The Biden Administration has made climate change a key focus for the next four years. It recently outlined its conservation plan, called America the Beautiful or “30x30.”
The goal is to conserve 30 percent of U.S. lands and freshwater by 2030.
Arizona Farm Bureau president, Stefanie Smallhouse speaks with RFD-TV’s own Tammi Arender on the highlights and what is most pressing for farmers and ranchers.
According to Smallhouse, “Although it is not very detailed as to how the 30x30 vision will be achieved, it speaks very loudly to locally-led conservation which is really important but we certainly we have some concerns with it, conceptually.”
However, not everyone in ag is concerned about the plan. Delaware’s Ag Secretary sees how it will benefit the farm sector, but he admits the industry needs more details.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to protect and preserve on a voluntary basis the lands that we have across this great nation of ours. A great deal of interest now on climate change, how we’re going to treat the carbon issue, the compensation for our producers that are going to be asked to sequester that carbon, and ultimately, improve our environment, so we’re looking for the specifics,” Sec. Michael Scouse states. " Hopefully, it’s going to be a way for agriculture to do a great deal of help with some of these major issues that we’re facing right now and also, get the payments to help our producers who’ve suffered tremendously over the last years because of declining prices.”
The American the Beautiful initiative is part of an executive order signed by the President directing federal officials to develop a plan to meet these goals.
Related:
America the Beautiful: Biden’s “30x30" plan rebranded
Sen. Marshall introduces the “30x30 Termination Act”