As an alternative to President Joe Biden’s 30×30 plan, the Senate and Congressional Western Caucuses unveiled a report supporting a holistic approach for locally led conservation, active land and water management, and multiple use.
In a joint statement, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04) and Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) called the recommendations in the Western Conservation Principles report “real conservation outcomes for our lands and waters.” They further stated the report contrasts with the Biden administration’s “preservationist” approach of “locking up” public lands to keep them untouched.
The report states while the Biden administration has since renamed the 30×30 plan to the America the Beautiful initiative, the issue remains ambiguous as to what is defined as “conservation status,” and what percentage of lands and waters meets the 30 percent status. “These factors combined make the America the Beautiful initiative ring hollow,” the report states.
In May, the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce released the report, titled “Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful,” which laid out a broad vision, outlining the goal of conserving 30 percent of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030.
“It’s this lack of information surrounding the 30×30 initiative that’s left many Westerners very concerned that this was just a way to lock up more land,” Daines said in a video announcement.
The 10-year approach posed in the Caucus report focuses on “issues plaguing our lands and waters like invasive species; overgrown, diseased, and infested forests; and post-wildfire restoration.”
To achieve these goals, the report proposes:
• Streamlining the National Environmental Policy Act to increase active forest management.
• Controlling, preventing and eradicating harmful invasive species using recommendations from the Invasive Species Advisory Committee, established in 2016.
• Reducing the overpopulation of wild horses and burros.
• Encouraging the Environmental Protection Agency to work with stakeholders to clean up the 1,327 Superfund sites.
• Leveraging the funds available in the Great American Outdoors Act to support long-term public land infrastructure and encourage visitation to our larger and smaller national parks.
• Restoring abandoned mines and orphaned wells by removing administrative, regulatory and liability burdens that can impede critical conservation-restoration work.
• Improving the “checkerboard” land access that mixes federal and private land through better mapping of easements.
• Calling on the Biden administration to abide by the definition of conservation under the Endangered Species Act, utilizing transparent and science-based processes in listings and critical habitat determinations.
• Offering title transfers to address the rehabilitation and maintenance of federal water infrastructure.
• Eliminating the “D.C. knows best” mentality and pursuing policies that encourage healthy landscapes with “those whose livelihoods depend on them.”
The report calls on a collaborative approach to “maximize the conservation benefits
provided by activities like grazing, hunting, logging and mineral development” through the expertise of local partnerships and existing shared stewardship authorities.
Agricultural, mining and logging organizations supported the report, while some environmental groups gave lukewarm support. Industry groups called the report a “commonsense approach” to conservation and working landscapes.
“The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) strongly supports the Western Conservation Principles outlined by the Senate and Western Caucuses,” said Chase Adams, ASI senior policy and information director, in a statement. “The commonsense recommendations provide a needed and beneficial framework for the president’s 30×30 initiative and recognize the role of all stakeholders in preserving our nation’s public lands through multiple use.”
Executive Director of Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Natural Resources Kaitlynn Glover welcomed the report and thanked the Caucus for their approach to conservation.
“Good land management practices—especially grazing—have led to strong, healthy ecosystems,” said Glover. “Continued support, recognition and encouragement for these time-honored practices are essential for accomplishing large-scale conservation on our public lands.”
Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, praised Daines for the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act and its mission to expand collaboration for restoring public lands. Regarding the report, O’Mara said, “While we may not agree on every strategy, we look forward to working together with the Western Caucus to achieve this important conservation goal.”
Tom Cors, director of government relations for lands at The Nature Conservancy, welcomed the report, saying many of these themes are also highlighted in the Biden administration’s America the Beautiful initiative.
“We look forward to working with the administration, the Western Caucus and partners across the nation in advancing these concepts and broadening the nation’s public and private investments in conservation,” Cors said in a statement.
Kathleen Sgamma, president of Western Energy Alliance, said the report “strikes the right balance” for public lands as the Biden administration focuses solely on preservation.
“The direction of the Biden 30×30 initiative is not the right course for the West, where many communities, including otherwise disadvantaged communities, depend on responsible productive uses of public lands,” Sgamma said in a statement.
“Not only is oil and natural gas development part of that balance, but is the largest source of funding for conservation on public lands. With over 30 percent of America already protected as federal or state public lands, the Western Caucus principles focus on better management and conservation rather than perpetual federal acquisition.” — Charles Wallace, WLJ editor
