State seeks input on ways to protect communities from climate change
The California Natural Resources Agency is hosting virtual regional workshops as part of its ongoing effort to advance the state’s goal to protect 30 percent of land and coastal water by 2030 and enlist California’s vast network of natural and working lands in the fight against climate change.
Last year, the state made the 30 by 30 commitment through an executive order by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The order also elevated the role of natural and working lands as a key pillar of California’s climate change strategy, committing the state to accelerate actions to increase carbon removal and enhance resilience in forests, wetlands, agricultural soils, urban greenspaces and land conservation efforts.
“Nature-based solutions to combat climate change have long been a missing piece of our climate agenda, and we are closing this gap in California,” said California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot in a press release. “The science is clear that our iconic landscapes remove carbon from the atmosphere and protect people and nature from the impacts of climate change — reducing risk of catastrophic wildfire, absorbing floodwater, cooling communities, providing habitat, and more.”
The nine virtual workshops being organized are meant to help develop multi-year strategies of achieving the executive order’s goals. The state is seeking input to better understand what regional leaders and residents see as opportunities and challenges. Each workshop will include an overview of the state’s efforts, as well as region-specific topics for input and breakout group exercises.
The Sacramento Valley Region workshop (which includes Sutter, Yuba, and Colusa Counties) is scheduled for April 20 between 4-6 p.m. To register for the virtual event, go to https://bit.ly/3upbqor.
Input can also be provided by email (Californianature@resources.ca.gov), by voicemail (1-800-417-0668), or by mail (Attn: California Natural Resources — 1416 9th St. #1311, Sacramento, CA 95814).