Opinion: California Lawmakers Must Preserve The State's Unique Ecological Diversity

By Robin Ganzert, Times of San Diego

April 7, 2023

California enjoys one of the most diverse ecosystem systems in the continental United States with more than six thousand species of plants and animals calling the state home. Conservation should be a priority regardless of where you live, but California has a unique role to play in protecting our planet’s natural beauty.

Unfortunately, the state is experiencing some high-profile setbacks.

The sunflower sea star — a large starfish that can span up to three feet from tip to tip — is now threatened with extinction. Once thriving up and down the Pacific coast, the aquatic creature’s population has been gutted by more than 90 percent since 2013. The collapse is also believed to be triggering a domino effect that is compromising California’s kelp forests —threatening further ecological damage.

The California spotted owl is another animal of concern. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, this bird of prey is being “impacted by high-severity fire, tree mortality, drought and barred owls.” As we mark the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, these are reminders that we need to double down on conservation efforts.

Overall, some 500 species have gone extinct globally over the past decade. And scientists warn that more than one million more are on the verge of dying out. Although not caused by humans alone, residential and commercial developments are stretching further and further into natural habitats.

The U.S. Forest Preserve estimates 6,000 acres of land are lost daily as urban and suburban areas expand. California alone has lost more than one million acres of natural land over the past two decades.

But it is not time to abandon hope.

Combined with renewed efforts from policymakers, the Endangered Species Act — which passed in 1973 under President Nixon and was championed by my organization, American Humane — provides us with the tools to slow and even reverse the risk of wildlife extinction. Under the statute, specific species are placed under government protection to stave off depopulation and help restore numbers, saving an estimated 300 species to date.

The U.S. Supreme Court once described it as, “the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species enacted by any nation.” And over the past five decades, the law has acted as a lodestar for policy both in California and around the country.

The California spotted owl was recently granted protections under the Endangered Species Act, and may see its numbers recover. And the San Clemente Island paintbrush — an adorable little bird that once found itself in a similar situation as the spotted owl — has avoided extinction with the help of the Endangered Species Act.

It is a testament to the real-world positive impact the law provides.

So, where do we go from here? Conservation must become and remain a priority for state and federal lawmakers. While the issue may not pack the punch of a hot button news topic, it can easily become a slow-moving car crash that threatens to send the carefully balanced ecosystem spiraling out of control.

The Endangered Species Act has been on the books for 50 years. But we cannot take our foot off the accelerator. California policymakers need to ask themselves, what more can they be doing to preserve the natural beauty of the Golden State for generations to come?

Robin Ganzert is president and CEO of American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization.

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