WASHINGTON – A national goal to conserve land and oceans was set by Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., this week to address the growing threat of climate change.
The Udall-Bennet Thirty by Thirty Resolution to Save Nature outlines the goal of conserving at least 30% of the land and 30% of the water in U.S. territory by 2030. This resolution is in response to research done by the United Nations and a growing group of scientists who say these conservation efforts are the minimum steps necessary to fight the climate crisis, according to a news release.
“We can’t address climate change without focusing on conservation,” Bennet said in the news release. “Committing to conserving 30% of America’s lands and oceans by 2030 is exactly the kind of ambitious strategy we need to protect our wildlife and lands, and tackle this urgent crisis.”
The conservation goal will be accomplished through:
Working with federal agencies, Native American tribes, local communities and private landowners to conserve lands and natural resources under their control.Improving access to nature for all people in the U.S.Using land and oceans to sequester and store carbon, and incentivizing private landowners to sequester carbon in land with high conservation value.Preventing extinction by restoring degraded ecosystems.Increasing economic opportunities for farmers and ranchers.A slew of environmental and conservation groups, like the Sierra Club and the National Wildlife Federation, supported the resolution. Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said in a statement that the resolution underscores the urgency of conservation.
“Recovering wildlife populations and conserving public lands is the best way we can not only safeguard our outdoor heritage and strengthen our outdoor recreation economy, but also transcend political partisanship and deliver for the American people,” O’Mara said.
Mark Pearson, executive director of the San Juan Citizens Alliance, said the goal is “certainly laudable, and it would be wonderful if we could accomplish it.”
“Other countries have ambitious goals like this that they are pursuing or even have accomplished,” Pearson said. “Canada has a pretty robust agenda, it’s more like 20% that they might be close to, so they’re certainly committed to it, and there are countries like Costa Rica who are on their way to accomplishing those kinds of conservation objectives.”
Although Colorado voters are generally in support of conservation and environmental protection, Pearson said, extractive industries have a strong influence under the current administration and will likely oppose this resolution.
“Undoubtedly, we’ll see some pushback from those industries that have relied on changing our landscape pretty dramatically for the benefit of exploiting natural resources,” Pearson said.
Stan Dempsey, president of the Colorado Mining Association, expressed concern with the resolution in that Bennet did not consult with them before introducing it.
“We certainly haven’t been contacted by the senator’s office, even to introduce the topic,” Dempsey said. “It’s surprising to us because we’ve had a very good working relationship with the senator and his staff on issues, but this is the first time we’ve heard about this, so perhaps it would’ve been wise to consult with stakeholders before introducing this.”
Dempsey said he doesn’t have enough details to assess how this resolution might affect mining operations, but policy leaders should be reminded that “we don’t want to be dependent on other countries for minerals when we can mine here in the U.S.”
He is also concerned with how the senator will go about telling private landowners how to manage their lands, as that will look different from how Dempsey’s association has worked with Bennet on defining land boundaries.
“We’d be interested to hear from the senator and better understand his proposal and to realize that certainly preservation of our natural resources is a goal we all share,” Dempsey said. “But we need to keep in mind that we have the need to continue to use or develop critical minerals like coal and uranium; minerals that make our lives better.”
Ayelet Sheffey is a student at American University in Washington, D.C., and an intern for The Durango Herald.
