As California faces escalating climate challenges like prolonged droughts, intense flooding, and devastating wildfires, Proposition 4 offers a significant opportunity to mitigate these disasters and bolster our state’s environmental resilience for decades to come. This critical funding initiative — which will appear for all Californians on the November ballot — presents historic investment in nature-based solutions to safeguard both natural resources and the communities that rely on them. For Sustainable Conservation, Prop 4 aligns with our ongoing work to advance the collaborative stewardship of California’s most precious resources for the benefit of nature and people.
While approving a $10 billion bond might be a tough pill to swallow for some Californians, the potential future cost savings are important to keep in mind. Recent UCLA research found that California wildfire smoke led to over 50,000 premature deaths and over $400 billion in damages from 2008-2018. Prop 4’s investment is a drop in the bucket compared to the negative externalities and cleanup costs of wildfires, floods, and other extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change, but it could pay dividends in reducing these costs for decades to come.
Top-Level Funding Buckets proposed in Prop 4:
See how Prop 4 can uplift Sustainable Conservation’s focus areas
Water for Our Future
Sara Nevis & California Department of Water Resources
Prop 4 directs $3.8 billion toward safe drinking water, drought resilience, and groundwater storage programs to augment our state’s water supply in the most critical areas. Specifically, $386 million of this funding will support projects that enhance groundwater recharge — the process of capturing and storing excess surface water to replenish underground aquifers. By investing in groundwater recharge at scale, Prop 4 helps farmers increase the sustainability of their groundwater usage, reduces the impact of droughts, and mitigates the worst-case scenario floods.
For example, $386 million is allocated to the Department of Water Resources for groundwater storage, banking, and recharge projects. These projects not only help stabilize water supplies but also improve regional watershed management and enhance ecosystem resilience, such as increased stream flows for fish. Groundwater recharge is a key element of building climate resilience in agriculture, and Prop 4’s support for this practice is a crucial step toward securing water supplies for both farms and communities. Sustainable Conservation has long championed groundwater recharge as a critical tool in our Water for the Future program, and this bond will directly bolster those efforts to scale recharge activities.
Soil Health and Resilient Farms
Pusher HQ
While water security is a primary focus, healthy soil is also important for maintaining productive and sustainable farms. Proposition 4 will invest $300 million in climate-smart, sustainable, and resilient practices for California’s farms, ranches, and working lands. These funds will help promote practices like cover cropping, conservation tillage, and the use of organic amendments that improve soil health and boost carbon sequestration.
This funding will enable growers to scale up efforts that improve soil fertility, reduce erosion, and enhance water infiltration. Not only do these practices make farms more resilient to climate extremes and protect the long-term viability of arable lands, but they also help sequester carbon in the soil, contributing to California’s broader climate goals. Sustainable Conservation knows that healthier soils benefit the crops that grow out of it, the water that flows through it, and the people that depend on it, and we’re pleased to see Prop 4 include funding to boost our long-term soil resilience.
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Protection
Paul Hames & California Department of Water Resources
California’s biodiversity is among the richest in the world, but it’s also under threat from habitat loss, climate change, and invasive species. Prop 4 would dedicate $1.2 billion to protect biodiversity, restore degraded landscapes, and promote nature-based climate solutions. These funds will support the restoration of wetlands, rivers, and other critical habitat for California’s wildlife while buffering communities from climate impacts like floods and wildfires.
Through our Accelerating Restoration program, Sustainable Conservation has worked to expedite the permitting process for restoration projects — enabling faster, more efficient conservation efforts. Our recent report describes permitting pathways and programs that enable — as well as pervasive constraints that prevent — widespread restoration in the parts of California that most need it. With recommendations on how to take full advantage of existing restoration-specific pathways and how to address these constraints, we strive to help each public dollar have the largest possible impact on California’s biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Proposition 4 is a bold and necessary investment in California’s future. With climate change projected to cost the state billions in damages each year, Prop 4 provides a proactive, cost-effective approach to prevent disasters instead of paying for them after the fact. These investments will enhance public safety, improve water security, and safeguard the natural resources that both rural and urban communities rely on, ensuring that every sector of California’s population will benefit from a more sustainable environment.
By voting “yes” on Proposition 4 this November, Californians can secure a more sustainable, prosperous future for all—one where clean water, healthy soils, and thriving ecosystems are the foundation of a vibrant agricultural landscape.