ALBANY, NY (May 6, 2021)—The Open Space Institute (OSI) today enthusiastically lauded the release of a national strategic blueprint to achieve President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s visionary goal of conserving 30 percent of our lands, waters, and ocean by 2030 in order to combat climate change, the greatest environmental crisis of our lifetime.
The strategy, encapsulated in the Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful report (accessible here) acknowledges that strategic land conservation is a critical tool and a natural solution to combating climate change.
By setting the 30 by 30 objective — the first-ever national conservation goal and a commitment that is widely supported by Americans across the country — President Biden is re-establishing the U.S. as a leader in conserving nature and restoring pride in America’s outdoor spaces. Critically, the report also promotes more equitable access to nature and supports Tribal led conservation priorities.
With the U.S. losing a football field of land to development every 30 seconds, protecting 30 percent of the nation’s land, waters, and ocean is the bare minimum needed to save nature and buffer against the worst impacts of climate change.
We look forward to supporting President Biden’s land and water conservation goals by continuing our 40-year history of protecting forests that store and capture atmospheric carbon, land that supplies clean water, and outdoor spaces that bolster the physical and mental well-being of communities.
About the Open Space Institute
The Open Space Institute protects land for clean water, public enjoyment, wildlife habitat, and to fight climate change and mitigate its effects. Founded in 1974 to protect significant landscapes in New York State, OSI has grown and partnered in the protection of 2.3 million acres in the eastern United States and southern Canada.