Opinion: Writing the next chapter in California’s environmental history

Ask any Californian why they enjoy living in the Golden State, and you’re likely to hear about the environment, from our treasured oceans to public lands.

We’re lucky to share such splendor with a vast array of native species, including plants, migratory birds, aquatic animals and wildlife. And our experience over the past months, collectively committing to slow the spread of COVID-19 through social distancing, has only reinforced how critical nature is to California’s way of life. It was one of our few escapes, where we could get away from the stresses of a global pandemic dominating everyone’s life.

Yet as we settle into the new decade, scientists are sounding the alarm that nature is facing unprecedented challenges. Without action, the California we know and love will cease to exist.

On June 8, the California Assembly passed AB 3030, a bill I wrote to put our state at the forefront of global environmental conservation. AB 3030 is part of a growing effort to protect 30% of the world’s lands and oceans by 2030. If enacted, California would be the first in the United States to take statewide action — writing the next chapter in our proud history of environmental leadership.

I was pleased to see the bill, co-sponsored by my fellow Assemblymembers Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, Eloise Gomez Reyes, D-Grand Terrace, and Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, pass by a wide margin; now, it’s in the hands of the state Senate.

Last year, the United Nations issued a stunning report that shows one million animals and plants are now threatened with extinction. Even worse, the report predicted many of those species could die off within decades — the fastest decline in human history. California’s scientific community takes such warnings seriously and are already documenting a rapid loss of natural areas and biodiversity here at home. From 2001 to 2017 alone, California lost more than one million acres of natural lands. Additional studies show at least 686 species are at risk of extinction, and an astonishing two-thirds of the state’s native plants are forecast to lose most of their range in the next 100 years.

This is why scientists throughout California and around the world are imploring us to act, and why we have responded with our legislation. Fortunately, California is already a leader in protecting nature, with 22% of our state’s lands and 16% of coastal waters protected and managed for their natural resources. Increasing those numbers to 30% by 2030 is achievable, but it will take an all hands-on-deck approach.

AB 3030 takes up the mantel by establishing a statewide policy to protect and restore at least 30% of California’s lands, freshwater and oceans by 2030. Recognizing there is more than one path to conservation, the bill was designed to set and achieve a goal in lieu of prescribed mandates. It would task the state to work with the U.S. government, local and Indigenous communities, and private landowners to conserve natural resources.

Decades ago, California deployed its strengths to become a leader in renewable energy, setting ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gases and putting forth an economy-wide effort to meet them. Our 30×30 bill supports those efforts while simultaneously building on them to tackle the nature crisis we now face and rebuild our economy. With more than 100 million acres in and only five million currently in urban or suburban development, California has enough land to protect important areas, provide the public with access to nature, and build and sustain a robust economy.

In the age of COVID-19, we are all too familiar with the importance of maintaining a healthy ecosystem — for the planet and ourselves. Let’s address the crisis head-on by passing AB3030 and making 30×30 a reality.

Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, represents the 27th District in the California Assembly.

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