California Native Plant Society

The CNPS strategic plan lays out the following goals:

1. KNOW - Develop, share, and apply the best available science-based information as the basis for the protection of native plants, vegetation, and the landscapes that support them.
2. SAVE - Protect native plants and vegetation through effective and coordinated conservation action.
3. ENHANCE and RESTORE - Promote, conserve, and expand space for native plants in public and private lands through education, horticulture, and stewardship in an environmentally changing world.
4. CONNECT and COLLABORATE - Increase enthusiasm and support for California’s native plants by engaging in
accessible and collaborative initiatives with partners from all segments of society.

Our strategic plan through 2026 includes the following strategies:

Goal 1 - KNOW
Strategies:
• Understand the flora. We will work with partner organizations and universities to improve science-based understanding of California plants, including taxonomy, floristics, vegetation, ecology, life history, and phenology.
• Map and inventory. We will develop more complete and better curated information on the distribution and abundance of plant taxa and vegetation types, including mapping, specimen collection, and other actions that support their assessment and prioritization for conservation.
• Assess and prioritize. We will analyze and interpret the best available data to identify rare taxa and important plant areas and to prioritize their protection from all threats, including development, invasive species, climate change, and inappropriate management

Goal 2 - SAVE
Strategies:
• Strengthen legal protection. We will increase capacity to build, strengthen, and maintain robust legal and regulatory tools used by CNPS and its partners for native plant conservation.
• Advocate for conservation. We will proactively engage in land use planning, and increase capacity for strong and rapid response to harmful project proposals.
• Share quality science-based information. We will provide and promote high-quality information to improve land management, project planning, and conservation actions.

Goal 3 - ENHANCE and RESTORE
Strategies:
• Connect and nurture supply with demand. We encourage and support native plant horticulture by advocating for the production of high-quality, locally sourced native plants, and by playing an influential role in allying
producers, sellers, and consumers.
• Build expertise and provide educational opportunities. We will share our experience and knowledge on the creation, restoration, and conservation of native plant landscapes.
• Restore. We will promote, support, and execute sound, ecologically-based land stewardship activities and practices while adapting to change.

Goal 4 - CONNECT and COLLABORATE
Strategies:
Connect and collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds. We will create an inclusive environment safe for all to engage in the CNPS mission.
• Celebrate and appreciate what we have. Together, we will exchange stories and ideas, and defend the beauty and integrity of native plants and wild places.
• Promote learning. Create educational opportunities and foster reciprocal learning environments for all ages to share the importance of native plants and the value of biodiversity.
• Complement and promote good work by others. We will systematize and expand our collaborations with a diverse set of partner organizations and natural resource professionals for mutual benefit and to advance our shared mission.

For over 50 years, CNPS has educated, supported, and coordinated citizen volunteers in changing policy and plans to improve the efficacy of plant conservation in California. We have a rich history of reaching across aisles to work alongside government officials, agency staff, and scientists to protect habitats and species and to advocate for well-informed environmental practices, regulations, policies, and the maximum protection of imperiled species and habitats. Our independence from, but constant cooperation with, governmental agencies and other environmental groups grants us a flexibility that helps get our work done. We are also a grassroots organization composed of nearly 12,000 members and volunteers across 35 regional chapters located throughout California and Baja California. Volunteers give CNPS the ability to be in many places at once, respond to critical local needs, and are responsible for our most important conservation successes.

From special places and endangered species saved, to landmark legislation and lawsuits, CNPS propels the cause of native plant preservation and appreciation to new levels. No other organization in California works to be the much-needed voice of plants. We are proud of our hard-won successes, be they championed by an impassioned volunteer advocate, a coalition of organizations fighting for the right course of action, or through concerted program-driven initiatives. CNPS gets things done. Over the course of its 50+ year history, CNPS has successfully petitioned for the inclusion of endangered species to federal and state endangered species lists, saved special habitats, litigated for the protection of special species and places, advocated for the passage of legislation, and we continue to maintain the California Rare Plant Ranks (Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants) and Manual of California Vegetation databases that are used as the accepted references statewide.

Below are a few of our recent accomplishments:
The Centennial development project aimed to replace wildland habitat with a new city of 19,000 units in a high fire hazard zone. After a decade-long fight and dedicated grassroots campaign against the project, CNPS turned to the courts and co-filed a suit against the development—and won. Our message that Californians should not have to choose between safe, affordable housing and biodiversity captured attention far beyond Southern California, garnering features in publications like Vogue and The Guardian. By advocating for policies that benefit our native plants and diverse ecosystems, CNPS is also supporting safe development and human health.

Of the 26 species of Dudleya that are native to California, more than half are considered rare, with ten classified as threatened or endangered. Thousands of poached Dudleya plants have been illegally sold through the international horticulture trade, some up to 100 years old. In 2021, CNPS mobilized a campaign in support of Assembly Bill 223. Introduced by Asm. Christopher Ward of San Diego—the bill would make Dudleya poaching explicitly unlawful. Because of the calls, letters, and social media campaigns by 30,000 native plant supporters, AB223 was unanimously approved in May 2021 and was signed into law in September 2021.

Native plant gardens like the one at Garvey Intermediate School in the San Gabriel Valley offer students and their communities a place to learn about plants and ecosystems, and space for safe gathering and for respite after months of uncertainty and isolation. These landscapes serve as public showcases, living laboratories, outdoor classrooms, community hubs—and foster a lifelong love of plants. From education and training programs for horticulturalists and nurseries to resources and tools for landscape designers and home gardeners, CNPS is helping neighborhoods across the state create healthy green spaces and educate the environmental stewards of tomorrow.