Brief

California Nears 30% Land Conservation Target, Falls Short on Coastal Waters

California has added over a million acres to protected land, reaching 27.1% of its territory, yet only 21.9% of its coastal waters are conserved.

By Felo News Desk · Published Tue, 29 Sep 2026 20:32:19 GMT

California officials announced on Tuesday that the state is on track to meet its 2030 goal of conserving 30% of its land, but it remains behind on the same target for coastal waters. The state has added more than a million acres of protected land in the past year, bringing total land conservation to 27.1% as of June, up from 23.8% when the program began in 2020. Coastal waters conservation stands at 21.9%, compared with 16.2% in 2022.

Governor Gavin Newsom highlighted the progress, noting that the state is “conserving more land than ever before” and protecting its coastline from offshore oil and gas drilling. California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot added that the gains come largely from federal lands, with 78% of conserved terrain now under federal ownership, and that the state’s 10% share comes from state, nonprofit, tribal, and local entities.

Key gains in land protection include two national monuments created by President Biden in 2024: Chuckwalla National Monument near Joshua Tree National Park and Sáttítla Highlands National Monument in northern California. The state also re‑categorized existing conservation agreements to count them toward its 30x30 goal.

Key facts

California has conserved 27.1% of its land as of June 2026 (latimes.com)
California has conserved 21.9% of its coastal waters as of June 2026 (latimes.com)
California added more than a million acres of protected land in the last year (latimes.com)
Two national monuments, Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands, were created by President Biden in 2024 (latimes.com)
78% of conserved land is federal, 10% is state, remainder by nonprofits, tribes, locals (latimes.com)