05/01/2008 GAAS:218:08 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version | Email / Share
Gov. Schwarzenegger Applauds Cleanup and Restoration of Santa Cruz Island
Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger today commended the historic restoration of one of California's most
significant and fragile natural habitats, and praised the partnership among
state, federal and non-profit agencies behind the effort. Santa Cruz Island,
the largest of the eight Channel Islands, is
being cleaned up and restored through a collective effort of The Nature
Conservancy, National Park Service and the California Integrated Waste
Management Board.
"The preservation effort on Santa
Cruz Island is another victory in our efforts to preserve our Golden State
and to leave future generations a better place to live, work and enjoy,"
Governor Schwarzenegger said. "I applaud our Waste Board, the Nature
Conservancy and the National Park Service for demonstrating once again that
through the immense power of partnerships, we can do the extraordinary for our
environment and natural resources here in California."
Last
fall, the state's Integrated Waste Management Board allocated funding and
technical assistance to clear from the island decades of debris that had
accumulated, threatening the diverse wildlife and plant species there, and
slowing the restoration program.
The
more than 100 tons of trash being removed includes barrels of pesticides and
herbicides, cans of old lead-based paint, derelict vehicles and old appliances.
The materials are being recycled wherever possible, and otherwise properly
disposed far away from the habitat they placed in jeopardy.
Since
acquiring Santa Cruz Island in 1978, The
Nature Conservancy has been working to preserve and restore its natural state. The
island supports 60 species found only in the Channel
Islands. Twelve of those species - four animals and eight plants -
exist only on Santa Cruz Island and nowhere
else on earth.
The
island's restoration is moving ahead and already reaping benefits. The
endangered island fox once again thrives on Santa Cruz
Island. Bald eagles, once extinct on the island, have been
re-introduced. Non-native, invasive plant species have been removed.
Governor Schwarzenegger has led California in
establishing laws and policies to protect the environment:
- In January 2007, the Governor announced the world's first Low Carbon Fuel Standard for transportation fuels that requires fuel providers to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels sold in California. This first-of-its-kind standard firmly establishes sustainable demand for lower-carbon fuels without favoring one fuel over another. To start, the standard will reduce the carbon intensity of California's passenger vehicle fuels by at least 10 percent by 2020 and more thereafter.
- In September 2006, the Governor signed the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, California's landmark bill that established a first-in-the-world comprehensive program of regulatory and market mechanisms to achieve real, quantifiable, cost-effective reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. The law will reduce carbon emissions in California to 1990 levels by the year 2020. Governor Schwarzenegger has also called for the state to reduce carbon emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050.
- In September 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger joined with the Governors of Oregon and Washington to announce an historic partnership and action plan for ocean and coastal resource protection along the Pacific Coast.
- In August 2006, the Governor signed his Million Solar Roofs Plan into law, which will provide 3,000 megawatts of additional clean energy and reduce the output of greenhouse gases by three million tons, equivalent to taking one million cars off the road. The $2.9 billion incentive plan for homeowners and building owners who install solar electric systems will lead to 1 million solar roofs in California by the year 2018.
- In October 2004, the Governor introduced his Ocean Action Plan which set forth a vision and a framework for protecting and restoring California's coast and coastal waters.
- In September 2004, the Governor established the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, protecting 25 million acres of important and pristine California territory.
