On Jun. 30, 1988, The California Genetic Resources Conservation Program was closed by the Division. In 1985, California becomes the first state to launch its own Genetic Resources Conservation Program.

The program was designed to preserve germplasm vital to California’s economy, the program’s main function is to coordinate current conservation efforts within California.

The Program was concerned with California’s biological diversity and its conservation in the broadest sense: onsite and offsite conservation of the native flora and fauna, collections of germplasm amassed for agricultural, medicinal, and industrial uses, and collections of genetics stocks, tissues, cells, and DNA developed for teaching and research purposes.