California Conservation Issues

For more than 50 years, the California Native Plant Society has worked tirelessly to protect rare and endangered native plant species and their habitats. We believe that to save a plant, we must save its habitat – a focus that makes CNPS one of California’s most influential and long-standing advocates for land conservation. By saving plants, we save places.
CNPS Endangered Species Protection
Federal and State California Endangered Plant Species

Oaks are ecosystem powerhouses, supporting hundreds of different species. Unfortunately, the clearcutting of oaks and other hardwood trees is often promoted in favor of “agricultural uses” across California. Numerous oak woodlands statewide are being razed for vineyards, strip malls, cannabis, and other development. That, while other populations succumb to phytophthora pathogens and, recently, wildfire.

CNPS and its local chapters are working hard to preserve and restore irreplaceable populations of native oaks. Recent highlights include:

• The CNPS East Bay Chapter seeking to protect an oak grove in a historic Oakland cemetery and restore oaks to other nearby sites
• The Los Angeles / Santa Monica Mountains Chapter fighting a proposed development plan to remove more than 21,000 square feet of scrub oak habitat.
• A successful campaign in San Luis Obispo County to pass the region’s first local oak woodlands ordinance
• A collaboration between the CNPS headquarters staff, the CNPS Milo Baker chapter, and a number of important regional partners to re-oak wine-country following the devastating wildfires of 2017

Get Involved! See how you can help our expanding efforts to by adopting an oak today.

In September, the governor signed Senate Bill 249 (Sen. Ben Allen (D) – Santa Monica) into law. CNPS led support for this unanimously passed legislation, which strikes a helpful balance between increased natural resource protection and the rights of responsible riders. This is an important first step in our ongoing work to guard native plant habitat from illegal riding and OHV park expansion.

CNPS OHV Reform
A Win-Win for California