By Chris Morrill, Executive Director
The holidays are my favorite time of the year – a time of joy, fun, family, and great food.
This is a time to not just celebrate all the things we’ve accomplished but to look at all the challenges we’ve been able to overcome. Each year feels like it just flies by – but in the good years, when you actually look at all you’ve done, you tend to feel pretty proud.
A few of CalWild’s 2022 proudest moments
Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Bill
This year we saw the introduction and major progress of a bill to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. Excitingly, the bill also included important language on co-management with local tribes.
Launched the Protect California Deserts campaign
This campaign, made up of local organizations and the support of regional and national organizations, is advocating for the designation of a new national monument and the expansion of Joshua Tree National Park. The PCD Campaign made great strides this year with its official public launch – we’re hopeful for real progress in 2023.
Photo by CNRAProgress on 30×30
CalWild was intimately involved in the advocacy around California’s 30×30 Pathways document and the Partnership Kick-off Event. We were successful in our efforts to get a strong definition of “conserved” into the document and a specific call out for the key role public lands will play in protecting California’s remaining wild places. Chris was honored to be added to the Natural Resources Agency’s Partnership Coordinating Committee to help facilitate engagement on the initiative.
Welcoming two new staff members
We were privileged to add Andrea Iniguez as our Riverside County Public Lands Fellow in January and, in September, Hayley Paronish joined as our Engagement Manager.
Equity Protocols and a new Strategic Plan
This year we released our first Equity Protocols outlining how CalWild can build more just and equitable public lands campaigns and proposals. We also completed our first Strategic Plan in the last ten years laying out an ambitious set of goals to meet the challenges facing public lands.
The reality is that all of these accomplishments are only possible thanks to CalWild’s supporters. We send you our sincerest thanks and wish you and yours the happiest end to the year! We are excited to move forward with protecting California’s remaining wild places with you in 2023.
Please let me know your thoughts, comments, and questions by emailing me at cmorrill@calwild.org.
