The term “open space” can mean different things to different people. The City’s General Plan groups open space into different categories, such as preservation or managed production of natural resources, outdoor recreation, and aesthetic or cultural open space. Examples of these types of open space include native habitats and lagoons, agricultural fields and reservoirs, City and private parks, golf courses, and widened landscaped parkways along scenic roads.

The City participates in several programs to increase the amount of protected natural open space within the City’s jurisdiction. The City of Carlsbad Open Space Committee prepared a list of potential open space property acquisitions and, using the evaluation criteria it developed, the City continues to review additional candidate properties and rank them in order of ecological value and potential for trail access. Using this list and other resources, the City coordinates efforts with local and national non-profit organizations in its open space acquisition programs and works with the State and Federal Wildlife Agencies in seeking grant money for open space preservation.

While the City currently owns all of the City parks and approximately 600 acres of natural open space land, much of the open space within the Carlsbad is privately owned or held by the State of California. All open spaces must comply with City of Carlsbad Zoning standards and Carlsbad’s Open Space Management Plan, which means tightly restricted uses and perpetual maintenance. This perpetual maintenance is commonly funded in perpetuity by non-wasting endowments. Since the City owns a small percentage of open space land, it relieves local taxpayers of the burden of funding, maintaining and being liable for these natural open space areas.

In 2002, Proposition C was passed by the voters of Carlsbad. The proposition authorized the City Council to spend more than $1 million on four municipal projects, one being the acquisition of open space and trail linkages. At that time, the total cost of the four Proposition C projects was estimated at $35 million for budgeting purposes. The Proposition C Open Space and Trails Ad Hoc Citizens Committee was formed by the City Council to establish ranking criteria for evaluating potential open space and trail acquisitions and create a list of candidate properties. The Committee’s ranking criteria weighted heavily on the property’s habitat value, its role in implementing the HMP and ability to provide trail access in open space areas. All properties acquired through the Proposition C program must include long-term management and biological monitoring and reporting consistent with the requirements of the HMP.