ENVIRONMENT
t ’ s late on a Tuesday afternoon in April , and Jennifer Norris , deputy secretary for biodiversity and habitat of the California Natural Resources Agency , is kicking off the first of nine regional workshops that run through mid-May over Zoom to introduce the framework of Gov . Gavin Newsom ’ s Executive Order N-82-20 . The order calls for the conservation of 30 percent of the state ’ s land and coastal waters by 2030 . The workshops hope to gain perspective from stakeholders — all Californians — on how to reach that goal through strategies that are inclusive and represent the interests and needs of all communities .
California ’ s impressive landscape was shaped by earthquakes and volcanoes millions of years ago . Combined with its mild , Mediterranean climate , California became a haven of diverse habitats . Forests , deserts , chaparral , shrubland , woodlands , salt marshes and coastal dunes support such a rich diversity of plants and animals — many of which only exist in California — that the Golden State is one of the most biologically diverse regions on Earth .
It ’ s also home to one of 36 global biodiversity hotspots . Of the regions with the greatest biological diversity , hotspots are those that have also lost more than 70 percent of their native vegetation , typically due to human activity . California ’ s hotspot , the California Floristic Province , retains only a quarter of its original vegetation in relatively pristine condition , according to the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund , a joint initiative between international governments and environmental organizations such as Conservation
International , which researches and works to protect biological hotspots .
But why does protecting plants and animals matter ? Norris explains it this way : “ You don ’ t have ecosystems without species .” Soil without organic matter and organisms is just rocks . Or the ocean is just a bunch of salty water unless there are plankton and kelp to process the oxygen we breathe , she says . “ People ... see animals and plants as beautiful things we look at . But in fact , they ’ re essential building blocks of making these ecosystems work .”
“ People really see themselves as part of this conservation story and want to engage . We need to listen to people ( who ) do this every day and understand what those challenges are and how we can work together to really make this successful .”
JENNIFER NORRIS Deputy secretary for biodiversity and habitat California Natural Resources Agency
Newsom ’ s 30 by 30 order — which aligns with the United Nations ’ international and President Joe Biden ’ s nationwide goals for biodiversity — builds upon Gov . Jerry Brown ’ s 2018 executive order to address the threatened state of California ’ s biodiversity and the mounting impacts of climate change , shifting our approach away from reactionary conservation in response to individually threatened or endangered species and toward proactive conservation of entire ecosystems . And it charges CNRA to lead the efforts and submit long-term strategies by February 2022 .
The order ’ s framework seeks to preserve or restore biological diversity and intact habitat , and use nature-based solutions — land management practices such as carbon sequestration , healthy soils and greening urban spaces that address environmental , social and economic challenges — to combat climate change , which is unraveling the Earth ’ s ecosystems . And it calls for action “ in ways that serve all communities and in particular low-income , disadvantaged and vulnerable communities ” and provides equitable access to the outdoors for all Californians . All while safeguarding the state ’ s economy — the fifth largest in the world — fueled by industries that depend on the very health of our natural resources such as agriculture , timber production , tourism and recreation . What counts as conservation toward the 30 by 30 goal has not yet been defined by CNRA , but one analysis by the Center for American Progress of the U . S . Geological Survey ’ s Protected Areas database estimates 22 percent of California ’ s 104 million acres of land is conserved and 16 percent of its 3.13 million acres of coastal waters is conserved . To reach the goal , land conservation may occur through restoration , land acquisition and conservation easements on private property , as well as changes in land management .
In addition , the executive order identifies natural and working lands , such as forests , rangeland , wetlands and farms , as an integral component of habitat conservation and carbon sequestration , which helps slow
54 comstocksmag . com | July 2021