Court Ruling Halts Proposed Alpine Park Development in San Diego County
For Immediate Release
Contact: Liv O’Keeffe, California Native Plant Society, lokeeffe@cnps.org
June 23, 2025 | Sacramento, CA— The County of San Diego’s plan to build a 25-acre park next to the Cleveland National Forest is in violation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), according to a new Superior Court ruling. The ruling cites the county’s failure to sufficiently address environmental impacts to sensitive species and analyze wildfire impacts.
The Cleveland National Forest Foundation and the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) are co-plaintiffs in the case involving the proposed development within 96 acres of undeveloped land. Both organizations are concerned about the project’s impact to wildfire risk and sensitive species, like the endangered Quino checkerspot butterfly, western spadefoot toad, pallid bat, and the great diversity of plants that dazzle visitors and provide critically needed habitat.
“With a profusion of brodiaea, calochortus, blue dicks, allium, and clarkia, this site is like walking in a spring kaleidoscope,” said CNPS San Diego Chapter Conservation Chair Justin Daniel of the wildflowers. The land is also home to the easternmost population of a coastal species called decumbent goldenbush, making the population an outlier for climate resiliency. “The court’s ruling gives everyone a chance to make sure we’re doing what’s required by law to protect this important habitat. We’re encouraged by the judge’s findings, and we believe the outcome will be the protection of this very special place.”
San Diego County is a remarkable region for plants and animals, with the highest concentration of plant diversity in the state. This is especially noteworthy, since California itself belongs to one of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots. Conservational International determines global biodiversity hotspots based on the concentration of species diversity in a region, as well as threat. California now has the highest number of plant and pollinator species at risk of extinction in the nation.
Wright’s Meadow is close to the proposed park site and is home to dozens of rare plant species, already threatened by invasive species. New development and associated traffic would pose an increased risk for invasive species, including fast-burning non-native grasses, which overtake native species and increase risk for wildfire.
“The court decision on the county’s flawed impact study for the park is a great win for the environment and for good planning,” said Duncan McFetridge of the Cleveland National Forest Foundation. “In an age of ecosystem collapse, we need to protect and preserve the precious natural heritage that still remains.”
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The California Native Plant Society is a statewide nonprofit organization that protects California’s native plants and their natural habitats through science, education, stewardship, gardening, and advocacy. CNPS has more than 13,000 members and 36 chapters supporting its mission throughout California and Baja California, Mexico. Learn more at cnps.org.
The Cleveland National Forest Foundation is made up of private citizens dedicated to protecting the remaining undeveloped lands within the forest, as well as those lands whose future may impact the integrity of the wilderness. Learn more at cnff.org.