CA EO B-54-18: Safeguarding California plants, wildlife and ecosystems from climate change

California Governor Brown’s Executive Order (EO) directs the state Department of Food and Agriculture and Department of Fish and Wildlife to work together to protect ecosystems, plants and wildlife while restoring and building climate resilience in habitats across the state. The order also supports the state's new California Biodiversity Initiative, an action plan to protecting the state's ecosystems and diversity of wildlife and plants. The Executive Order and Initiative will improve understanding of the state’s biological diversity, and identify and implement strategies to protect the state’s biodiversity from climate change.

The EO notes that California’s “deserts, mountain ranges, vast valleys, wetlands, woodlands, rivers, estuaries, marine environments, and rangelands and agricultural fields of California provide habitats for approximately 650 bird species, 220 mammals, 100 reptiles, 75 amphibians, 70 freshwater fish, 100 marine fish and mammals, and 6,500 of native plants - of which 2,000 or more are considered rare.”

The initiative to be implemented under this order aims to achieve the following goals, which are consistent with the Convention on Biological Diversity1 :

  • Promote deeper understanding of current and future threats to California’s biodiversity
  • protect native vegetation
  • manage and restore natural and working lands and waterways
  • explore appropriate financing options to achieve these goals

The order also establishes September 7 as California Biodiversity Day each year.

 

Publication Date: September 7, 2018

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  • Executive order

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Endnotes

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1. https://www.cbd.int/ The Convention was convened under the United Nations Environment Programme, and entered into force in 1993 to support international agreements to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity.