Tomorrow, ReWild Mission Bay – a San Diego Audubon project to enhance and restore up to 170 acres of wetlands in the North East corner of Mission Bay – invites the community to its second public meeting. The workshop, held at Mission Bay High School from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., will focus on the goals and objectives of the project, including how input from the workshops influence restoration designs for the area, and will feature restoration ideas presented by local fifth graders. San Diego Audubon invites anyone interested in the future of Mission Bay to come learn more and provide input on the project to ensure community input shapes the options for restoration.
“The community voice is critical to the success of ReWild Mission Bay,” said Rebecca Schwartz, project manager for ReWild Mission Bay. “We want our vision for restored wetlands to reflect ideas that come from partners, stakeholders, and the community — this includes the voices of our future generations, who will inherit these precious habitats to enjoy and protect.”
With ReWild Mission Bay, San Diego Audubon is facilitating a three-year planning process that includes collecting community input and conceptualizing plans to restore the wetlands along Pacific Beach Drive and on both sides of Rose Creek. By May of 2017, this process will yield at least three versions of a community-informed, scientifically defensible wetlands restoration plan for the northeast corner of Mission Bay. San Diego Audubon is working closely with the City of San Diego on the effort. Next steps include environmental review, permitting, and restoration of the area’s wetlands.
Wetlands — including marshes, mud flats, riverbanks and more — play an important role in San Diego’s quality of life, as they attract wildlife, foster a diverse ecosystem, improve water quality and protect communities from flooding by providing a cushion during high tides. Today, only five percent of the historic 4,000 acres of Mission Bay wetlands remain, making ReWild Mission Bay a critical and time-sensitive project for the area.
The June 14 public workshop is the second in a series of four. Residents can expect two more public workshops to learn more and weigh in on the restoration designs. For more information on ReWild Mission Bay and the project timeline, visit http://www.rewildmissionbay.org.
