As part of the process to establish the Arroyo San Miguel State Park in Baja California, the Advisory Council of this Protected Natural Area, under the jurisdiction of the State of Baja California, was formalized on Monday. Representatives of various Baja California government agencies and local sectors participated in this event. The objective is to initiate the protection, restoration and public use of this Natural Protected Area (NPA), the first of its kind in Baja California.
Arroyo San Miguel State Park, located north of the municipality of Ensenada, is the first natural area to be protected through this conservation tool provided by state environmental legislation. Thanks to this project sponsored by Pronatura Noroeste to give this area the legal status of “State Park”, an area of 67 hectares of coastal landscape and six kilometers of the San Miguel stream, which flows into the beach of the same name, have been protected. It is a site of ecological importance that provides habitat for 112 species of plants (77% considered endemic), 47 species of mammals and 107 species of birds, in addition of being considered the ” birthplace” of surfing in Mexico.
The official decree published on September 17, 2021 by the Government of the State of Baja California marked the first step towards guaranteeing the protection of what is considered the only stream preserved in its natural state in the urban area of Ensenada. Prior to this, the site was relatively abandoned and poorly monitored, with an increase in clandestine dumps and the looting of sand, rock, and wood. Now, under the protection of state environmental law, these environmentally damaging activities are strictly prohibited, giving priority to tourism and recreational use of the area.
With the formation of the Advisory Council, an important step was taken in the establishment of the protected area. From the first studies that justified the need for legal protection of Arroyo San Miguel, the site required cleaning, signage, restoration of native vegetation, and basic equipment to guarantee appropriate and safe use for the local community and visitors who come to the creek and its beach for recreational activities and surfing.
There is tremendous stakeholder interest in beginning restoration work within Arroyo San Miguel State Park to ensure a safe recreational space for visitors and to protect the flora and fauna species that depend on the site. In addition, the success of the project will set the tone for conservation strategies for priority ecosystems in Baja California.
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