The U.S. Interior Dept. today announced that it was joining land managers from other nations in signing the Protected and Conserved Areas Joint Statement on Climate Change and Biodiversity Crises, which was submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change COP26 and the Convention on Biological Diversity. U.S. signatories include NOAA, the Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and the Forest Service.
Among other things, the Joint Statement says that “[o]ur family of Protected and Conserved Areas are the foundation that 30×30 will build on” and that such areas “need to be governed and managed effectively and equitably” and “recognized as part of land-use and marine spatial planning and decision-making to play their role effectively.” Commitments include championing “a shared view of the role Protected and Conserved Areas can play in the 21st century, and beyond” and leading efforts to achieve “net zero operations and carbon-rich, biodiverse, and resilient landscapes.”
Interior Sec. Deb Haaland called protected and conserved areas “special places that connect all of us to nature and help ensure that our lands and waters will be available for generations to come,” adding that “[t]ogether as an international community of protected areas, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, serve as core sites and landscape partners in biodiversity preservation, promote climate-informed solutions, and share knowledge and inspiration with visitors and stakeholders.”
DOI also said that the Joint Statement “aligns” with the administration’s initiative to conserve and restore at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030, stating that both efforts “recognize that the challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, and inequitable access to the outdoors pose grave risks to nature and people” and that “[t]ackling these challenges with our global partners demonstrates a commitment to the health, well-being and prosperity of the world.”
