New analysis reveals how to reach 30x30 in California
Deer using a wildlife underpass near Highway 395. Photo: Pathways for Wildlife
A new paper illustrates how to implement an evidence-based, strategic approach to conserving lands that will combat the biodiversity and climate crises in California. The article, published in the University of California, Davis’s environmental law and policy journal Environs, follows an executive order signed by Governor Newsom in 2020 that established a goal of conserving 30 percent of the State's lands and waters by the year 2030, a movement also known as “30x30”.
California lands host some of the richest biodiversity hotspots on the planet, but the state also has the largest human population of any state in the country. As a result, massive habitat modification, overexploitation of resources, pollution and the introduction of invasive species has led to 30 percent of California’s vast array of species being threatened with extinction.
“Many of California’s iconic terrestrial species—including bears, wolves, mountain lions, wolverines, tule elk and bighorn sheep—need more room to roam than traditional parks and wildlife areas provide,” said Mari Galloway, the author of the paper and California program manager at Wildlands Network, a nonprofit dedicated to the large-scale protection of wildlife corridors across North America. “When urbanization impedes wildlife’s ability to disperse through their range, it can lead to genetic inbreeding and ultimately population decline.”
The 30x30 framework provides a tangible solution to help halt and reverse the current alarming rate of biodiversity loss by strategically conserving lands to connect core habitats and movement corridors for wildlife.
While it is true that nearly half of California is managed by federal entities, the State has significant opportunities to increase conserved areas on state and private lands, writes Galloway. However, existing legal frameworks may limit the State’s ability to actually implement 30x30 unless proactively addressed through funding and passing legislation.
In the paper, Galloway expounds on five core areas that can contribute to 30x30 in the Golden State:
Promoting a network of protected areas to allow species to move throughout their range and adapt to climate change;
Addressing conflict between agencies’ legal duties and State conservation goals by redirecting land-managing agencies from extracting resources to conserving and restoring key areas for biodiversity persistence;
Increasing budget and staffing for agencies that manage land and implement conservation efforts;
Lowering barriers and increasing incentives to conservation and restoration on private land; and
Enhancing fine-scale assessments and planning throughout the State to prioritize and coordinate conservation investments in the face of climate change.
In addition to identifying policy changes that can “clear the path” to 30x30 in California, Wildlands Network collaborates with partners to conduct on-the-ground research of pinch points to wildlife movement, specifically along Highway 395 in the Eastern Sierra. These projects in California are a microcosm of Wildlands Network’s broader work in other jurisdictions in North America, including at the local, state and federal levels.
The Biden Administration, which has also adopted the 30x30 goal, encourages states and local governments to develop innovative bottom-up solutions for conserving more land and water in the United States. Wildlands Network monitors and elevates these local innovative policies while drafting and advocating for state 30x30 legislation.
“California has a history of leading the charge on environmental protections,” said Erin Sito, Wildlands Network’s U.S. Public Policy Associate. “Now the state has a great opportunity, once again, to help create a best practice framework for states working to contribute to our nation’s 30x30 goals.”
While 30x30 is a critical benchmark for large landscape conservation, conservation biologists, including most notably the late Dr. E.O. Wilson, have concluded that conserving 50 percent of the Earth’s land and waters is necessary to maintain healthy levels of biodiversity. The 30x30 goal is a stepping stone to a 50x50 solution for many.
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Contacts
Mari Galloway, California Program Director, 209-373-9973, mari@wildlandsnetwork.org
