30 x 30: A Plan For Climate Change
In the first few weeks of office, President Biden created an executive order to conserve 30% of all US lands and waters by 2030. This ambitious goal is part of the new administration’s strategy to combat climate change and the great news is it is backed by science!
Conserving land helps protect biodiversity, ensures clean drinking water, healthy foods, protects against natural disasters, and fortifies natural solutions that help against climate change. Dense forests, wetlands and oceans all act as carbon sinks, storing more carbon than they release into the atmosphere. By protecting these types of ecosystems, it offers a hopeful future for plants, animals, and people.
Red Legged Tree Frog. Photo: Dal Neitzel
Biodiversity loss is a profound impact of climate change (among others). The delicate interplay of population growth, increasing temperatures, and habitat destruction have resulted in the loss of many species and this extinction rate is increasing at an alarming rate. According to the 2020 Living Planet Report, “population sizes of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles have seen an alarming drop of 68% since 1970.” For species to thrive they need a healthy habitat, which can be achieved through conservation.
Beautiful fields of a private conservation easement
Currently only about 12% of all US land is conservation protected. Land trusts, like the Lummi Island Heritage Trust, are poised to be a great asset to help reach this goal. Community based conservation enables everyday people to feel empowered against climate change. Most of the rich, biodiverse land across the US is privately owned by individuals, companies, and tribal nations. Placing private lands into a conservation easement, prevents future development and increases the amount of land preserved and protected forever. On Lummi Island we have 1,095 acres of conservation land, 707 of which are private conservation easements and 388 are LIHT owned nature preserves. We are making progress towards the bold 30x30 initiative, but there is much to still be done.
