Bike path in Lower Rose Creek.
Photo: San Diego Earthworks

San Diego is blessed with a unique topography of canyons and mesas that allow “urban living” along the edges of wild lands. Canyon edge dwellers in Clairemont, La Jolla and University City cherish their backyard connections to nature. They value the wild lands that often start where their back fence ends, and many view these natural open space systems as an extension of their yards, even when the land is under public ownership.

Open space lands adjacent to urban areas can become a threat to public safety if not properly managed and maintained. Plant materials, especially invasive species, can become overgrown which makes creeks and canyons inaccessible for management, maintenance or recreation. The overgrown plant materials poses a fire hazard and can create places in which people engaged in illegal activities can hide.