Jay Ziegler

In the Media

• The Nature Conservancy on Newsom Administration California 2020-21 Budget Announcement
• The Nature Conservancy on Newsom Administration's Release of the Water Resilience Strategy
• The Nature Conservancy Applauds Gov. Newsom’s Executive Order on Biodiversity and Climate Change
• Statement from TNC on CAL FIRE Community Wildfire Prevention & Mitigation Report in response to Governor Newsom’s Executive Order on California Fires

TNC Applauds Sen. Allen’s Climate Leadership with SB 867

February 17, 2023

California’s recent string of atmospheric river events, and the $1 billion in damages they brought, are just the latest evidence that we are failing to protect California from the accelerating impacts of climate change. We applaud Senator Ben Allen for introducing SB 867, which will provide a structured investment plan to address the challenges of climate change and lock down stable, long-term funding for nature-based climate solutions to protect our planet before it’s too late.

Jay Ziegler, Director of External Affairs and Policy for The Nature Conservancy, California

A Climate Bond for California’s Future

January 10, 2023

The Nature Conservancy applauds Governor Newsom’s call today for a climate bond in California’s 2023 budget. While the economic downturn requires budget reductions, California simply cannot afford to delay investing in a disciplined and predictable climate investment plan to protect Californians and our environment from the life-threatening impacts of climate change.

At this moment, we see storm emergencies across California, and at the same time, we have experienced the driest two decades on record. For our immediate future, we must address flood safety, protect our groundwater, provide sustainable water management, address sea level rise, ensure healthy rivers, restore our oceans and accelerate the protection of our forests and communities from megafires.

California’s ‘new normal’ means confronting more extreme weather cycles all year long, and a climate bond is critical to securing sustainable, long-term funding to confront our biggest climate challenges. The Nature Conservancy looks forward to working with the Legislature to put forward a disciplined climate investment plan that recognizes natural climate solutions are critical to a more sustainable future for all of us.

Jay Ziegler, Director of External Affairs and Policy for The Nature Conservancy, California

TNC Applauds Governor on Comprehensive Climate Package

September 19, 2022

Record-setting summer temperatures, ongoing wildfires and recent mudslides are just the latest climate-driven challenges we now confront daily in California. While much work remains to address the climate readiness challenges facing California, we applaud Governor Newsom’s signing of a comprehensive climate package today. Together, these bills reassert California’s commitment to climate change solutions. To meet the urgency of the climate crisis before us, we must rapidly redouble our efforts to protect both people and nature, engage with the growing risks to frontline communities and acknowledge the true cost of losing our California as we know it today.

Jay Ziegler, Director of External Affairs & Policy

The Legislature Reasserts CA’s Climate Leadership

August 31, 2022

In the final days of the 2022 Legislative session, CA lawmakers took unprecedented actions that gave rise to an ambitious set of new climate measures:

• AB 1279 (Muratsuchi) has established a pathway to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2045, 
• AB 1757 (C. Garcia) has elevated the critical role of natural and working landscapes in carbon sequestration,
• SB 905 (Caballero & Skinner) has established needed community safeguards for carbon capture technology and
• SB 1137 (Gonzalez & Limon) has established critical community protections around oil and gas development. 

With the passage of these bills, we have much to celebrate. We commend the authors of these bills and Governor Newsom for advancing California’s leadership in addressing climate change. 

While much work remains to address the critical climate-driven environmental issues facing California today, like drought, extreme heat and renewable energy deployment, it is important to recognize this important progress. This momentum would not have been possible without the leadership of the Newsom administration, collaboration between environmentalists and policymakers and the ongoing advocacy of frontline communities. To meet the urgency of the climate crisis before us, we must continue to push forward with ambition to protect both people and nature.

Jay Ziegler, Director of External Affairs & Policy

CA needs $500M More for Nature-Based Climate Solutions

July 25, 2022

California’s forests, grasslands, wetlands, farmlands, rangelands and urban green space are not only important recreational, economic and food resources for people, they also are critical to our state’s response to climate change. TNC research found that our natural and working lands can account for over a third of the carbon reduction we need globally while also doing the hard work of insulating Californians from the effects of climate change. These nature-based solutions have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 500 million metric tons, saving over $24 billion in climate-related damages by 2050.  

The California Legislature’s 2022 budget agreement includes a $21 billion Climate and Energy Package. This package will provide critical, multi-year funding to address water and drought resilience, wildfire and forest resilience, sea level rise, extreme heat, biodiversity and outdoor access, clean energy, zero-emission vehicles and other climate-related actions. Governor Newsom’s proposed budget includes $768 million for nature-based solutions, but we can’t afford to stop there.

The Nature Conservancy urges the Legislature and Administration to increase funding for nature-based climate solutions by $500 million, above the $768 million in the Governor’s proposed budget. By shifting $500 million—a fraction of the $21 billion Climate and Energy Package—to biodiversity and outdoor access, California can make significant investments in systemic nature-based solutions. Let’s shape a budget that protects our natural world for people AND nature. 

Jay Ziegler, Director of External Affairs & Policy

TNC Supports SB 54 to Reduce Single-use Plastic Waste

June 17, 2022

California is drowning in plastic — but we can address this by fundamentally making fewer plastics.

The Nature Conservancy supports SB 54 as a path to clear and enforceable plastic waste reduction by 25% in the next decade, unlocking funding for environmental mitigation. We welcome this momentum in legislation and see it as consistent with the single-use plastic ballot measure to address the mounting plastic pollution crisis around us. California now has an opportunity to lead on meaningful plastics policy that could change the trajectory of the plastic pollution economy, reduce further harm to disadvantaged communities and move toward more sustainable packaging in the U.S. and around the globe.

Jay Ziegler, Director of External Affairs & Policy

CA Needs to Invest More to Address Our Immediate Climate Crisis

May 13, 2022

Climate change has reached crisis levels in our state, and we need to significantly increase our investment in drought and climate response if we're going to meet this moment with the urgency it demands. While the Governor’s budget is a good start, the reality of the climate crisis confronting California requires significantly greater investments now in order to build a climate-resilient state that protects people and nature. Climate change is hitting our state hard—key drinking water sources, reservoirs, rivers and groundwater are at historic low levels, and rivers ran dry last year for the first time in California’s recorded history. The Senate’s $18.5 billion drought and climate response plan released this week represents the level of commitment needed as a down payment to protect our communities and our incredible diversity of wildlife and natural resources.

Jay Ziegler, Director of External Affairs & Policy

TNC Fully Suppports California Senate Budget Plan

April 29, 2022

The Senate budget proposal is a strong response to the magnitude of climate-related crises we are already facing in California. The Nature Conservancy fully supports the Senate’s climate budget actions to address our ongoing drought conditions, extreme wildfires, sea level rise and the urgent need to save our state’s unique biodiversity. Every day that we wait to address climate change, only increases the costs and impacts of this crisis to people and wildlife. California must act now.

Jay Ziegler, Director of External Affairs & Policy

CA’s Unprecedented Budget Will Accelerate Protections for Nature and People

September 9, 2021

The Nature Conservancy commends Governor Newsom & the California Legislature for passing an unprecedented budget package that accelerates climate preparedness for people and nature.  The final budget supports critical investments to address our drought, the increasing wildfire threats around us and supports key conservation actions to protect wildlife, conserve water and achieve carbon reduction goals on natural and working lands.  

These climate investments by Governor Newsom and the Legislature are absolutely critical to the resilience of our state and planet and will result in actions that help people and nature deal with changing climate threats to our air, land and water. 

Jay Ziegler, Director of External Affairs & Policy

TNC Applauds Senate Climate Leadership

August 17, 2021

California is in the midst of a true climate emergency. Record-setting megafires, heatwaves and drought are wreaking havoc on both people and nature throughout our state at a relentless pace. 

In the face of these complex challenges, The Nature Conservancy is grateful to  Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins and her colleagues for both their ongoing leadership and long standing record on environmental issues.

In addition to the historic budget package to address climate change, drought and wildfire currently under consideration by the Legislature, the California Senate has passed laws to protect our state from the Trump administration's rollbacks of environmental protections; promote coastal resilience in the face of  sea level rise; reduce plastic pollution impacts on the environment; provide funding for safe and affordable drinking water; and  reduce pollution from cars and trucks.

California needs accelerated actions like these to address changing climate conditions — we appreciate the dedicated efforts of Senator Atkins and her colleagues to protect California’s environment.

California Certifies Groundbreaking Citizen Initiative Aimed at Reducing Plastics Waste

July 19, 2021

The Nature Conservancy applauds the California Secretary of State’s certification of the “California Recycling and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act” for the November 2022 statewide ballot. This ballot measure will give California voters an opportunity to address the environmental and health consequences of single-use plastics. Thank you to the nearly 900,000 California voters who signed petitions to qualify this important ballot measure.

We see plastic pollution in California and beyond as a critical environmental issue. This initiative is a landmark opportunity to ensure producer responsibility, invest in critical infrastructure and ensure that both nature and people can have a future that is not threatened by plastic.

Read the full press release.

Jay Ziegler, Director of External Affairs & Policy

Fully Fund Nature and Drought Programs in the Budget Package

June 21, 2021

TNC urges the Governor and Legislature to support a comprehensive budget package to address climate change and drought that doesn’t leave nature behind. Healthy watersheds, from the Sierra to the Central Valley to the coast, are critical for safe drinking water, wildlife, forest health, recreation and addressing climate change. Especially in dire drought, we must provide funding to support bird migration and adequate river flows for fish before it’s too late. 

If we take care of nature, nature will take care of us.

Jay Ziegler, Director of External Affairs & Policy

California Needs Climate Action & Protected Lands

May 12, 2021

“Over the last decade, California has experienced some of the most extreme climate-exacerbated droughts in history. But our state’s climate impacts don’t stop there. They continue to grow in number and severity with each passing year, including catastrophic wildfires, extreme heat and flooding,” said Jay Ziegler, Director of Policy and External Affairs. “Along with these climate impacts, we are seeing native freshwater fish and wildlife disappearing at an alarming rate.”

“California must have a consistent and long term budget commitment to address climate impacts that is based on science. We also must not overlook the critical role that our protected lands play in curbing climate change. Healthy watersheds from the Sierra to the coast are critical for safe drinking water, wildlife, forest health, recreation and carbon capture. We look forward to working with the Governor and the Legislature to ensure California has a climate resilient future.”

Jay Ziegler, Director of External Affairs & Policy

TNC Applauds Sen. Atkins Emergency Drought Package 

April 28, 2021

“We applaud Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins for bringing a comprehensive drought package to the Legislature that recognizes the critical needs people and nature are confronting in California right now,” said Jay Ziegler, Policy Director for The Nature Conservancy. “The budget plan will help ensure that safe, affordable drinking water is available to all Californians, while also providing immediate investments in science to measure drought impacts, funding to support sustainable groundwater management, and actions to secure water for fish and wildlife. This should be a model for other western states.”

Jay Ziegler, Director of External Affairs & Policy

Appointment of Commissioner Liane Randolph as Chair of the CARB

December 15, 2020

“The Nature Conservancy congratulates Commissioner Liane Randolph on her appointment as the Chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Commissioner Randolph is a thoughtful leader who brings deep expertise to the challenge of achieving a carbon neutral California. We look forward to working with Commissioner Randolph and the CARB board and staff to advance climate solutions that deliver cleaner air and integrated climate strategies for all Californians.”

Jay Ziegler, Director of External Affairs & Policy