Episode 140: California’s Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot On Beavers, Rewilding Rivers, and Wildlife Crossings
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Wade Crowfoot serves as California’s Natural Resources Secretary, leading efforts to conserve California’s environment and natural resources. He has served as Secretary since 2019 and advises Governor Newsom as a member of his cabinet.
Secretary Crowfoot oversees an agency of over 25,000 employees spread across 26 departments, commissions, and conservancies. His agency is charged with stewarding California’s forests and natural lands, rivers and water supplies, and coast and ocean. It also protects natural places, wildlife and biodiversity, and helps oversee the state’s world-leading clean energy transition.
Secretary Crowfoot is leading efforts to achieve Governor Newsom’s ambitious environmental vision, including a commitment to conserve 30 percent of California’s land and coastal waters by 2030. He oversees billions of dollars of public investment to protect people and natural places from climate change impacts, and has led efforts to navigate California’s record-breaking droughts, floods, and wildfires. Secretary Crowfoot has also initiated a new era of partnerships with California Native American Tribes and is shifting how the agency operates to better support all California residents and communities.
Show Notes
In this episode of the Rewilding Earth podcast, Wade shares insights on his first experience at BeaverCon 2024, highlighting the increasing governmental support for beaver protection and restoration initiatives. The conversation delves into the ecological significance of beavers in mitigating climate change effects, such as wildfire risks and water security. Wade discusses California’s ambitious efforts to rehabilitate ecosystems, including a $4 million investment in a beaver program and the transformative Klamath River restoration project. The episode also covers broader environmental restoration strategies, such as the 30 by 30 initiative, prescribed burns, and the importance of working alongside tribal knowledge and leadership. The discussion underscores the necessity for a collaborative approach to rewilding and environmental conservation.
00:00 Introduction and BeaverCon Experience
00:41 Government Embrace of Beavers
01:40 California’s Beaver Reintroduction Efforts
03:45 Success Stories and Challenges
07:02 The Role of Activism and Tribal Leadership
08:19 Klamath River Restoration
09:39 Nature’s Resilience and Activism
18:14 Wildlife Connectivity and Crossings
21:32 30 by 30 Initiative
30:17 Flood Management and Nature-Based Solutions
33:24 Conclusion and Future Plans
Extra Credit
Check out California’s Department of Natural Resources initiatives.
Director of Digital Outreach (D.O.D.O.) for The Rewilding Institute
Host and Producer of the Rewilding Earth Podcast
Jack started Rewilding work as Executive Director of Sky Island Alliance in the mid-1990’s, organizing the Sky Island Wildlands Network design, ripping up illegal roads on forest service lands, installing wolf acclimatization pens on Ted Turner’s Ladder Ranch & conducting howling surveys to help make way for the final stage of the Lobo reintroduction program in the Southwest.
Through the years, Jack has worked with Dave Foreman and the Rewilding Gang to further Rewilding initiatives and education.