The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board has unanimously adopted the 2025 Conditional Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements for Grazing Operations* in the North San Francisco Bay Region. The updated Conditional Waiver permitting program not only renews existing protections for the Tomales Bay, Sonoma Creek, and Napa River watersheds, it also adds 88,000 acres of grazed lands—extending regulatory oversight to western Point Reyes National Seashore and the Petaluma River watershed for the first time.

Every five years, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board reviews and updates the Conditional Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements for Grazing Operations in the Tomales Bay Watershed (Grazing Waiver)—a critical policy that protects water quality while supporting sustainable ranching practices.

We joined 77 leading environmental organizations to submit strong comments to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), urging the Department of the Interior to halt the development of a new offshore oil and gas leasing program. The current program does not expire until 2029, and we believe resources would be better spent advancing renewable energy solutions and improving safety and environmental protections for existing fossil fuel operations.

RRI joined 113 groups opposing Senate amendment to sell 500,000+ acres of public lands in Nevada and Utah, including wilderness areas near Zion Park.

RRI and 40 marine groups oppose reconciliation bill mandating 30 offshore lease sales while gutting NOAA funding and weakening marine wildlife protections.

We’re raising a glass to Allison Jordan, a former RRI team member and one of Wine Industry Advisor’s Most Inspiring People in 2025! Allison’s leadership—as Executive Director of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance and Vice President of Environmental Affairs at Wine Institute—exemplifies how conservation and agriculture can go hand in hand.

Leaders of the Legislative Delta Caucus and statewide organizations stood united together today during a press conference to denounce Governor Newsom’s budget proposal to fast-track the Delta Tunnel Project and encourage fellow legislators to oppose any plan to accelerate construction of the $20 billion-plus, destructive tunnel. The project is receiving widespread opposition from leaders throughout the state, especially those in the Delta whose 4 million residents would be most directly impacted. Here’s what they are saying:

The Power in Nature Coalition released the following statements regarding Governor Newsom’s revised 2025-2026 budget revision.

Please join us for Power in Nature’s upcoming webinar, Elk on the North Coast, this Monday, May 19, at 2:00 PM.

Hear from Carrington Hilson, Elk Research Biologist with California Department of Fish & Wildlife, and Chance Cutrano, our Director of Programs and co-lead for Power in Nature’s Bay Area Region.

This month, we joined dozens of environmental, agricultural, public health, and tribal organizations across the state in calling on Governor Newsom and the California Legislature to prioritize nature-based solutions in the state’s climate investment strategy. In a letter addressed to state leaders, we urged a significant and sustained allocation of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) revenues to California’s natural, working, and urban lands—landscapes that are among the state’s most powerful yet underfunded tools in the fight against climate change.

We have joined dozens of environmental, tribal, human rights, and conservation organizations in strong opposition to a new proposal in the House Committee on Homeland Security’s budget reconciliation package that would allocate $46.5 billion for border wall construction. If passed, this proposal would more than double the amount historically spent on walls and barriers—wasting billions of taxpayer dollars, destroying critical ecosystems, and violating the rights of communities living along the U.S.–Mexico border.

On March 14, we gathered at Isbell Farms, the home of our 140-acre research site, where the generous Isbell family has hosted our project for over three years. We were excited to demonstrate our enhanced on-field operations, including our fish vacuum pump and new methane measuring devices that supplement our e-flux towers. We also introduced everyone to Lucky Catch, a prototype commercial pet treat product, and presented the first edition of the FIF Implementation Guide.

We are proud to join a broad coalition of public health, environmental justice, and community organizations in strong support of AB 794 (Gabriel)—a bill that would provide urgently needed protections from PFAS, the toxic “forever chemicals” that continue to contaminate drinking water for millions of Californians. Access to clean, safe drinking water is not just essential to life—it’s a basic human right. AB 794 reaffirms this principle by requiring the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to adopt enforceable limits for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in California drinking water.

Resource Renewal Institute and Oceana are joining forces to co-sponsor a state assembly bill that will bring greater protection to coastal marine wildlife.

The public Comment Period for the Tomales Bay Grazing Waiver is now open! The Grazing Waiver is a regulatory program designed to balance sustainable ranching with water quality protection in the North San Francisco Bay region, including Point Reyes National Seashore.

We’ve joined dozens of animal welfare, environmental, and tribal advocacy organizations in formally opposing Assembly Bill 1038—a bill that threatens to undo one of California’s most significant wildlife protections by reinstating the inhumane practice of hounding bears.

RRI joins a powerful coalition of over 70 environmental organizations defending landmark protections for more than 625 million acres of public waters from new offshore oil and gas drilling. This historic action safeguards critical coastal areas while protecting marine ecosystems and the millions of jobs that depend on healthy oceans.

The sun shined brightly on our gathering to honor our founder, friend and mentor, Huey Johnson. January 6, 2025, would have been Huey’s 92nd birthday, and we took the opportunity to reflect on his remarkable life and contributions that guide our path every day.

Ranching operations to transition out of Point Reyes by 2026, clearing the way for conservation efforts.

An agreement signed this week by the National Park Service (NPS), environmental groups, and 18 families who have long run cattle and dairy operations at Point Reyes National Seashore ends a decade-long dispute over ranching within the national park.

The proposed Sáttítla National Monument in northeastern California represents a vital opportunity to protect one of the state’s most ecologically, culturally, and hydrologically significant regions. Often called the “headwaters of California,” Sáttítla provides fresh water to millions across the state, supporting wildlife, agriculture, and communities from the highlands to the San Francisco Bay.