WHY CHILE AND CALIFORNIA?
Remarkably similar landscapes and long historic, economic and cultural ties.
Chilean laws and institutions, particularly as they pertain to private land conservation and public/private collaborations, are evolving in ways quite similar to California’s experience in the 1970s and 80s. There are lessons to be learned – positive and negative.
California’s current leadership within the U.S. on climate change and environmental issues
This is not to say the project on the U.S. side is exclusively Californian. Participants from throughout the U.S. and beyond are welcome, but the Chile-California frame gives the project a specific focus.
The Chile-California Conservation Exchange was created to:
Help build more robust laws, practices and institutions for the conservation and protection of public land and private land for public benefit in Chile,
Expose California conservation leaders to conservation innovations taking place in Chile,
Foster ongoing, mutually rewarding collaborations among conservation leaders and practitioners engaged in the protection of private and public land in Chile and California, and
To expand conservation philanthropy in Chile
A RIPE MOMENT
The challenge of climate change is forcing innovation in both California and Chile.
California has taken the lead within the United States on de-carbonizing the environment and has a long history of funding land conservation and coastal zone management.
Conservation innovation is flourishing within Chile. For example, new land trusts and protected areas are being created, recent legislation established the Derecho Real de Conservación, the Tomkins legacy vastly expanded Chile’s national park system, tax legislation to incentivize conservation is under consideration, the exploration of innovative modes of managing coastal and marine resources are being explored.
The next several years promise to be a creative and productive time for accelerated advances in land and water conservation in both Chile and California.