RRI and Power In Nature Coalition Responds to Governor Newsom’s 2025-26 Budget Revision
The Power in Nature Coalition released the following statements regarding Governor Newsom’s revised 2025-2026 budget revision:
Statement from Chance Cutrano, Director of Programs, Resource Renewal Institute:
“This year’s budget uncertainty highlights the importance of having stable sources of funding to ensure California remains an environmental leader and preserves our natural resources for generations to come. We are grateful that there are ways California legislators can still move the needle on our 30×30 conservation goals.
Senate Bill 427, introduced by Senator Catherine Blakespear with Senator Henry Stern, helps address this need by permanently protecting the Habitat Conservation Fund. This critical fund has already conserved more than 1.2 million acres of wildlife habitat in California. In addition, we recommend 25% of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds Cap and Trade dollars go to natural and working lands–nature-based solutions that deliver outsized returns in resilience, lower living costs, job creation, and community safety, while directly benefiting the people and places most at risk from extreme weather.
Small, practical steps can go a long way this year. When we protect nature, we protect people too by safeguarding our water resources, buffering communities from flooding, and improving wildfire resilience.”
Statement from Moises Cisneros, Senior Campaign Organizer, Sierra Club:
“California is working hard to address multiple, competing challenges this year, from the Los Angeles wildfires to widespread impacts of federal policies. In the midst of this challenging environment, we must continue to advance our state’s commitment to protect 30% of our lands and coastal waters by 2030.
Scientists worldwide agree that this is the bare minimum needed to prevent the worst impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. California has been a global leader in this work so far, and we must continue our momentum. We want to thank California’s legislators and voters for passing Proposition 4 last November, which has been a lifeline during this difficult time. Californians recognize that the health of our communities is directly tied to the health of our environment.
We ask that California’s leaders allocate $220,000 in Proposition 4 funds to the California Natural Resources Agency. This small but critical budget allocation will allow the state to continue tracking additions to our 30×30 goal and provide transparency and information on 30×30 efforts to the public.”
Statement from Pamela Flick, California Program Director, Defenders of Wildlife:
“We are deeply disappointed by the governor’s proposal to cut 164 Department of Fish and Wildlife staff at a time when California faces increasing challenges to protect wildlife and promote coexistence between wildlife and people. This proposed reduction in staffing is short-sighted, will not provide significant General Fund savings relative to its cost and will only result in making it harder for the department to carry out its crucial mission to protect California’s wildlife and ecosystems.
Nearly a decade ago, California’s legislature identified that insufficient staffing was inhibiting DFW from completing program work. The legislature responded accordingly and has since invested more funding to increase DFW staffing and capacity. The governor’s proposal undoes this progress and points us in the opposite direction, leaving the management of more than 600 declining species in limbo.”
Background on 30×30:
Scientists worldwide agree that to protect life as we know it, we must conserve at least 30% of the Earth’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. In 2020, Governor Newsom committed California to the 30×30 goal, and in 2023, that goal became state law.
California is making strong progress towards 30×30, but millions of acres still must be conserved in less than five years. Preserving the state’s lands and coastal waters will help address the impacts of climate change, protect animal and plant species at risk for extinction, and expand access to nature for Californians.
Contact:
Chance Cutrano, ccutrano@rri.org
Stefanie Lao, stefanie@fcpcommunications.com, (818) 261-6871
