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J a c u m b a   M o u n t a i n s  
t o
S i e r r a   D e   J u a r e z

The Jacumba-Sierra Juarez Connection is the least disturbed of habitat along the border, because of the sparsely developed rugged desert topography.  Much of it, both public and private lands, is within the California Desert Conservation Area boundary, on the U.S. side of the border.  The Vallecito Creek area along Highway S-2 supports the largest mesquite bosque in the region and historically supported the largest least Bell’s vireo population in the area.  The Jacumba Valley along the border forms the headwaters of the Carrizo Gorge, an important riparian system in this desert habitat.  Both the Vallecito Mountains and Carrizo Canyon include designated critical habitat for bighorn sheep in the Peninsular Ranges, which are Federally listed as an endangered population.  Bighorn sheep habitat is also found farther south in the Sierra Juarez in Baja.  One of the long-term goals identified in the Federal Recovery Plan for bighorn sheep in the Peninsular Ranges is to re-establish the connection between US and Mexico populations. The Jacumba-Sierra Juarez Connection also supports the southernmost critical habitat in the U.S. for the Quino checkerspot butterfly, and is rich in plant and herpetological diversity.  The Jacumé region in Baja just south of the border supports vernal pools, red shank chaparral, Quino checkerspot, deer, and badgers and is important for watershed protections for numerous desert species.