News Alert | May 31, 2023
CNPS is thrilled to report that the CA State Assembly passed Assemblymember Laura Friedman’s (D-Burbank) transformative landscaping bill, AB 1573. The bill aims to replace non-functional turf with water-conserving California native plants for commercial and public landscaping projects. AB 1573 would be the first bill of its kind to create a requirement for the use of California native plants.
“Landscaping has so much potential to support California’s important goals to conserve water, support biodiversity, and connect more people to nature,” said Assemblymember Friedman, who was a key member of last year’s California delegation to the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) and is the author of a companion bill, which would ban the use of potable water for irrigation on non-functional turf, AB 1572. “This bill helps unites those important goals, which is why I’m thrilled to see it moving forward.”
The California Native Plant Society is a proud sponsor of the bill, which now advances to the California State Senate for a vote later this summer.
“Biodiversity is in peril, and we all depend on it for our survival,” said ecologist Dr. Jun Bando, executive director of the California Native Plant Society. “In urban and built environments, there are few large swaths of land still available for conservation, but this bill in combination with efforts like 30×30 helps us stitch together a patchwork of life-giving habitat that really can make a difference. We’re grateful to Assemblymember Friedman for her leadership in seizing this largely untapped opportunity.”
Read the full news release here.
How you can help:
- Spread the word. AB 1573 is a nuanced bill. Help us communicate the facts and the importance of this opportunity by sharing our AB 1573 landing page.
- Ask you CA State Senator to support AB 1573. Look up your legislator here.
