The Intersection Between MSCP and Climate Action Goals with Holly Smit Kicklighter

The Finest City

As part of the Knowledge to Action series, we continue the conversation around San Diego’s Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) and welcome Holly Smit Kicklighter, a biologist and key figure around the program. Holly details MSCP’s historical significance, its international model status, and its role in achieving climate action goals for the region. Holly talks about how this game-changing land plan creates opportunities for new interaction with our nature and safeguards the existing species that call San Diego home.

Timestamps:

[4:24] What is the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP)?

[4:54] The Endangered Species Act.

[7:16] How was the MSCP program received by the public when it first came out?

[9:21] Why is the MSCP still so important for San Diego, and how does it differ from other cities?

[14:50] The Multiple Habitat Preservation Areas and the Planning Areas, and how they relate to the MSCP.

[17:52] What assurances are provided under the MSCP that the preserved areas can be properly maintained?

[19:16] What would it look like if we didn’t have the MSCP?

[23:02] What current threats are there for MSCP, and how do we rise above these challenges?

[25:07] The importance of more education around understanding protecting our land and biodiversity in our community.

[27:12] MSCP and climate action goals.

[28:08] SDMMP, the San Diego mitigation monitoring program, and how important it was to get SANDAG involved.

[29:25] What kind of impact do you think that the San Diego sub-regional MSCP and the city’s MSCP subarea plan made outside of San Diego?

[32:26] Dovetailing of the MSCP with climate change resiliency, and how Amber Pairis was influential in this movement.

About C-3

In its 60 years of existence, Citizens Coordinate for Century 3 (C-3) has brought together local thought leaders from planning, design, policy, academia, community development, and more to address our region’s distinctive and pressing land use challenges. In founding C-3 almost 60 years ago, architect Lloyd Ruocco’s vision was to bring together our region’s most creative minds from the arts, sciences, academia, and government to share ideas, learn new perspectives, and build fellowship around the idea of creating livable communities.

Opportunities for Advocacy and Engagement:

C3sandiego.org

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