Ecosystem Protection and Environmental Stewardship: Michael Beck of the Endangered Habitats League

The Finest City

In keeping with the backcountry theme, host Jen Whitelaw sits down with Michael Beck, the director of the Endangered Habitats League, a nonprofit organization committed to safeguarding ecosystems and promoting sustainable land use. In this conversation, Michael shares the League’s origins, tracing back to its formation in 1991 to advocate for the protection of the California gnatcatcher. Discover how the original six board members, including Michael, continue to work with the San Diego community to drive the organization’s mission decades later. Michael talks about the crucial role of the backcountry in urban life, the intricate web of species conservation through San Diego’s multiple species conservation program, and how growing wildfire threats impact our environmental preservation.

Timestamps:

[1:54] Michael talks about the creation of the Endangered Habitat League, and how it formed in 1991 to advocate for the listing of the California gnatcatcher.

[2:21] Six board members are still the same six people that formed the organization and have been on the initial board from 1991.

[7:00] The role of the backcountry in urban life.

[11:17] Michael’s role in the adoption of San Diego’s multiple species conservation program, the MSCP, and his assessment of it all these years later.

[15:29] The species covered; about half of them are plants and half are animals.

[21:39] Winning the Calder Conservation Award, and what a business conservation partnership looks like.

[26:00] The environmental stewardship beyond the San Diego region, and how it is connected to the five Southern California counties.

[27:42] Why was the Endangered Habitat Conservancy started?

[29:49] What might the average citizen not know or think about when it comes to preserving lands and/or the conservancy?

[32:44] How has the growing danger of wildfires affected the EHL’s strategies?

[42:46] The Earth Discovery Institute.

[51:46] People may not be able to join the board, but how else can they get involved?

About C-3

Even before the California Coastal Commission or Environmental Protection Agency existed, Citizens Coordinate for Century 3 (C-3) was the environmental conscience of San Diego. Since that time, in part due to C-3's leadership in education, advocacy, and empowerment, a plethora of organizations have developed throughout San Diego County. These organizations specifically focus on promoting progressive values in architecture, urban design, land-use governance, natural resource management, sustainable economic development, climate change resilience, and social justice. As the field of allies has grown, C-3's role has evolved to provide a platform that promotes creating civic community.

Opportunities for Advocacy and Engagement:

C3sandiego.org

Endangered Habitats League

MSCP

Natural Communities Conservation Plan

Quotes:

• “It’s an incredibly complex and ambitious effort to establish a science-based, apolitical framework that’s based on ecology and biology to preserve the habitat and the viability of 85 species.” — Michael [6:07]

• “It should be the first principle of land use planning, as well as the first principle in conservation, that everything is connected.” — Michael [8:54]

• “You’re not just protecting the footprint for that particular species that’s covered, you’re protecting the ecosystem within which it lives.” — Michael [19:40]

• “The conservation community, our job is to give voice to the wildlife and to actually apply science to what needs to be done to protect these species.” — Michael [22:48]

• “There is a lot of resilience in natural systems, but you have to remove those really persistent degrading sources of impact.” — Michael [38:44]