The Environmental Mitigation Program (EMP) provides funds through
TransNet to protect, preserve, and restore native habitats as offsets to disturbance caused by the construction of regional and local transportation projects.
The $850-million program began purchasing property in 2008 and has now acquired more than 2376 acres around the region at a cost of $89.3 million.
The TransNet EMP goes beyond traditional mitigation programs, buying large parcels of land early at lower prices to comprehensively satisfy the mitigation requirements of current and future projects. Purchase of mitigation lands in advance of need will result in cost savings. In addition to the early acquisition of land, the EMP will provide funds for regional management and monitoring to maintain the biological value of conserved habitat lands.
April 2012 Acquisitions
Time Out Holdings/Stacco, City of Oceanside
Otay Mesa Parcel A, Western Otay Mesa
Time Out Holdings/Stacco in Oceanside is a 68.18-acre property bordering SR 76 to the north and just to the east of the 80.3 acre Jeffries Ranch property, already conserved by SANDAG as open space. The $4-million acquisition offsets acreage used in the double-tracking of rail between San Onofre and Las Pulgas in Camp Pendleton and the Santa Margarita Bridge Replacement Project. The property is described as 60.18 acres of fallow agriculture land, which will be restored to upland sage vegetation and eight acres of wetland.
In Otay Mesa, south of SR 905 and in the midst of a larger conservation area owned by the City and County of San Diego, SANDAG has acquired two parcels totaling 6.71 acres of disturbed coastal sage scrub and remnant vernal pools. The property sits entirely within City of San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program land. These properties, purchased for $273,000, will offset expansion of the San Ysidro Intermodal Freight Facility. Most of it will be restored to coastal scrub sage and vernal pools.
Caltrans will oversee management and restoration of both the Oceanside and Otay Mesa properties. Total cost of acquisition, restoration, and management of these properties will come to a little more than $9.5 million.