SDG&E Hosts 2nd Annual San Diego County Watershed Summit

Wetlands Stakeholders Convene for Collaboration

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Oct 30, 2014, 02:00 ET

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, almost 200 stakeholders convened for the 2^nd annual "San Diego County Watershed Summit" at the San Diego County Fairgrounds. The day-long, free workshop hosted by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), showcased how county-wide watershed organizations are supporting our local wetlands and river systems throughout the region.

"All of the 11 watersheds in San Diego ultimately connect us, not only in terms of nature, but also in terms of sharing resources, ideas and success stories," said Mike Schneider, vice president of operations support and chief environmental officer for SDG&E. "Our goal is to provide a forum for environmental organizations to come together and share best practices, and gain relationships with groups that have the same mission of creating a more sustainable future."

The summit touted the successes of local environmental education programs and included representatives from the regions' non-profit watershed groups, regional and national environmental organizations, municipalities, water agencies and regulators. These organizations work every day to protect, preserve, and enhance the health of the ecosystems and communities that surround local waterways and the animals and plants that populate them. San Diego County is known to have one of the highest counts of animal and plant species that appear on the endangered species list among counties in the United States.

"We appreciate SDG&E's efforts to spearhead this opportunity to create stronger linkages with other stakeholders and environmental stewards of our watersheds," said Tara Fuad, education director for the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy. "Last year's summit helped The San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy to expand its innovative educational programs in other communities like Escondido that are east of the wetlands."

New York Times bestselling author Dr. Wallace J. Nichols delivered the keynote address at the summit and presented his book Blue Mind, a book on how proximity to water can make a person happier, healthier, and more connected and better at what he or she does.

To learn more about SDG&E's commitment to the environment, click here.

SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and 861,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The utility's area spans 4,100 square miles. SDG&E is committed to creating ways to help customers save energy and money every day. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego. Connect with SDG&E's Customer Contact Center at 800-411-7343, on Twitter (@SDGE) and Facebook.

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SOURCE San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)