About CNPS The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) is a statewide non-profit organization of amateurs and professionals with a common interest in California's native plants. The Society, working through its local chapters, seeks to increase understanding of California's native flora and to preserve this rich resource for future generations. Membership is open to all. Our members have diverse interests including natural history, botany, ecology, conservation, photography, drawing, hiking, and gardening. What do we do? Most CNPS activities are organized at the chapter level where the varied interests of the local members directly influence programs and projects. Fun activities include plant sales, field trips, demonstration gardens, and speaker programs. Serious activities include weed bashing, conservation projects, rare plant monitoring, plant community sampling, and educational outreach. Every fun activity furthers the mission of CNPS and every serious activity has its fun side as well.

Native Plants are Beautiful and Valuable Native plants are the most visible elements of California ecosystems. Up and down our coast, valleys, and mountains, thousands of lupines, lilacs, poppies, redwoods, cottonwoods and other native plants perfume the air and delight the eye throughout the year. Native plants are habitats for wildlife. California's wild plants and animals have evolved together for millennia, Hummingbirds, salmon, deer, and all native animals depend on native plants for food, shelter, and survival. Native ecosystems are also economic powerhouses. Studies show that California's single most important economic asset is its quality of life. Clean air, clean water, and beautiful , healthy ecosystems attract both businesses and tourists. Millions take time - and spend money - each year to marvel at our glorious landscapes and astounding variety of native plants and animals. Valuable commodities, including foods and medicines flow from native species. The life saving cancer drug taxol was developed from the Pacific yew, a native of the moist stream canyons of our ancient forests. Insects and birds that live in native wild lands pollinate billions of dollars of California's crops each year.

Native Plants are Disappearing Unfortunately, irreplaceable native species and ecosystems are increasingly at risk. Accelerating sprawl is consuming our native plant communities. Each year between 1992 and 1997, 244,000 acres of California open space were lost to sprawl, almost twice the rate of the previous decade. Invasive nonnative species, excessive and poorly planned logging, mining and other activities also besiege native plants. More than 85% of our original coast redwoods and 70% of ancient forests in the Sierra Nevada are already gone. These trends are taking their toll. California plants are full participants in the extinction crisis that has sparked outcry from the world's scientists. The World Conservation Union reports that 29% of plant species in the U.S. are at risk of extinction. CNPS scientists have found that more than 1400 of California's native plant species (22% of the native flora) are at risk, while at least 29 California plants species have already been lost.

Plants are 2nd Class Citizens in Conservation Law and Policy Few people realize that in almost every area of law, policy, and planning, plants receive inferior protection, attention and funding. The Federal Endangered Species Act is the single most powerful legal tool available to protect imperiled ecosystems and landscapes. But, although the act protects imperiled animals wherever they live, it allows nearly unlimited destruction of imperiled plants and their habitats outside Federal lands. Without real protection for plants under the Federal Act, its promise of conservation is only half-fulfilled. In budgeting, the situation is just as dire. Funding for rare species conservation is pathetically low and what little funding exists is heavily weighted towards charismatic animals such as deer, salmon and eagles. Staffing is critical. Conservation depends on experts who understand species needs and can incorporate conservation science into land management regulations such as County Plans. Resource protection agencies such as the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA Forest Service employ pitifully few plant specialists. In the Department of Fish and Game, one botanist may be expected to manage as many as 100 California listed plants and plant expertise for planning in 10 or more counties. It is clearly impossible for any single person to adequately perform such duties.

What Can Be Done CNPS is fighting on many fronts to conserve California's vanishing flora. Contact CNPS to find out how you can get involved. THE LANDS PROJECT identifies key native plant communities and works with public and private landowners to conserve them through special designation, purchase, or easement. THE EQUAL PROTECTION FOR PLANTS CAMPAIGN is working to amend the Federal Endangered Species Act to provide plants with the same protections that are provided to animals. THE BOTANY STAFFING PROJECT works with state and federal agencies to increase staffing in botany. THE LEGAL PROGRAM uses targeted litigation to improve management and conservation of native plants and their habitats on public and private lands. THE LISTING PROGRAM works with local activists and scientists to identify plants in need of listing under the State or Federal Endangered Species Act and guides imperiled plants through the listing process. THE PLANT SCIENCE PROGRAMS maintain the Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California which tracks the status and trend of thousands of rare and imperiled native plants. This database is a primary tool of plant conservation used by agencies, scientists, landowners and local governments in land use planning and management. CNPS Plant Science Programs also publish the Manual of California Vegetation which classifies and provides scientific information on California plant communities. THE LEGISLATION PROGRAM works to improve State and Federal resource protection laws to provide better protection for rare and imperiled plants and habitats and greater scientific input into land use and land management decision making.

Contact us California Native Plant Society, Napa Chapter 2201 Imola Ave. Napa, CA 94559 707-253-2665