"Biden Admin Unveils Massive Conservation Plan"

"The Biden administration today [Thursday] unveiled the framework for its ambitious conservation plan, emphasizing the role of "voluntary efforts" by states, private landowners and tribal nations over an expansion of the federal estate.

The 24-page report also rebrands the proposal often called "30x30" — for its goal of setting aside 30% of the nation's lands and waters by 2030 — into a 10-year "America the Beautiful" campaign. The document offers broad strokes about how to reach its aim, leaving for later some key details.

"This report calls on us, all of us — in partnership with states, tribes, private landowners — to build on the long tradition of land stewardship across American lands. The federal government will do that by looking for ways we can bolster locally led conservation," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who spoke in a teleconference along with White House national climate adviser Gina McCarthy, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory.

President Biden issued an executive order earlier this year directing the Interior Department to propose guidelines for which lands and waters would qualify for conservation and how to measure progress."

Jennifer Yachnin reports for E&E News May 6, 2021.

SEE ALSO:

"A Narrow Path For Biden’s Ambitious Land Conservation Plan" (Washington Post)

"Biden Officials Make Recommendations For Protecting 30% Of U.S. Land, Water" (Reuters)

"Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful" (Interior Departmnent report)

Source: E&E News, 05/07/2021