30×30 Candidate Conservation Areas
California’s 30×30 initiative will create and expand enduring conservation measures across a broad range of landscapes and seascapes to protect biodiversity, expand access to nature, and mitigate and build resilience to climate change.
In 2022, the California Natural Resources Agency released Pathways to 30×30 (Pathways), which defines conservation for the purposes of 30×30 and details strategies and opportunities for achieving the program’s goals. For the purposes of California’s 30×30 goal, an area is considered a “30×30 Conservation Area” if it meets the following definition: “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.” California’s statewide network of 124 marine protected areas (MPAs), which cover 16.2% of coastal waters, aligns with the definition of conservation set forth in Pathways.
California’s coastal waters include a vast range of spatial management measures beyond the state MPA Network, including areas established to protect water quality or support sustainable fisheries. OPC has developed a spatial inventory and map of spatial management measures in state waters to identify an initial set of candidate areas to evaluate whether these areas align with the definition of conservation for the purposes of 30×30, following adoption of the final Decision-Making Framework for Coastal Waters.
The following types of spatial management measures will be evaluated as candidate 30×30 Conservation Areas in 2025:
National Marine Sanctuaries and Zones Within Sanctuaries
The National Marine Sanctuary boundaries and the sub zones within sanctuaries (for example special wildlife zones).
Water Quality Protection
Areas that protect water quality, for example by prohibiting point source or storm drain discharges. Examples include State Water Quality Protection Areas – Areas of Special Biological Significance, Critical Coastal Areas, or locally designated water quality protection areas.
Fisheries Management
Areas or closures established for the purpose of supporting sustainable fisheries. Examples include essential fish habitat, critical habitat areas, rockfish conservation areas, no bottom trawl areas, and other regulatory areas such as kelp no take areas.
Habitat and Species Management
Areas managed to protect critical habitats or threatened species. Examples include National Wildlife Refuges, State Ecological Reserves and Wildlife Areas, Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (a subset of essential fish habitat), species-specific areas of conservation (i.e., leatherback sea turtle conservation areas or white shark protection zones), and Estuaries of National Significance.
Research and Restoration
Areas managed for research or scientific purposes, or areas with active restoration activities. Examples include university-designated reserves managed by the UC Natural Reserve System, federally-designated reserves (for example, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System), and kelp restoration sites along the North Coast.
Recreation and Regulated Access
Areas with restrictions on human visitation and access, including areas established to support recreation or other critical activities. Examples include underwater state parks, seagrass protection zones, and de facto MPAs.
Military Use
Areas established and managed by the U.S. military, such as bases and restricted training and operations areas. Due to the military use of these areas, many other human uses (e.g., recreation, shipping) are restricted within their boundaries.
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