But because extinction is forever, there is no such prospect for the loss of biodiversity. The first step in developing a comprehensive legal biodiversity strategy is for each state to make a clear commitment to the issue by adopting a formal policy. Of the four states with formal biodiversity policies, all were enacted or implemented in the 1990s. The best state biodiversity policy, in California, was signed in 1991 by a voluntary coalition of state, federal, and private entities. It has resulted in bioregional planning efforts in each of the state's ten bioregions.
Implementation is in the initial phases.
New York has a law that created an institute to coordinate state efforts. Back to the top 2. Another important step necessary for states to protect biodiversity is to create a consistent framework for collecting, updating, and expanding the level of knowledge about existing biological resources. Most assessment systems currently in place were developed in the late 1980s and 1990s. The Oregon Biodiversity Project, a voluntary effort begun in 1993, is producing an atlas with maps of ecological and socioeconomic features of the landscape, along with a narrative identifying high priority areas and recommending management strategies.