San Diego Audubon Society, an organization dedicated to fostering the protection and appreciation of local birds, wildlife, and their habitats, recently announced Everest International Consultants as its ReWild Mission Bay project consultant.
ReWild Mission Bay aims to restore the wetlands in the northeast corner of Mission Bay along Pacific Beach Drive at the mouth of Rose Creek.
“We selected Everest International for the ReWild project because they understand the importance of recreation, public access, and community input in developing restoration plans for the area,” said Rebecca Schwartz, project manager for ReWild Mission Bay. “The Everest team will balance data analysis, alternative plan development, and stakeholder outreach to protect and restore this part of Mission Bay.”
The Everest International team, including Nordby Biological, AECOM, and New West Land Co., has extensive experience in estuarine biology and ecology, coastal processes, habitat architecture, and wetlands engineering, which it will use to ensure ReWild develops creative and sustainable restoration alternatives.
As the project leader, San Diego Audubon will now work with Everest International to spearhead the second half of a three-year planning process that includes collecting community input and generating plans to restore precious wetlands on this part of Mission Bay.
In 2016, Everest International will work with San Diego Audubon and partners, stakeholders, and community members to document existing and historical conditions, identify opportunities and constraints, and design restoration plans. By May of 2017, this process plans to yield at least three versions of a community-informed wetlands restoration plan. From there, the City of San Diego will need to approve a plan. Next steps include permitting and, ultimately, restoration of the area’s wetlands.
Wetlands, including marshes, mud flats, and riverbanks play an important role in San Diego’s quality of life as they attract wildlife, foster a diverse ecosystem, improve water quality, and protect communities from flooding by providing a cushion during high tides. Currently, only 5 percent of the historic 4,000 acres of Mission Bay wetlands remain, making ReWild Mission Bay a critical and time-sensitive project for the area. 
Rewildmissionbay.org serves as a resource to anyone curious, interested or passionate about restoring Mission Bay wetlands with a wealth of information and opportunities to get involved. 
ReWild Mission Bay is a project of San Diego Audubon in partnership with the CA State Coastal Conservancy and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program. For more information, visit www.rewildmissionbay.org.