In November 2019, more than 125 members of the conservation community gathered at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for the official launch of the Bay Area Conservation Lands Network 2.0 Science Expansion. CLN 2.0 inventories, synthesizes, and projects forward the impressive collective efforts that have made the Bay Area a world leader in conservation, and provides that information to the greater conservation community and public at large.
Since 2006, Chief Scientist Stu Weiss has served as Science Adviser on this visionary project, bringing to bear scientific and GIS skills and his deep knowledge and love of Bay Area biogeography to the question “Which lands should be protected and stewarded to conserve the rich and irreplaceable biodiversity of the 10 Bay Area counties in an era of rapid environmental change?” The CLN 2.0 team led by Tom Robinson and supported by the expertise of more than 100 volunteer scientists and practitioners, pored over hundreds of data sources – biogeography of flora and fauna, physical geography of landforms, climate, and hydrology, and human geography of development, laws, and institutions. Those data were prioritized and synthesized into a network design.
The broad answer is 2.5 million acres conserved by 2050, half of the region (Think Big). CLN 2.0 builds off the currently protected 1.4 million acres to further encompass rare and irreplaceable ecosystems and the species they support, vast expanses of more common flora and fauna, and ensuring connectivity across the mountain ranges and valleys of the Bay Area (Connect More).
For the full report (full of beautiful photos, many taken by Stu), online access to data via the CLN 2.0 Explorer, and to download an organized GIS project, go to www.bayarealands.org
Mountain in the mid 1980s. On March 2 and 3 2017, Creekside Science biologists collected 3630 caterpillars from Coyote Ridge in San Jose and released them on the main ridge of San Bruno Mountain. The larvae immediately started munching English plantain, a non-native used by other closely related checkerspot populations. The cool coastal environment, robust perennial hostplant, and extensive habitat are encouraging aspects of this project. This project may show that we can reintroduce extirpated species without the technical challenges and expense of restoring all historical conditions.
