As part of President Joe Biden’s “America the Beautiful” initiative, the Biden administration unveiled conservation.gov, a website that connects people and communities to resources to further land and water conservation efforts in the U.S.
Conservation.gov includes a beta version of the Conservation and Stewardship Atlas, developed through an interagency partnership. It was established through collaborative efforts between the Department of the Interior, USDA, the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
“Conservation.gov will serve as one tool to empower communities across the country to identify opportunities to further their vision for conservation,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “The Department of the Interior is proud to partner with agencies across the federal government, Tribes, private landowners and other stakeholders as we build on the nation’s best conservation traditions and ensure that we have the tools to measure and multiply these critical efforts.”
According to a news release, the atlas provides users with scientific information to empower and motivate individuals, land managers, policymakers and communities by offering insights into conservation and restoration efforts concerning land, water and wildlife. The website also features an interactive map highlighting conservation and restoration efforts by the agencies and a catalog to access the data used within the atlas.
The atlas serves as a tool for tracking progress toward the Biden administration’s goal of protecting, conserving or restoring at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. It notes that while progress has been made toward the 30% goal, with the administration conserving 41 million acres since 2021, it has yet to achieve the mark. It also highlights current conservation efforts, which have resulted in approximately one-third of U.S. marine areas being conserved.
The Public Lands Council (PLC) in its Weekly Roundup newsletter expressed apprehension over the administration’s narrow focus on projects funded directly by them as the sole criteria for defining “conserved” or “preserved” areas, disregarding the extensive history of land stewardship by producers both on public and private lands.
“While PLC’s request to include private lands under conservation programs was included, there seems to be little recognition that grazing and range improvements on federal land mean the land is conserved,” PLC wrote.
PLC said that while the atlas effectively integrates GIS data, it primarily consolidates federal programs without yielding substantial new insights.
PLC encourages producers to share their thoughts or concerns at info@publiclandscouncil.org. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
