A statement from Sam Hodder, League president and CEO
Nature is what unites us
With the election behind us, one thing is fundamentally true: Nature has always been what unites and sustains us. It’s what brings people together and restores our resilience. The more we center the necessity of nature for a healthy and happy life, the more we can find common ground and focus on our fundamental humanity.
A shared commitment to the natural world has the power to blur political lines. This election, it resulted in conservation measures passing with strong support from all sides of the political spectrum. From Washington State to Louisiana, from Maine to South Carolina, and here in California, Americans overwhelmingly supported measures to protect our natural lands and open spaces, safeguard clean air and water, and restore the redwood forests that offer stability in a changing climate.
Setting a new standard of climate leadership
This election, California voters set a new standard of climate leadership for the nation and the world. California passed Prop 4, the largest natural resources bond in U.S. history. This $10 billion bond represents a monumental shift in our climate resilience efforts: from defense to offense, from disaster response and recovery to proactive and meaningful disaster prevention.
At the local level, voters in Santa Cruz County passed Measure Q to protect rivers, creeks, and streams—all critical sources of drinking water. The measure generates an estimated $146 million annually that will safeguard beaches and parks, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, protect wildlife habitat, and preserve working and agricultural lands.
We’re in the forever business
Save the Redwoods League has weathered the political cycles of the last 106 years. We have and will work with every presidential administration, of every political inclination, to advance our mission to protect and restore redwood forests and connect all people with these natural wonders. We will continue to ground our work in the latest scientific research. We will maintain and grow our partnerships with the federal, state, local, and tribal agencies that own and manage our most critical natural resources. We will trust in the power of our community to defend more a century of conservation achievements. We will celebrate the fundamental value, to all of us, of a walk in the woods.
No matter the political environment, these are our guiding principles as we move purposefully ahead. California’s coast redwoods and giant sequoias—and our sense of community and shared values—demand nothing less. Together, we will find common ground for our shared future and provide a source of healing, agency, and hope.
