California Moving Closer to Achieving Executive Order With Land Trust Acquisition

A lofty goal set in 2020 with an executive order from California Governor Gavin Newsom has moved closer to being achieved.

Rolling hills and trail with water and mountains in background. / Mandatory Credit - iStock

Back in 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to help conserve and protect land in his state. Known as “30x30”, the goal was to have "30% of California's lands and coastal waters by 2030," conserved, per California Nature.

About midway through 2024, the state was moving in the right direction. California Nature shared in its annual 30x30 progress report that "25.2% of California's lands and 16.2% of its coastal waters are under long-term conservation and care for the benefit of plant, animal, and human communities."

Those numbers are only going to improve as more than 160 acres were recently acquired in a land trust. Courtesy of the Oswit Land Trust, part of California’s Riverside County are now protected and preserved, helping move closer to achieving the goal set by the order.

"These ecosystems are home to several federally threatened and state endangered animal species," as shared by the Palm Springs Post.

According to Bettina Rosmarino, the director of the land acquisition, this was "property that otherwise would have been destroyed.” The wildlife that calls the area home and people helping push Newsom’s order will certainly be happy about that.

Not only is land acquisition one of the goals in 30x30, but an emphasis will be put on parks and outdoor recreation as well. Landowners, fishers and farmers will have some incentives and the job market will hopefully grow.

These conservation efforts will help keep endangered species, whether plants or animals, safe and help combat harm to the community, such as lowering carbon emissions and cutting the risk of flooding.

All of these efforts, however, do get costly. Jane Garrison, who is the executive director of the trust, is hoping that people will be willing to help.

"We are hoping some angels step up and help us cover the $125,000 we had to put into saving this land,” she said via the Post.

Donations can be made to Oswit Land Trust through their website for anyone who wants to chip in and contribute. Any amount helps conservation efforts, as they are going on in multiple states, including Nevada and Massachusetts, as well as California.