CED logo CED: California Environmental Dialogue

Habitat & Prosperity Working Group (HPWG)

Co-Chairs: Michael Hertel, Ph.D., Southern California Edison & NGO-Sector Co-Chair TBD

At the core of CED is the belief that the economy and environment are inextricably linked, and that a healthy environment is necessary to our quality of life. The CED Habitat & Prosperity Working Group (HPWG) mirrors this belief, and seeks to improve habitat conservation in California.

The HPWG has enjoyed several successes in changing how we think about habitat conservation, quality of life, and resource management. One of the greatest achievements of this working group and of the CED Plenary was the publication of the groundbreaking paper, Habitat and Prosperity: Protecting California's Future, in which CED's members assert that the interdependence of the economy and environment is the foundation of California's wealth and at the center of the Californian dream.

The policy paper was soon followed by a report entitled, "Land Conservation in California: Needs for the Next Decade." This report compiled all credible land conservation programs currently underway by government agencies, private companies, and non-profit organizations, and estimated a need of 5.4 million acres at a cost of $12.3 billion dollars. The land conservation report was widely used by proponents of Propositions 12 & 13, the historic Park and Water Bonds that were overwhelmingly approved by California's voters in 2000.

However, CED understands that the State cannot simply buy all the land needed to preserve our valuable ecosystems. Private landowners have long acted as stewards of our natural resources, responsible for roughly 50% of the landbase in California. With CED's publication of Economic Growth & Habitat Protection in 2005, the HPWG emphasized the need to develop tools that will support stewardship on private lands by engaging landowners in habitat conservation while preserving working landscapes as part of California's vibrant economy.

Past achievements include:
  • In 2005, CED issued a publication entitled, Economic Growth & Habitat Protection.
  • Although CED advocates concepts-not specific legislation-individual members supported a $100 million land and water tax credit program, passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the governor.
  • Recognizing the State Revolving Fund (SRF) as an under-utilized source of public funding, CED successfully encouraged the State Water Resources Control Board to use SRF to acquire and protect wetlands for water quality purposes for the first time.