On February 12, 2026, the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) voted 3-0 to list mountain lions (Puma concolor) in Southern and Central California as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). ...more
The Trump administration this Thursday announced the repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding — a conclusion based on decades of science that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare....more
Longtime California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton “Chuck” Bonham recently stepped down after 15 years at the helm. His departure marks the end of the longest tenure in the Department’s 150‑year...more
California Senate Bill (SB) 415, signed into law on October 3, provides much needed clarifications to the state’s 2024 landmark law, Assembly Bill (AB) 98, which provides comprehensive standards for the siting and operation...more
Per Governor Newsom’s latest legislative update, he has signed AB 1319. The law will become effective on January 1, 2026. For our discussion of this bill and its potential implications, please see the following post....more
On October 11, 2025, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1319 into law. AB 1319 creates a swift, state-level response mechanism if Federal Endangered Species Act (FESA) protections are decreased for species native to...more
The California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) on October 8 granted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) a six-month extension to complete its status review of the March 5, 2024 petition to list the...more
At its October 8, 2025, meeting, the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) granted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) a six-month extension to complete its status review of the March 5, 2024,...more
The Trump administration said Wednesday that it is planning to eliminate a key public lands rule that gave conservation equal standing with oil drilling, logging, mining, and other activities on Bureau of Land Management...more
Senate Bill 79, a controversial housing bill that would pave the way for more apartment buildings near major bus stops and train and subway stations across urban California, is one step closer to becoming law after its...more
The California Fish and Game Commission took final action to approve the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan at its August 13, 2025 meeting. The Conservation Plan sets forth management practices and guidelines for the...more
California stands at a pivotal juncture in 2025, confronting an array of environmental and housing challenges. As usual, the California State Legislature is considering numerous strategies to address these issues. This year’s...more
Several high-profile species — including the burrowing owl, Crotch’s bumble bee, western Joshua tree, western spadefoot toad, and the monarch butterfly — have recently been elevated to candidate status under either the...more
On October 10, 2024, the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) unanimously voted to designate the western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) as a candidate species under the California Endangered Species...more
California’s drive toward a net-zero carbon economy by 2045 is sparking innovative solutions to harmonize environmental conservation with infrastructure development. Assembly Bill (AB) 550, sponsored by Assembly Member...more
On December 12, 2024, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) released its draft Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan (Draft Conservation Plan) to the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission), as...more
At its Oct. 9-–10, 2024, meeting in Sacramento, the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) unanimously voted to make the western burrowing owl a “candidate” species under the California Endangered Species Act...more
The western burrowing owl was just recently elevated to a “candidate species” under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). As a candidate species, the owl now...more
At its October 10 meeting, the California Fish and Game Commission (the Commission) unanimously found that a petition to list the western burrowing owl as an endangered or threatened species in California provides sufficient...more
The western burrowing owl secured temporary protection this Thursday under California’s Endangered Species Act. The state Fish and Game Commission voted to give the owls candidate status and temporary protection, expected to...more
At its October 10 meeting, the California Fish and Game Commission (the Commission) unanimously found that a petition to list the western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) as an endangered or threatened species in...more
As stated in Holland & Knight's recent alert detailing Gov. Gavin Newsom's package of 11 bills to amend the venerable California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), meaningful reforms to CEQA have eluded all past governors in...more
In June we reported that California Governor Gavin Newsom’s infrastructure permitting and CEQA reform legislation package was mostly dead, with the Legislature finding it too complex for last-minute consideration. But there’s...more
Governor Newsom signs SB 1137, creating a safety buffer between homes and oil wells in California Bullet Los Angeles Daily News – September 16 Governor Gavin Newsom on September 16 signed a package of environmental bills into...more
In June, I and many others took note of an opinion issued by the California Court of Appeal that concluded a bumble bee could be designated as a fish as defined by Section 45 of the California Fish & Game Code. Almond All. of...more