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The lands and waters of America shape and nurture us every day with the air, water, and inspiration they provide. But our wild places are threatened as never before. Every 30 seconds America loses a football field of nature, while the climate crisis continues unabated. Communities across the country are working to protect their iconic natural places, coming together with the Biden administration to support the bold goal of protecting 30% of America’s land and waters by 2030.
To reach the 30x30 goal, we must support the people and communities who are working tirelessly to protect places that matter. That’s why the Center for Western Priorities is launching Road to 30: Postcards—a multimedia series telling the stories of everyday Americans and the places they want to conserve for future generations. There are so many amazing places that reflect the beauty, history, and diverse cultural heritage of our nation that can be part of reaching the 30x30 goal. Watch a trailer of the series here.
We are proud to showcase short films, podcasts, and stories highlighting people working to protect the places they care about, including the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, the Castner Range national monument proposal in Texas, the family-owned and managed Fetcher Ranch in Colorado, and the national trails system. Protecting landscapes across the country will not only maintain our beloved public lands and natural areas, it will also benefit public health, increase access to the outdoors, and boost local economies.
So enjoy these stories of iconic places that deserve to be conserved, told in documentary style short films, podcast episodes, digital interactives, blogs, virtual panel discussions, and more. More postcards are on the way, so check back soon!
Interior to hold "incredibly reckless" offshore lease sale today
The Biden administration will offer leases to oil and gas companies on 80 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico today, an area larger than the state of New Mexico. The sale is taking place just days after the administration pledged a renewed commitment to climate leadership at the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, and only two days after proposing a 20-year ban on oil and gas drilling near New Mexico's Chaco Culture National Historical Park. CWP's deputy director Aaron Weiss told the Washington Post's Climate 202, “As predicted, this is a carbon bomb in the Gulf—leasing off another 1.7 million offshore acres dwarfs the size of any newly-protected acres that the Biden administration is looking toward in places like Chaco Canyon.”
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In addition to being living cultural landscapes, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase [national monuments] are home to extensive and irreplaceable fossil sites and treasured natural resources throughout. These places exemplify the very intent of the Antiquities Act and are among the best examples of lands that national monuments were designed to protect. We’re thankful that protections have finally been restored for these priceless cultural, historic, and natural treasures."
