The Public Policy Institute of California says permitting processes, litigation threats and limited resources are among the obstacles to the state meeting its ambitious climate-smart goals.
In a followup to a May 2024 report investigating California agencies’ climate-smart tools portfolio and freshwater species protection, the institute found that federal and state endangered species laws still align with state goals despite debate about their efficacy.
PPIC acknowledged that slight modifications in endangered species laws would not be nearly as helpful as regulators shifting their approach to look at ecosystem-wide management and biodiversity. The report also sees watershed-level planning as a key method to protect freshwater species and their habitats.
The researchers also found that research and recovery permits, assisted species migration and nuanced approaches to supporting fish hatcheries are all pathways to expand species conservation. However, full implementation of PPIC strategies would require state authorities to lead the charge on regulatory clarification under the endangered species laws.
A report due later this year will look into the policy and legal effects of this report’s recommendations. PPIC is also hosting a panel diving into freshwater species protective measures March 20.
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