Reflections on the U.N. Global Biodiversity Conference
CNPS has been proud to be the voice for California’s native plants on a global stage, which helps build support for what we care about most here at home.
Regional Conservation Planning
Development and clean energy production are ever-present needs in California. But we must balance those needs with equally pressing concerns of species and habitat protection. At CNPS, we believe in using best available science to guide planning and development decisions. It’s possible to find development space that doesn’t damage important habitat, and this often requires working together as scientists, conservationists, and planners. That’s why the CNPS conservation team is involved in a number of regional planning efforts now under way.
Types of planning
Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP)
NCCPs and HCPs are planning tools that provide opportunities to identify important plant areas, often related to sensitive wildlife habitat, and to conserve them through easements and acquisitions over time. CNPS is currently focused on work in Placer County, Santa Clara Valley, Butte County, San Diego County, Coachella Valley, Kern County, and other Southern California locations.
Regional Conservation Assessment (RCA)
RCAs inform conservation priorities and provide data in support of ecosystem services like carbon sequestration, water conservation, and preservation of agricultural lands. RCAs help build the information needed to create Regional Conservation Investment Strategies (RCIS), which will define lands of least and greatest conservation value. CNPS is now contributing to RCA efforts in the Mojave and Modoc Plateau in partnership with California’s Biodiversity and Strategic Growth Councils.
Regional Conservation Investment Strategies (RCIS)
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, an RCIS establishes biological goals and objectives at the species level and describes conservation actions and habitat enhancement actions that, if implemented, will contribute to those goals and objectives. CNPS is currently focused on RCIS projects in development for Antelope Valley (LA County), Yolo County, portions of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, parts of San Bernardino County, and in the Sacramento Valley.
From the Blog
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Threatened by Mining, A Tiny Daisy Needs Your Help
Threatened by mining, California's tiny and rare Inyo rock daisy is in danger of losing its entire range. -
Save Our Sequoias Act Poses More Threat than Promise
California lost a tragic amount of giant sequoias in recent wildfire seasons, yet the Save Our Sequoias Act may in fact be a misdiagnosis of the problem at hand.