Conservation and Management of Ecological Systems in a Changing California
Developed by the Public Policy Institute of California as part of the Preparing California for a Changing Climate project, this report addresses conservation and resource management challenges, given current regulatory and governance structures, for protecting biodiversity in the face of climate change. The focus is on land-based conservation of natural habitat near developing urban areas and in more remote forested areas.
A review of the primary laws and regulatory processes that are currently used to prevent species extinction and conserve habitat are reviewed, including the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), California's equivalent ESA, or CESA, and the Natural Communities Conservation Planning Act (NCCP). Challenges and opportunities to adapting the current policy structure to aid species and ecosystem conservation in the face of climate change are discussed. General recommendations for changes needed to adapt policies and institutions to the realities facing species and natural resources are provided. These include developing more forward-looking conservation planning processes to protect future habitat and improving the coordination of existing conservation efforts.
Publication Date: November 2008
Authors or Affiliated Users:
- Elisa Barbour
- Lara Kueppers
Related Organizations:
Sectors:
- Biodiversity and ecosystems
- Forestry
- Land management and conservation
- Land use and built environment
- Water resources
- Wildlife
Resource Category:
Resource Types:
- Legal Analysis
States Affected:
Impacts:
- Air temperature
- Invasive species and pests
- Precipitation changes
- Water temperatures
- Wildfires
