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The goal to protect 30% of America's lands and waters by 2030 is widely popular, with 77% of Westerners in support of the ambitious conservation target. However, a small but vocal opposition is attempting to obstruct the 30x30 initiative through a disinformation campaign. The American Stewards of Liberty, an anti-public lands extremist group, has embarked on a campaign against 30x30, working to convince county commissioners in Western states to pass resolutions against 30x30. ASL has “managed to convince this handful of county commissioners using disinformation to come out opposed rather than sit down and work,” said Aaron Weiss, Center for Western Priorities Deputy Director. “If they go in having been fed a bowl full of nonsense, that’s going to make getting to actual consensus much harder because they’ve been fed all these lies.”
After the Biden administration released the "America the Beautiful" plan last week, it's more clear than ever that the claims made by American Stewards of Liberty and other anti-public lands extremists are disingenuous. While these groups are fear-mongering about a federal land grab, the 30x30 plan involves only voluntary conservation on private lands and would result in opening up more public land for recreation access. "The truth is in the details, and it is those details that the far-right American Stewards are ignoring as they attempt to frighten and mislead Coloradans.... over and over again in the 24-page report, the many uses of private and public lands are supported, not threatened," stated the Durango Herald Editorial Board. After diving into the report, they concluded that "American Stewards is merely using this 'vision statement'... in an appeal meant to divide Americans, particularly Coloradans, to pit us against one another in an imaginary fight against an imaginary enemy."
Interior no. 2 nominee advances with overwhelming support
On Thursday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted 18-1 to advance Tommy Beaudreau for Deputy Secretary of the Interior. The panel moved Beaudreau's nomination to the full Senate for what is expected to be a straightforward confirmation.
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Starting in the Southwest and moving throughout the Western part of the United States, we're seeing a higher level of [fire] risk, and an earlier level of risk, than we've seen in the recent past... I'm hopeful that this is a safe fire season and fire year... But the reality is that we have much work to do, unfortunately.”
