Friend — yesterday we reached out with the news that a major announcement is expected on Biden's 30 by 30 plan to conserve 30 percent of the lands, waters, and ocean in our country by 2030.

We're calling on a response from every LCV member right now. The 30% target is an important one. Scientists argue it's absolutely essential to getting climate change under control and preventing mass wildlife extinctions.

This is a shot — a real shot — at ensuring everyone in this country has access to green spaces, regardless of race or zip code. The problem is that Koch Brothers-backed extremist groups are already fighting the effort in swing states around the country. If their pressure campaigns go unanswered, this is never getting off the ground.

If you're in a position to respond — donate today. Even $5 is enough to make a difference — every contribution is being triple matched right now »

Right now, only 12% of US lands are permanently protected, and only about 23% of ocean areas. We're talking about doubling the amount of protected lands — working with local communities to expand and create new national, state, and city parks and other protected landscapes, and significantly expanding the ocean areas off-limits to drilling and other threats.

This could be the most significant conservation effort in US history. Already, legislatures in states like South Carolina, Hawaii, New York, California, and Maine, have plans on the table to help meet the goals in their states.

But we're also seeing fierce resistance from corporate polluters. The oil industry has already launched a retaliation campaign to block environmental action. It's based on lies — but it can't go unanswered.

I hope you've been following developments over the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments. These are areas that Trump gutted protections for. Since Trump rolled back protections for these monuments, fossils and remnants of Native American settlements have been vandalized. Graffiti has been scribbled over ancient rock art. They've been opened up to the threat of mining.

Bears Ears represents critical sacred, cultural, and natural heritage for many tribal communities. Five tribes — the Navajo, the Hopi, the Ute Mountain Ute, the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, and the Pueblo of Zuni — have led the fight to protect these sacred spaces from Big Polluters.

Last month, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited the monuments — we're pushing to make sure that Biden follows through on his commitment to restore protections for these areas as part of this ambitious new conservation effort.

Friend, it's going to take the entire movement to pull this off — I really hope we'll hear from you today. We've set a $100,000 fundraising goal before the end of May, and a group of donors has agreed to triple every contribution. We're asking:

Pitch in. Triple your impact. This fight is too important to miss, even $5 helps »

Thank you, sincerely, friend. Let's win this.

Onward,

Gene Karpinski
President
League of Conservation Voters