The U.S. Interior Dept. today published the report on “Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful,” which was transmitted to the White House National Climate Task Force last week as directed by Sec. 216(a) of President Biden’s Jan. 27 Executive Order on “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.”
The report recommends 8 key principles to guide the effort and 6 preliminary, non-exhaustive recommendations for early focus (see respective lists below), and recommends that federal agencies (1) establish formal and informal venues for external engagement, including through tribal consultations and public comment opportunities, and (2) explore the creation of advisory councils, intergovernmental working groups, and other potential engagement mechanisms.
As to measuring progress, the report recommends that the administration establish an interagency working group to gather public and stakeholder input for the development of an “American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas” that collects baseline information on the amount and types of lands and waters that are being managed for conservation and restoration purposes.
Specific recommendations include NOAA expansion of the National Marine Sanctuaries System (noting efforts underway and proposed), expansion of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, expansion of NOAA Restoration Center’s work to conserve and restore habitat, and application of fishery management authorities like gear-based restrictions and habitat-based measures (including through NOAA working closely with regional fishery management councils to identify areas or networks of areas where their efforts would support long-term conservation goals). The report also calls on the administration to prioritize management planning that identifies lands and waters that are appropriate to be conserved and managed for outdoor recreation, adding that ongoing ocean mapping efforts “will be important to managing for sustainable uses and should be continued.”
The report, which is referenced as a “first step,” among other things notes that the U.S. has already established marine protected areas in ~25% of the nation’s waters, and states that “[b]y supporting and accounting for existing and future conservation of public lands and waters, as well as collaborative and voluntary conservation efforts on working lands, Tribal lands, and State, local, and private lands,” the country is “well positioned” to achieve the 30×30 goal. At the same time, it also referenced input from stakeholders that “many of the nation’s marine protected areas are located in the Western Pacific,” further stating that marine conservation efforts “should reflect regional priorities and seek to achieve balanced stewardship across U.S. ocean areas.”
In addressing stakeholder input to date, the report in part noted an “emphasis on the importance of science in guiding good land and ocean management decisions” and the “value, breadth, and effectiveness of many existing conservation tools.” Additionally, the report noted divergent input on how to define “conservation” and measure progress toward goal achievement, and noted concerns communicated about the impact of conservation on human use activities, which the report called “important considerations that underscore the value of making balanced land and ocean management decisions through public processes that are informed by the best available scientific information and accurate maps.”
As to science, among other things the report notes that conservation is most successful when grounded in best available science and informed by top scientists and subject matter experts, states that transparent and accessible information will help further understanding and build trust, and calls for recognizing the “science-based approaches of fishery managers.”
Additionally, the report notes that data “should not be the sole guide or measure of success,” stating that the federal government has “caused pain” along the way in its previous conservation efforts and that this initiative “can and must strive to honor the needs and priorities of all communities in America, help address the climate crisis, and help to strengthen the foundation of the nation’s economy.”
The report cites drivers for action including the amount of wildlife species in need of conservation, disappearance of pollinators, bird population declines, coral loss, declines in riparian ecosystems, wetlands, ranchland, and farmland, climate change (including warmer ocean temperatures, sea level rise, ocean acidification and deoxygenation, droughts and floods, wildfires, and invasive species), and inaccessibility to nature’s benefits for communities of color and low-income communities.
The report says that the next update due at the end of 2021 should include progress on areas of collaboration, assessment of land-cover changes, and review of fish and wildlife habitat and population conditions.
The report also includes a letter from Interior Sec. Deb Haaland, Agriculture Sec. Tom Vilsack, Commerce Sec. Gina Raimondo, and Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory which states in part that the 30×30 effort is a “challenge [that] 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.” They added that “[w]here this path leads over the next decade will be determined not by our agencies, but by the ideas and leadership of local communities,” stating that “[i]t 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.”
In announcing the report’s release, DOI noted a series of actions that the administration has already taken to “support outdoor recreation and equitable access to the outdoors,” including NOAA’s recent expansion of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
Recommended Principles
- Pursue a Collaborative and Inclusive Approach to Conservation
- Conserve America’s Lands and Waters for the Benefit of All People
- Supporting Locally Led and Locally Designed Conservation Efforts
- Honor Tribal Sovereignty and Support the Priorities of Tribal Nations
- Pursue Conservation and Restoration Approaches that Create Jobs and Support Healthy Communities
- Honor Private Property Rights and Support the Voluntary Stewardship Efforts of Private Landowners and Fishers
- Use Science as a Guide
- Build on Existing Tools and Strategies with an Emphasis on Flexibility and Adaptive Approaches
Recommendations for Early Focus
- Create More Parks and Safe Outdoor Opportunities in Nature-Deprived Communities
- Support Tribally Led Conservation and Restoration Priorities
- Expand Collaborative Conservation of Fish and Wildlife Habitats and Corridors
- Increase Access for Outdoor Recreation
- Incentivize and Reward the Voluntary Conservation Efforts of Fishers, Ranchers, Farmers, and Forest Owners
- Create Jobs by Investing in Restoration and Resilience
