California Wildlife Action Plan

California Wildlife Action Plan
Name	California Wildlife Action Plan
Caption	Ecoregions addressed in the plan
Jurisdiction	California
Agency	California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Formed	2005

Contents

California Wildlife Action Plan

The California Wildlife Action Plan is a statewide strategic document developed to guide conservation of biodiversity across California. It integrates priorities for species, habitats, and ecological processes to inform agencies such as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and regional stakeholders including the National Park Service and California State Parks. The plan frames actions for landscapes ranging from the Sierra Nevada and Central Valley to the Channel Islands and Mojave Desert, aligning with broader frameworks such as the Endangered Species Act and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

Overview and Purpose

The plan serves as a strategic, science-based roadmap for conserving native species and habitats across California and supports implementation by entities such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Natural Resources Agency, and nonprofit organizations like the Nature Conservancy and Audubon Society. Its purpose includes identification of species of concern lists, prioritization of conservation actions for ecosystems like the Klamath Mountains and Salton Sea, and guidance for state programs working with partners including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and tribal governments such as the Yurok Tribe. It also seeks to inform funding allocations under programs similar to the State Wildlife Grants Program and to coordinate with landscape initiatives like the California Landscape Conservation Cooperative.

Initial drafting began in the early 2000s with coordination between the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and federal partners including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Influences included precedent documents such as the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and state plans produced for regions like the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County. Revisions have incorporated data from institutions like the University of California, Berkeley, the California Academy of Sciences, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and have responded to events including the 2003 California wildfires and droughts tied to climate oscillations such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation. Tribal consultation involved groups including the Karuk Tribe and Hoopa Valley Tribe.

Goals include conserving native populations across ecoregions like the Peninsular Ranges, securing habitat connectivity in corridors such as routes used by California condor recovery and mountain lion movements, and protecting aquatic systems like the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. Priorities are set for imperiled taxa including amphibians like the California tiger salamander, fish such as California Central Valley steelhead, birds including the Sooty Shearwater and California least tern, mammals like the island fox and San Joaquin kit fox, and plants such as California poppy populations in fragmented habitats. The plan emphasizes species of concern lists consistent with the California Endangered Species Act and coordination with listings under the Endangered Species Act and state mechanisms like the California Natural Diversity Database.

Implementation uses landscape-scale approaches including habitat restoration projects in areas like the Sacramento Valley, invasive species control targeting taxa such as tamarisk and American bullfrog, and fire management strategies informed by stakeholders such as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the U.S. Forest Service. Management strategies include adaptive habitat conservation plans modeled after arrangements like the San Bruno Mountain Habitat Conservation Plan, establishment of protected areas through entities such as California State Parks and National Wildlife Refuge System, and integration with regional planning efforts like the San Joaquin River Restoration Program.

The plan is implemented through partnerships among state agencies including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, federal agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service, academic partners like the University of California, Davis, and NGOs including the Sierra Club and Defenders of Wildlife. Funding sources include federal programs similar to the State Wildlife Grants Program, state appropriations via the California Legislature, mitigation funding from infrastructure projects like the Delta Stewardship Council initiatives, and philanthropic grants from organizations such as the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Legal frameworks intersect with statutes including the Endangered Species Act, the California Environmental Quality Act, and state water laws administered by the California State Water Resources Control Board.

Monitoring relies on long-term datasets maintained by institutions such as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Natural Diversity Database, and academic centers like the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Research partnerships include work by the University of California, Santa Cruz on marine species and by the University of California, Berkeley on terrestrial connectivity. Adaptive management incorporates monitoring results into iterative revisions, drawing on tools from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments for climate impacts and spatial priorities informed by projects like the California Essential Habitat Connectivity Project and modeling efforts by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis.

Challenges include threats from habitat fragmentation driven by urbanization in regions such as Los Angeles County and San Diego County, water scarcity exacerbated by multiyear droughts affecting the Central Valley, wildfire regimes altered after events like the 2018 Camp Fire, and impacts of climate change documented by the California Climate Change Assessment. Outcomes reported include targeted species recoveries influenced by programs for the California condor and giant garter snake, habitat restoration successes in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta and riparian corridors, and improved coordination among agencies including the California Natural Resources Agency and local land trusts such as the Land Trust Alliance. Continued challenges persist for fully addressing declines in pollinators, anadromous fish like Chinook salmon, and coastal habitats impacted by sea-level rise documented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Category:Conservation in California