Legislation/Policy Article from All-Creatures.org

California's Habitat Conservation Fund Saved

From Katie Nolan, IDA In Defense of Animals
August 2024

Thanks to advocacy from California activists, the funding was added back into the budget, and the Habitat Conservation Fund will continue to supply needed monetary support to protect wild spaces and the animals who live on them in California until its expiration date in 2030.

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The Habitat Conservation Fund has been protecting California’s wild animals by preserving and enhancing their spaces for over 30 years. That almost changed this year when the California legislature approved a budget that stripped away the previously allocated $45 million as well as the $20 million yearly allotment that voters established for the fund.

Thanks to advocacy from California activists, the funding was added back into the budget, and the Habitat Conservation Fund will continue to supply needed monetary support to protect wild spaces and the animals who live on them in California until its expiration date in 2030.

The Habitat Conservation Fund (HCF) was established in 1990 when California voters passed the California Wildlife Protection Act which was Proposition 117 on the ballot when it passed. Since then, it has generated six hundred million dollars in funds which have been spent to protect over one million acres of wild land all across California including the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. Funding has protected critical habitat for California’s wild animals from mountain lions to salmon.

In June, lawmakers passed budget legislation proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that would have taken $45 million already collected from the HCF and moved it into the state’s general fund, threatening conservation funding. It would have also threatened future allocations.

Pressure from advocates and organizations like In Defense of Animals helped to demonstrate the importance of protecting habitats in California and respecting the will of California voters. We are especially grateful to our California supporters who made calls and signed our action alert asking legislators to preserve funding for the HCF and honor the will of California’s voters.

The HCF will now continue to fund $30 million a year through its original close-out date of 2030 to protect and conserve wild spaces in California, and the animals who live there. 

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Posted on All-Creatures.org: August 9, 2024
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