skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Hurricane Milton makes landfall near Siesta Key; expected to remain a hurricane as it moves across central FL; Groups file an emergency lawsuit to reopen FL voter registration amid hurricanes; ND wildfires: Heavy damage to cropland; importance of early warnings; Report: 67 PA counties boom for low unemployment, job growth, wage increase.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

President Biden denounces disinformation about federal disaster response. Experts address concerns about how hurricanes impact voting, and activists left and right question VP Harris' stance on meat.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Hurricane Helene has some rural North Carolina towns worried larger communities might get more attention, mixed feelings about ranked choice voting on the Oregon ballot next month, and New York farmers earn money feeding school kids.

CA makes progress toward conserving 30% of land, water

play audio
Play

Friday, June 7, 2024   

The public comment period is now open on California's new framework for deciding which managed areas within coastal waters meet the definition of "conserved," and where protection improvements need to be made.

California's goal is to preserve 30% of state lands and waters by 2030. The Ocean Protection Council released science-based guidelines this week on what counts as "conserved."

"An area is considered a conservation area if the lands and coastal waters are durably protected and managed to sustain functional ecosystems, both intact and restored, and the diversity of life that they support," said Jos Hill, project director at the Pew Charitable Trusts.

People can weigh in on the process at a series of upcoming workshops in Arcata, Monterey and San Diego. The Ocean Protection Council will also hold two webinars this summer and will accept feedback by email.

Hill said the new framework will be used by the state to evaluate protections in marine-managed areas. The state's "30-by-30" policy sets goals to improve biodiversity, public access and climate resilience.

"The stakes of failing to protect nature are high, and the loss of biodiversity undermines the ability of ecosystems to function and support a healthy environment," Hill said. "And this is particularly important in a changing climate, in which loss of biodiversity reduces nature's resilience to change."

The evaluation criteria will be finalized in the fall and the preliminary decision on which places qualify as conservation areas will be presented in December.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Disclosure: The Pew Charitable Trusts - Environmental Group contributes to our fund for reporting on Endangered Species & Wildlife, Environment, Public Lands/Wilderness. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Hurricane Milton grew to become a major hurricane on the morning of Oct. 7, 2024. (AWS S3 Explorer/Wikimedia Commons)

Social Issues

play sound

As powerhouse Hurricane Milton nears the Florida coastline, communities in the Tampa Bay area are extending relief efforts initially launched for …


Environment

play sound

By Matt Vasilogambros and Kevin Hardy for Stateline.Broadcast version by Kathleen Shannon for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Jour…

Environment

play sound

By Erik Hoffner for Mongabay.Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for Maine News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Ser…


According to the Prison Policy Institute, Illinois's incarceration rate of 433 per 100,000 people ranks the state as having nearly the highest lockup rate of any democratic country. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Two specific types of cancer are showing up in high numbers among people in jail and prison and Illinois is no exception. A new study found a lack …

Social Issues

play sound

New data show many Connecticut residents can't afford daily life. This year's ALICE update shows the number of asset-limited, income-constrained …

Lt. Gov. Penny Flanagan, DFL-Minn., could become the first Native American woman to serve as governor if the Harris-Walz ticket wins the White House. (Office of the Governor)

Social Issues

play sound

It is the first day of early voting in Arizona and both presidential hopefuls will be making their cases to voters. Gov. Tim Walz, DFL-Minn.…

Social Issues

play sound

Immigration boosts the economy - in Colorado and across the U.S. But new policies are needed to maximize gains and make it harder for employers to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In Ohio, the effects of domestic violence continue to devastate families. The Ohio Domestic Violence Network released its ninth annual fatality …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021