Trust for Public Land Statement on Governor Newsom’s Ambitious 30×30 Plan to Address Climate Change

Trust for Public Land today hailed Governor Newsom’s final Natural Working Land Strategy and conservation plan to conserve 30 percent of the state’s lands by 2030 as an ambitious step towards protecting our state’s biodiversity, climate resiliency, and making the outdoors accessible to all Californians. 

“Climate change is impacting Californians right now, particularly in communities of color, and the Governor’s plan will help buffer against the most severe impacts to our landscapes and our most vulnerable communities across the state,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, California State Director and Vice President-Pacific Region Trust for Public Land. “Californians have endured years of devastating climate disasters and land conservation is integral to addressing the health and economic toll that natural disasters take in our communities.”   

The plan calls for protecting California’s biodiversity and communities from climate impacts through an array of strategies, including land protection and improving management of public lands. It also emphasizes the need to protect Native Californian tribal lands, improve access to nature in communities lacking parks or open space, and increase access points to trails and urban rivers.  

TPL recently launched a California Climate Conservation program to protect natural and working lands and mitigate climate impacts for people in the Central Coast and Los Angeles County. The program will incorporate California’s climate action strategy and help achieve greater community resilience through nature-based solutions and by engaging with local communities. 

Using this commitment, TPL will identify conservation and restoration opportunities that support California’s ’30 by 30′ goal and develop new partnerships with communities of color and low-income communities, in order to ensure that nature-based climate solutions are meeting the needs of those who are the most affected by the climate crisis. 

About Trust for Public Land 

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 3 million acres of public land, created more than 5,000 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $84 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected more than 9 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.