Large Landscape Conservation in California: Policy Context, Implementation and Lessons for Other Regions

This session will describe how California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 and Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 are creating opportunities for large landscape conservation, discuss how two particular initiatives—the Northern Sierra Partnership (NSP) and Southern Sierra Partnership (SSP)—are taking advantage of those opportunities, and explore implementation strategies that may be applicable for other regions.

The session will begin with an introduction to state climate change legislation that is driving new planning, land use and conservation strategies.  Under the influence of this legislation, state policy requires landscape management planning across a range of economically and ecologically interconnected urban and rural regions, many of which are impacted by drought, wildfire and rapid urbanization.

Presenters will then explore how NSP and SSP are using climate science and land use policy, as well as partnerships with agencies and private landowners, to advance large landscape conservation in California’s Sierra Nevada and Central Valley.  These efforts range from participating in climate and transportation-related planning processes that impact land use, such as Sustainable Communities Strategies, to leveraging innovative funding mechanisms, such as the revenue investment plan from the California Cap and Trade program and statewide bond measures, to support conservation.

Finally, this session will discuss lessons learned from the California experience that can be used as a model to advance large landscape conservation objectives across the county.