Activity Report Explorer

Rio Grande Valley Broadband • Entered by Susan Ostlie on June 29, 2021

30 by 30 and Private Lands in the West

May 13, 2021

Key Issue: Climate Change
Activity Type: Grant Funded Climate Education & Stewardship Program
Key Partners: Western Landowners Alliance

Short Description of Activity

On May 13th, 2021, Western Landowners Alliance (WLA) hosted a live Zoom panel of landowners and land managers to share their perspectives on the Biden-Harris administration’s 30 by 30 initiative, a goal to conserve 30% of land and water by the year 2030. While this policy goal is still being developed, WLA is advocating to ensure that what emerges respects property rights, is good for rural communities, and improves conservation outcomes.

Panelists discussed what 30 by 30 could mean for the West, and discussed how the administration should include working lands as contributing to the goal.

The panelists:

Lesli Allison, Executive Director, Western Landowners Alliance
Tuda Crews, Rancher, Ute Creek Cattle Company, New Mexico
Jack Hanson, Rancher, Willow Creek Ranch, Lassen County, California
Kate Kelly, Deputy Chief of Staff – Policy, Department of the Interior
Brenda Richards, Rancher, Owyhee, Idaho and Coordinator of the Idaho Rangeland Conservation Partnership
Martha Williams, Acting Director, US Fish & Wildlife Service, former Director, MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Reflection/Evaluation

RECAP
Kate Kelly of the Department of the Interior summarized the recently released “Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful” report in a short presentation that focused on the principles spelled out in the report:
Pursue a Collaborative and Inclusive Approach to Conservation
Conserve America’s Lands and Waters for the Benefit of All People
Support 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
The panelists went on to press Williams and Kelly for additional details about what kinds of programs the federal government intended to use to support private stewardship. Hanson, in particular, pushed the administration officials to clarify what was meant by “locally-led.” In turn, Kelly and Williams put the question back to the panelists and indeed Western landowners generally to help the administration identify and support those local processes and decision-making bodies that work to advance effective conservation solutions that rural communities can get behind and benefit from.
This group is conservative, but at least private landowners are aware of the need for a dialogue like this. Collaboration is the name of the game, but who in the conservation community has the time and money to go to all these meetings and represent the health of both the public and private lands?