Virtual regional workshops offer opportunity for Californians to share ideas to protect their communities and special places from climate change
From the California Natural Resources Agency:
The California Natural Resources Agency is announcing nine virtual regional workshops as part of an ongoing effort to advance Governor Gavin Newsom’s goals to protect 30 percent of the State’s land and coastal waters by 2030 and enlist California’s vast network of natural and working lands in the fight against climate change.
California is a world-renowned hotspot for unique fish, wildlife, ecosystems, and special places. In 2020, California committed to protecting 30 percent of its land and coastal waters by 2030 through Governor Newsom’s executive order. The 30 by 30 commitment has been championed internationally and is embraced by more than 50 countries today.
The executive order also elevates 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. “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 California Natural Resources Agency is convening the virtual regional workshops to help develop multi-year strategies to achieve the executive order’s goals. The “Pathways to 30 by 30 Strategy” and “Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy” will guide action across California’s diverse landscapes. Through the workshops, the State is seeking to better understand what regional leaders and residents see as opportunities and challenges for communities to achieve 30 by 30 and accelerate nature-based climate solutions. We want your feedback and input on how this impacs your community or neighborhood.
Each virtual workshop will include an overview of the State’s efforts to support nature-based solutions and the 30 by 30 initiative, as well as region-specific topics for input and breakout group exercises. During this public input process, the California Natural Resources Agency will also be exploring what equity means for different regions of the state, learning about different community interpretations of equity, and looking into ways to advance equitable strategies and opportunities.
All meetings are open to the public, regardless of participants’ geographic location. The meetings will be accessible through the Zoom virtual platform, a phone dial-in option and livestreamed on YouTube. Regional workshop will also include closed captioning, and simultaneous interpretation in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Vietnamese.
The virtual regional workshops are just one of the ways members of the public, stakeholders and communities can participate in shaping strategies to expand nature-based solutions. The public will also be invited to take a brief online Input Questionnaire set to be released in advance of the regional workshops.
Topical workshops will be held in the coming months to address statewide issues such as Equity, Climate Change, Biodiversity, Working Lands, and defining Conservation. The public will have an opportunity to provide input and submit comments during those workshops as well.
Input by the public can also be provided through the following options:
- By email: CaliforniaNature@resources.ca.gov
- U.S. Postal Mail:
- California Natural Resources
- 1416 9th St #1311, Sacramento, CA 95814
- Voicemail: 1-800-417-0668
Regional Workshops at a Glance & Registration Links
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April 20 |
Sacramento Valley Region Sacramento, Yolo, Sutter, Yuba, Colusa, Glenn, Butte, Tehama, Shasta, the eastern half of Solano, and western part of Placer counties.
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Register at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUtd–sqDgrG9KSMWKEcLSYI6atC7qFHdvJ |
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April 21 |
San Francisco Bay Area Region San Francisco, Marin, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Sonoma, Napa, and the western half of Solano counties.
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Register at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIpd-CvqjkoGdf9nu0W9ZGYg47N731Z9ZgO
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April 27 |
Central Coast Region Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties.
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Register at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIsd-uqrjooEtP8knKfrP8_FQ00W1W80Xha
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April 28 |
Sierra Nevada Region Modoc, Lassen, Plumas, Sierra Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Alpine, Mono, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Inyo, and the eastern parts of Madera, Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties
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Register at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcpduCgpzkiEtLgkYxq-uFMNkvm-b-wIVGa
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April 29 |
San Joaquin Valley Region San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Kings, and the western parts of Madera, Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties.
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Register at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwrcuGpqDooGNIyiD66A8sa3RZQgO3XV1nJ
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May 4 |
North Coast Region Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Siskiyou, and Del Norte counties.
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Register at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMufuirpjIjHtKtAevFcYxbqZ8vmJCSBzDW |
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May 5 |
Los Angeles Region Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, and the western parts of San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
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Register at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcuduytqDgqGNWmP4fJ45oAF2k4IrWN3Yxb
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May 6 |
Inland Deserts Region Imperial and the eastern parts of San Bernardino and Riverside counties. |
Register at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMvf-CoqT0qGdQp7u5ARhjk5YQ4pRaLI3O1
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May 11 |
San Diego Region San Diego County |
Register at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcrd–hrT0jH92Jvt9eqKC0v3ypAXByHhpm
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*All meeting times are 4-6 p.m.
