Public lands represent what many of us love most about California. They are the places we go to swim, fish, hike, bike, and hunt —where we reconnect with nature, our communities, and something bigger than ourselves. A range of protections help keep these lands in public hands—from national monuments and national forests to state parks and city parks. Together, they safeguard the headwaters, rivers, and wild landscapes that define California.
Today, nearly half of California’s land and freshwater is protected as public land. At CalTrout, we’re working to ensure that number only grows—because these landscapes are essential to the health of our rivers, our fish, and our communities.
A Crucial Lifeline for Native Fish
Public lands are critical to the survival of California’s native fish. About 70% of remaining native trout habitat is found on public lands, much of it in cold, clean headwater streams. These areas play an outsized role in maintaining water quality, regulating flows, and supporting healthy ecosystems. From the Sespe to the Sierra Nevada to the headwaters of the Eel River, intact and roadless landscapes provide essential refuge—especially in the face of climate change. These areas help keep streams cool, sustain natural flow patterns, and protect habitat during increasingly hot and dry conditions.
When lands remain public, they are far less vulnerable to intensive development—like road building, mining, and water diversions—that can permanently damage watersheds and the fish that depend on them. And fish are just one piece of the story. Protecting public lands also supports entire ecosystems—from insects and birds to mammals and forests. In fact, salmon themselves help feed terrestrial wildlife and forests, linking land and water in powerful ways.
It's Not Just About the Fish: Public Lands are for All of Us
Public lands are where people connect—to nature, to each other, and to future generations. They’re where anglers cast a line, hunters track game, and families gather along rivers and lakes to create lasting memories. They're where trails less traveled are taken, art is created, and future conservationists are born. But these experiences aren’t guaranteed. Without strong protections, the waters and landscapes we rely on today may not be accessible—or healthy—tomorrow. These places are crucial to inspire the next generation of conservationists. People protect what they know and love, and for many, that connection begins on public lands.
Beyond recreation and connection, public lands are economic engines. Outfitters, ranchers, guides, and small businesses all depend on access to these landscapes. The outdoor recreation economy—worth over a trillion dollars—relies on public lands remaining open and protected. In urban areas, public lands provide essential green space with places to breathe, recharge, and experience nature close to home. And when protected from intensive development and extraction, public lands offer natural solutions to the climate crisis storing carbon, supporting biodiversity, and building resilience for communities and ecosystems alike. At their core, public lands are about people. They’re where our communities come alive—floating rivers, fishing for wild fish, and connecting to the natural world in ways that sustain both spirit and place.
Public Lands are Personal: Hear Directly from a Few Californians
Tom Lippen, Fly Fishing Guide
Tom learned to fly fish on the Owens River. As a full-time fly fishing guide in the Mammoth Lakes region of the Eastern Sierra, the Owens is not only his place to connect with nature and his home, but it is also his workplace. He guides almost entirely on public lands. He is passionate about protecting these places, keeping them vibrant and accessible, and teaching clients proper fish handling etiquette to ensure that California’s wild fish survive and thrive for future generations to experience.
Elizabeth Jean Younce, Artist & Educator
Elizabeth is the owner of Mustard Beetle, a company based in Los Angeles where she illustrates nature-based designs. Living in an urban place like Los Angeles, Elizabeth understands the crucial role that public lands play in her life and the lives of those around her. Much of her artistic work begins on public lands, and she strives to create art about the natural world that connects others with it in a way that builds empathy.
Seth Blackamore, Outdoorsman
Seth Blackamore lives in Bishop, CA, in the Eastern Sierra, and most of his life is spent on public lands — hunting, camping, fly fishing, and even working. While not everyone enjoys the same level of immediate access as Seth, he sees the Eastern Sierra as a place where so many people from different walks of life and backgrounds can come together and enjoy these remarkable spaces. It’s “the medicine of the outdoors”.
Jason Fitzgibbon, Mountain Biker & Ecologist
Jason Fitzgibbon is a terrestrial ecologist based in Southern California who spends a lot of his time thinking about how we can conserve native species. Growing up fishing and mountain biking on public lands across the West planted an early interest in ecology. Now, he frequently spends time on or near public lands — whether for recreation or work. In Southern California, a place that many describe as sprawling development, the public lands that do exist are crucial.
Dams block access to historical spawning and rearing habitats. Downstream, dams alter the timing, frequency, duration, magnitude, and rate of change of flows decreasing habitat quality and survival.