South San Joaquin Valley Important Plant Areas Version 1

California Native Plant Society (CNPS) has recognized the need for proactive identification of areas important to the conservation of California’s Flora to better participate in regional planning processes. The Important Plant Areas (IPAs) concept seeks to address the problems of diffuse and often incomplete botanical datasets which lead to lack of adequate consideration during environmental review, conservation planning, and allocating resources for advocacy. In 2017, CNPS received a grant from the Bakersfield Californian Foundation as part of the 2017 non-cycle grant allocations to pursue The Important Plant Areas of Kern County project. The original scope of this effort was to delineate IPAs within the southern San Joaquin Valley region with emphasis on the valley region of western Kern County. However, it became clear with expert and stakeholder input that the results represented conservation priorities throughout the southern San Joaquin Region in Kern, Tulare, and Kings Counties. The project is titled South San Joaquin Valley Important Plant Areas to reflect the importance it represents to the region beyond Kern County. This effort achieved the goals for consolidating botanical information, fostering collaboration between groups representing governing, private, and non-profit conservation interests, and adding to the digital data set through new expert input. The outcomes of this effort have been invaluable as CNPS further develops the IPA program with delineation projects throughout California, and will help to guide the conservation of the areas which matter most.