In 2016, the San Diego Association of Governments issued a task order to AECOM Technical Services, Inc. (AECOM) to implement the San Diego Management and Monitoring Program (SDMMP) project, Management Strategic Plan (MSP) 2016 Monitoring Protocol for Rare Plant Occurrences on Conserved Lands in Western San Diego County. The Conservation Biology Institute (CBI) teamed with AECOM (CBI/AECOM team) to coordinate and implement the SDMMP MSP Inspect and Manage (IMG) rare plant monitoring protocol for 26 rare plant species. The regional monitoring protocol was developed by the SDMMP in collaboration with the City of San Diego, CBI, and The Nature Conservancy, and includes portions of existing protocols. The first IMG monitoring was implemented in 2014.
A cohort of 37 entities (e.g., resource agencies, local jurisdictions [cities and the County of San Diego], and non-profits) participated in the 2016 IMG monitoring effort by conducting in-house or volunteer IMG monitoring events, by providing access and permission for the CBI/AECOM team to conduct the monitoring events, by assisting the CBI/AECOM team with monitoring events, or by providing data to assist with rare plant occurrence detection.
