participation among landscaping professionals and residents."

County Staff coordination with the SDCBWG began in June 2021 as they began development of their recommendations for increasing native plants in landscaping. In June 2022, the SDCBWG delivered its final recommendations to provide a vision and scientific support for increasing the use of native plants in landscaping. County staff worked with the SDCBWG, internal County departments, and external stakeholders to create a framework that would best respond to the Board's request for options for a new San Diego County Native Plant Landscaping Policy. During this collaborative process, the SDCBWG and stakeholders provided input suggesting that, instead of a policy, the development of a program for public and private landscaped areas throughout the region would achieve the objectives outlined in the Board direction while allowing for flexibility in how the program actions could be developed and implemented over time. The SDCBWG’s recommendations and suggested phasing approach, along with best practice research and input from internal and external stakeholders, were used by County staff to develop the adopted San Diego County NLP objectives, ten County-initiated actions, and the implementation timeline.

San Diego Biodiversity Working Group Contributors