 Spotlighting the Work to Restore, Connect and Conserve 30 Percent of Lands and Waters by 2030
News and Updates
The Department of the Interior announced new steps to restore wild and healthy populations of American bison and the prairie grassland ecosystem. Through a new Secretary’s Order and over $25 million from the Inflation Reduction Act, the Department is empowering its bureaus and partners to use the best available science and Indigenous Knowledge to advance bison and grassland restoration efforts, including on federal and Tribal lands. These efforts can enhance soil development, restore native plants and wildlife, and promote carbon sequestration - providing benefits for Tribal Nations as well as for local economies through agriculture and outdoor recreation: all central focuses of the America the Beautiful initiative.
The Biden-Harris administration and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced the release of the 2023 Request for Proposals for the America the Beautiful Challengelaunched in 2022The Challenge is a partnership between the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Defense, NFWF and Native Americans in Philanthropy and makes funding more accessible to communities by offering the opportunity to apply for multiple grant programs through a single application. In 2023, the program expects to award up to $116 million in grants.
The Department of the Interior announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing a new rule to strengthen voluntary conservation opportunities under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The proposed rule would revise permitting under Section 10 of the Act to promote species conservation through voluntary agreements and make the process clearer, easier and more efficient. As the Endangered Species Act turns 50 years old in 2023, the Department is celebrating the importance of the Act in preventing the extinction of imperiled species, promoting the recovery of wildlife and conserving the habitats upon which they depend. Recently, the Department applauded a bird at the brink of extinction when it was first listed in 1984. Today, the wood stork breeding population has doubled to 10,000 or more nesting pairs and increased its range – a testament to the power of partnerships and the importance of restoration programs in Florida’s Everglades and Big Cypress ecosystems.
Robert D. McCaleb, a private landowner in Cleveland, Tennessee, worked with The Nature Conservancy, TennGreen Land Conservancy and the Open Space Institute to place an easement on his property that will conserve 620 acres of Cumberland Plateau forest. The voluntary action to ensure his land will not be subdivided and developed adds to ongoing conservation efforts in the area, which includes the Bear Hollow Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Walls of Jericho State Natural Area and South Cumberland State Park.
President Biden released his proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2024 – which includes 18.9 billion for the Interior Department, an increase of $2 billion, or 12%, over the FY 2023 enacted budget. It makes critical, targeted investments in the American people that will promote greater prosperity and economic growth for decades to come by address climate challenges and building resilience, creating jobs while continuing to move clean energy forward, and strengthening Tribal Nations.
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