Environmental protection: 30x30 goals: land conservation: stewardship.

Assembly Member Papan's environmental protection measure directs the Natural Resources Agency to develop comprehensive strategies for managing California's conserved lands, building upon the state's commitment to protect 30% of lands and coastal waters by 2030. The legislation requires the agency to update its Pathways to 30x30 Report in 2027 with detailed assessments of stewardship needs, costs, and best practices across protected areas.

The bill mandates that the updated report include estimates of critical stewardship requirements, case studies of effective land management, analyses of emerging technologies and innovative practices, and evaluations of benefits to biodiversity and ecosystem services. The agency must also assess ecological workforce needs and examine how stewardship activities contribute to recreation access, wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, and climate regulation.

Under the measure, funds from the 2024 Safe Drinking Water and Environmental Protection Bond Act can support both land acquisition and initial stewardship activities. Grant funding for stewardship would be available for up to three years and could be provided either as part of land acquisition grants or as separate direct grants. The bill defines stewardship as encompassing science-based management, adaptive practices, traditional ecological knowledge, and established land management approaches across various terrain types.