California Natural Resources Agency

The State of California is working to increase the resiliency of our State’s communities, natural systems and essential resources. Since 2000, California voters have approved billions of dollars in bond investments to assist in the protection, restoration and management of California’s historical, cultural and natural resources. This money alone has been used to fund thousands of projects around the state.

To understand the extent of contribution that these natural resources related projects are having on the State’s investments in California’s resource management goals, project effectiveness should be monitored and reported in an organized and centralized fashion.  Analyzing such data at project and statewide scales should help inform management and investment decision making to strategically enhance California’s highest-need areas.

MSU was created in 2018 to assess the status and methods of existing monitoring efforts on natural resources related projects and provide recommendations on how to better coordinate project information-sharing across California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) offices and partner agencies. Towards this end, we have endeavored to do the following:

• Support the collaboration, coordination, and sharing of information between and within offices under CNRA.
• Encourage offices under CNRA to be consistent in data collection and data management strategies for natural resources related projects.
• Encourage and work to facilitate offices under CNRA to compile and aggregate data in an accessible and centralized fashion.
• Encourage the use of project information to help offices under CNRA with informed decision-making for future natural resources investments, policies, and adaptive management strategies.