FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 6, 2021
DENVER—The White House today released a new vision for American conservation that will create safe outdoor spaces, prioritize environmental justice and Indigenous-led conservation efforts, expand wildlife corridors, incentivize private conservation efforts on working lands, and invest in access for outdoor recreation. The “America the Beautiful” initiative is a road map for protecting 30 percent of America’s lands and oceans by 2030, better known as “30×30.”
The Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Executive Director Jennifer Rokala:
“The America the Beautiful campaign shows that the Biden administration is serious about protecting 30 percent of America’s land and ocean by the end of this decade. This bold vision, now translated into action, can provide a model for the world. It shows how community- and Indigenous-led conservation efforts can ensure our lands and waters are conserved and accessible for generations to come—protecting wildlife, restoring damaged forests, and mitigating the effects of climate change. Protecting 30×30 is not something the U.S. government can do on its own. It will take from-the-ground-up efforts in every state, using many different forms of conservation, to get there.
“President Biden, Secretary Haaland, Secretary Vilsack, and the entire cabinet recognize that we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect American lands for our children and grandchildren, while simultaneously following the science to address the existential threat posed by climate change. The climate crisis and the extinction crisis go hand in hand; if we try to address them individually we will surely fail. This is why reaching 30×30 is vitally important to America.”
Learn more:
- The Road to 30: How conserving 30 percent of the United States’ lands and waters can protect biodiversity, combat climate change, and benefit all Americans.
- The Western Road to 30: How Western states are contributing to the bold campaign to protect 30 percent of America by 2030
- Whiteboard video: National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Enric Sala and former U.S. Senator Tom Udall explain why America must protect 30×30
Photo: Bob Wick, BLM