Abstract: California is the largest and most diverse state in the nation with the fourth largest economy in the world. As the state works towards mitigating the impacts of climate change, drought, wildfires, and other threats to our natural resources, considering the impacts of these threats to diverse populations has become imperative. Despite the plethora of equity and diversity statements, and commitments to include a variety of voices in environmental decision-making, successfully implementing equitable practices such as reducing implicit bias in the hiring process to diversify the conservation workforce remains operationally challenging. This presentation will provide reasons on why embedding equity remains a challenge and provide a framework that organizations can use to begin the process of centering equity into all policies, processes, and actions. Using the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s efforts to integrate equitable principles into its work culture and external activities, this presentation will discuss the challenges and available opportunities for organizations to shift conversations about equity away from superficial statements into action. To achieve the state’s drought, wildfire resilience, and natural resource protection goals, CDFW has started to include equity as a core component in funding requirements, species management plans, and sensitive species decisions. This attention both fulfills CDFW’s mission AND gives voice to the most polluted and under-resourced communities to improve overall outcomes for all.

Nicole is the Deputy Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Department of Fish and Wildlife. She previously served as the Special Assistant to the Office of the Commission at the California Public Utilities Commission as the project manager for the implementation of Environmental and Social Justice Action Plan and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group. In this role, she coordinated a variety of policy discussions that impact California’s most vulnerable populations and/or marginalized communities. Previously, she served as the Assistant to Commissioner Rechtschaffen where she supported his efforts on equity, transportation electrification, affordability, environmental and social justice, and building decarbonization. Before joining the CPUC, she served as an Executive Fellow at the California Department of Health Care Services. In a previous life, she owned and managed a small salon in San Diego and concurrently led an organization which addressed health and food access inequities through urban gardening.