Page 6 and 7 excerpt from the report:
CONSERVING & RESTORING AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL 2021
A preliminary report to the National Climate Task Force recommending a 10-year, locally led campaign to conserve and restore the lands and waters upon which we all depend, and that bind us together as Americans.
FULL REPORT can be viewed/downloaded here: www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/report-conserving-and-restoring-america-the-beautiful-2021.pdf
As we write this, America is engaged in an all-hands-on-deck effort to defeat a deadly pandemic and tackle the climate crisis. We are proud to be a part of a team that is delivering relief to families in need, helping businesses weather the economic storm, and ensuring that millions of Americans receive vaccine shots each day.
The road to a full recovery remains steep, but President Biden is determined to lead America to new heights. He has laid out a vision and a plan for building back better that will repower America with clean energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions at home and abroad, create millions of good-paying jobs, and—importantly—conserve and restore the lands and waters that support and sustain us.
President Biden has challenged all of us as Americans to join together in pursuit of a goal of conserving at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030. The ambition of this goal reflects the urgency of the challenges we face: the need to do more to safeguard the drinking water, clean air, food supplies, and wildlife upon which we all depend; the need to fight climate change with the natural solutions that our forests, agricultural lands, and the ocean provide; and the need to give every child in America the chance to experience the wonders of nature.
The President’s national conservation goal also provides an opportunity to better honor and support the people and communities who serve as stewards of our lands and waters. Rather than simply measuring conservation progress by national parks, wilderness lands, and marine protected areas in the care of the government, the President’s vision recognizes and celebrates the voluntary conservation efforts of farmers, ranchers, and forest owners; the leadership of sovereign Tribal Nations in caring for lands, waters, and wildlife; the contributions and stewardship traditions of America’s hunters, anglers, and fishing communities; and the vital importance of investing in playgrounds, trails, and open space in park-deprived communities. The President’s challenge is a call to action to support locally led conservation and restoration efforts of all kinds and all over America, wherever communities wish to safeguard the lands and waters they know and love. Doing so will not only protect our lands and waters but also boost our economy and support jobs nationwide.
The central recommendation of this report, which we submit to the National Climate Task Force, is that the pursuit of a decade-long national conservation effort be faithful to eight core principles. These principles—which include a commitment to collaboration, support for voluntary and locally led conservation, and honoring of Tribal sovereignty and private property rights—are essential ingredients to building and maintaining broad support, enthusiasm, and trust for this effort. These principles are also indispensable to achieving durable outcomes that meaningfully improve the lives of Americans.
This report is only the starting point on the path to fulfilling the conservation vision that President Biden has outlined. Where this path leads over the next decade will be determined not by our agencies, but by the ideas and leadership of local communities. It is our job to listen, learn, and provide support along the way to help strengthen economies and pass on healthy lands, waters, and wildlife for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior
Thomas J. Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture
Gina M. Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce
Brenda Mallory, Chair, Council on Environmental Quality