What kind of ecosystem restoration are you planning?
Most of the plants you list do not naturally occur together. So that means that you are fabricating a pseudo-habitat using natives, right?

It is a bit of a pseudo habitat, but what will happen is that they will all be planted in different areas of the conservancy.

The main reason for this selection is because the planting project has certain goals.

1) To show people that native plants are beautiful, excellent choices for landscaping, to help stop foreign invasive plants from being used.

2) To support native plants and animals. These plants were selected because a number of native California butterflies, birds, moths, etc. feed on them. We are also trying to expand the territory of the lonely little grey fox that lives near the conservancy.

3) the bushier plants are meant to discourage trespassing. There is a real issue of homeless people basically invading sections of the river and destroying it. We want to use these plants as a barrier to save the last pristine section of land, which is only maybe a fourth of a mile long, less wide.

4) open the door for more native planting projects. If this one is successful, we would do greater habitat restoration projects, where we would actually plant more things that would naturally occur in the area.

1) To show people that native plants are beautiful, excellent choices for landscaping, to help stop foreign invasive plants from being used.

True, but often natives just do not respond the same way to cultivation as they tend to be soil specific, requiring more aeration of the general clayey type soils that constitute the fill that is used in lots homes are built upon. And as people tend to have lawns the way the lawn is handled is generally how the rest of the yard is handled, and that is as easily as possible.

2) To support native plants and animals. These plants were selected because a number of native California butterflies, birds, moths, etc. feed on them. We are also trying to expand the territory of the lonely little grey fox that lives near the conservancy.

While many of the plants you list may be attracted to butterflies and moths as well as hummingbirds, you need plants that produce seeds that birds will eat and in your list only the Ribes appears to be so. Plants that are annuals or biennials that produce small seeds for finches or larger seeds for the larger birds of your area, which you need to research. Also butterflies need plants such as
milkweed for their caterpillars to feed on.
"Lonely little gray fox"??? Grey foxes are solitary hunters! And they can climb trees which is one of their escape routes from dogs. You need large trees with cavities in them for the fox to hide in. Also you will need debris piles, such as piled up branches etc for rodents to live in that the fox can feed on.

3) the bushier plants are meant to discourage trespassing. There is a real issue of homeless people basically invading sections of the river and destroying it. We want to use these plants as a barrier to save the last pristine section of land, which is only maybe a fourth of a mile long, less wide.

None of the plants you list can create a suitable barrier apart from the Cornus and even it is not enough to dispell intruders. You need plants like THISTLES fronted by NETTLES to form a wall at least 5 feet deep to discourage intruders but once these idiots learn you are growing Datura then forget it as they will simply find a way to destroy your barriers to get to this plant that is used as a drug. I could not believe that you would list such a dangerous plant like this. It should not be encouraged to be grown.

4) open the door for more native planting projects. If this one is successful, we would do greater habitat restoration projects, where we would actually plant more things that would naturally occur in the area.

I really think you people should contact the California Native Plant Society in your area and really talk this over with them. They have the knowledge and resources that can assist you. Check the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: CNPS Santa Clara Valley

Funny you should mention the CNPS, we already have 2-3 members working with us on this, and they didn't have any issue with the selection. The areas selected for the plants have the appropriate soil. We also already have plenty of native trees, mostly large oaks. I mention "lonely little gray fox" because throughout the entire Guadalupe river, only the one has ever been found. Non-native Red Foxes have overtaken other portions, so we are trying to help out the gray fox population where we can.

As for the Datura, there is plenty of it already growing in less controlled areas of the conservancy, and we determined that the smell and flower make up for its possible use as a recreational drug. Though recreational is hardly the word that can be used.

There are many other plants and weeds that caterpillars can feed on, but we wanted flowers for butterflies and hummingbirds.

The Native bird garden is another plan in the works, hence the lack of seed plants for native birds to feed on.

The Grey Fox has plenty of prey in its small stretch of territory.

Thistles and nettles make great barriers.... Except they aren't very appealing plants. Manzanitas and the currants will be used to make the barrier portions, as they create fairly thick, tangled brambles with thorns.