State Launches California Biodiversity Initiative

February 2019 - California is a globally significant biodiversity hotspot. It is home to an impressive variety of plants, animals, and ecosystems, many of which are found nowhere else. In recent years, the State’s leaders committed to protect this valuable biodiversity. Then, in September 2018, the State launched the California Biodiversity Initiative to begin realizing that commitment.

The Initiative has several broad goals, including preserving native species, protecting and restoring all types of California ecosystems, and improving ecosystem functions. An accompanying roadmap document outlines initial efforts, as well as long-term actions aimed at achieving those goals. Initial efforts include completing vegetation maps for the entire state, updating a statewide habitat connectivity assessment, and seedbanking California’s plants, among many others. In the longer-term, the Initiative plans seven focus areas, ranging from biodiversity research and strategic land management, to education and an emphasis on collaboration and partnerships.

Check out the California Biodiversity Initiative’s website to learn more.

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