Spotlighting the Work to Conserve 30% of Lands and Waters by 2030
News and Updates
Secretary of the Interior Deb�Haaland, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory, and U.S. Representative Jared Huffman�traveled to Redwood National and State Parks, where they met with community leaders who are forging collaborative, locally led partnerships to conserve and restore California�s Redwood forests and increase climate resiliency.
 The trio�met with members of the Yurok Tribe, the National Park Service, and California Department of Parks and Recreation to tour a forest site in use by Redwoods Rising, a partnership between Redwood National and State Parks and Save the Redwoods League. The partnership aims to thin thousands of acres of overstocked, logged over lands within the parks to accelerate old-growth characteristics the parks are known for. The effort will also remo,�putting�the landscape�on a trajectory towards old-growth conditions�that will be resilient in the face of future�threats from�climate change, including�wildland fire.
The Bureau of Land Management announced the acquisition of two parcels of land near�the�Cougar Bay area in Idaho from The Nature Conservancy, securing public access into the future and preserving the area from development.�Acquisition of the 88-acre parcels improves the connectivity of public lands in Cougar Bay to the adjacent 155-acre John C.�Pointner�Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary.�Cougar Bay, located on the west side of Lake Coeur d�Alene, remains mostly undeveloped, offering diverse wildlife habitat including wetlands and rich, conifer forests.
Lake Coeur d'Alene
Cougar Bay has become a popular destination to explore the area�s wetlands, lakeshore, and forested hillsides. Through the acquisition, the BLM will acquire an additional mile of hiking trails and formal public access to nearly a mile of the lakeshore.�The acquisition comes at a time when�over 80%�of the lake shore�is now privately owned, and preserving public access is more important than ever. T�
Deputy Secretary�Tommy�Beaudreau�toured Theodore Roosevelt National Park�in North Dakota�where he�participated in a roundtable with National Park Service staff, local government officials, and area stakeholders. Deputy Secretary Beaudreau highlighted how the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) is making significant investments in park infrastructure, creating jobs, and supporting local economies.�
 Theodore Roosevelt National Park received $38.3 million in FY2021 GAOA funding to evaluate and address multiple major roadway failure points, drainage systems, road base rebuild, and asphalt resurfacing along the South Unit's scenic loop drive, which has been inaccessible to any vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian traffic since the summer of 2019 following a series of slides that have continued to degrade the roadway. Prior to the road closing, approximately 85 percent of the South Unit�s visitors traveled the loop road as part of the experience in the park. This investment will support roughly 500 jobs and contribute $105.4 million to the nation�s economy.�
Iowa Confluence Water Trails�(ICON)�is�a unique project that seeks�to�connect 80+ improvements across 150 miles of rivers and creeks in Central Iowa. Initiated by the Central Iowa Water Trails Consortium, including Capital Crossroads, Catch Des Moines, the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, Des Moines Area MPO, Greater Des Moines Partnership,�and the Great Outdoors Foundation, ICON represents a new�community-driven�commitment to water safety and conservation as well as a concerted effort to drive economic development, visitor attraction and workforce retention.�
 The project leverages relationships, partnerships and collaborations from throughout the state with�the goal�of expanding accessibility to a wider spectrum of locals and visitors�for an array of activities including paddling,�fishing, birdwatching, hiking and biking along the water.�
 Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order Wednesday that calls for 30 percent of New Mexico�s public lands to be protected by 2030, putting the state in line with a larger federal conservation effort.
The order directs a half-dozen state agencies to coalesce behind the �30 by 30� plan by establishing programs that conserve, protect and enhance public lands for a variety of uses. An additional 20 percent will be designated as climate stabilization areas.
The state will form a committee, representing diverse stakeholders, to look at areas that should be conserved to avoid watershed degradation, meet climate goals and protect both wildlife habitat and migration corridors.
�There is no future without maintaining our watersheds, our land, our forests, and doing that in a way that is responsible and that will last for generations to come,� Lujan Grisham said before signing the order outside the Roundhouse.
A broad coalition applauded the order, including environmentalists, tribal leaders, local governments and outdoor recreation advocates.
The directive aligns with President Joe Biden�s �America the Beautiful� initiative that seeks to conserve and restore 30 percent of the country�s lands by 2030.
###
|
