News: California Leading the Way with 30×30: Where Do Our Rivers Fit In?


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California launched an ambitious plan in 2020 to conserve 30% of its lands and coastal waters by the year 2030. Initiated by an executive order from Governor Newsom, in just five years the “30 x 30” Plan has already made significant progress. This collaborative effort has brought together conservationists, scientists, policymakers, and communities to protect vital ecosystems, increase access to nature, and preserve biodiversity hotspots. However, as we near realization of these goals, an important question arises: how do freshwater systems (like the Yuba) fit into this plan?

At SYRCL, we believe the protection of freshwater resources is crucial to the success of 30×30. However, freshwater resources are largely overlooked in the plan when it comes to protecting additional areas.

The Vision for 30×30

The “Pathways to 30×30” report outlines strategies to achieve California’s ambitious conservation goals. A key tenet of the plan is to develop resilience to climate change.

The plan’s primary objectives include:

  • Conserving critical lands and coastal waters.
  • Protecting biodiversity hotspots to ensure the survival of diverse plant and animal species.
  • Expanding public access to nature to ensure our communities can access and enjoy the outdoors

What Is Protected?

The plan defines protected areas as “land and coastal water areas that are durably protected and managed to sustain functional ecosystems, both intact and restored, and the diversity of life that they support.” Conservation efforts to date have focused on lands such as national and state parks, wildlife refuges, coastal waterways, and marine protected areas.

Key contributions to the 30% conserved goal include:

  • National Parks: Iconic parks like Yosemite, Sequoia, and Joshua Tree contribute millions of acres to the initiative.
  • Marine Protected Areas: California now has 124 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that cover 16% of its coastal waters and safeguard marine biodiversity.
  • National Marine Sanctuaries: Sanctuaries such as Monterey Bay and the Channel Islands are critical to preserving underwater ecosystems.
  • State Parks: Local treasures like the South Yuba River State Park help manage the Yuba while providing access to nature for nearby communities.

In the Yuba watershed, 48,000 acres (7.77% of 623,900 acres) of Nevada County’s terrestrial land are conserved, allowing protection of those areas.  In addition to South Yuba River State Park, nearby conserved lands include: Rice’s Crossing (2,000 acres), Wildflower Ridge Preserve, Spenceville Wildlife Area (11,000 acres), and the Lower Yuba River (108 acres).

Of the 623,000 acres of land in Nevada County, 48,000 acres of terrestrial land (7%) are reported as conserved.

The Yuba River watershed includes portions of Nevada, Sierra, and Yuba Counties. Green areas in this map are lands that have already been conserved. You can clearly see the patchwork of National Forest lands in the higher elevation portion of the watershed (right side) and the thin protections around the State Wild & Scenic South Yuba River cutting across Nevada County. However, much of the watershed and most of the rivers remain unprotected.

To date, California has conserved approximately 25% of its lands and coastal waters, leaving just 5% more to achieve the 30×30 goal. But one critical component remains underrepresented: freshwater ecosystems. 

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