Hunt Fish 30x30

In January 2021, President Biden signed an executive order that, in part, established a goal of conserving 30% of the nation’s lands and waters by the year 2030. Branded “30 by 30,” the vision is to conserve natural areas and protect biodiversity. There have been concerns that a strict focus on preservation of natural areas through any 30 by 30 plans would limit recreational access, halt active habitat restoration, or create burdensome restrictions for private landowners. 

As the 30 by 30 concept has gathered momentum, the Boone and Crockett Club joined the Hunt Fish 30x30 coalition, led by our partners at the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, to ensure that the vision does not lose focus on the tremendous conservation successes and lessons learned over more than a century. The Club and coalition partners expressed concern to the Administration that any 30 by 30 efforts shouldn’t focus on preservation and should instead ensure that collaborative conservation is the center point.

The Biden Administration’s Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful report guiding implementation of the 30 by 30 vision (what it refers to as the America the Beautiful initiative) was released on May 6, 2021. In the report, the Administration explicitly notes the difference between conservation and preservation and embraced the philosophy of conservation as the framework that will be most effective to accomplish the goal. The plan’s eight principles emphasize the importance of collaborative, locally led conservation efforts that honor private property rights and encourage an approach that uses science to build on existing successful strategies. In addition, the recommendations include six areas of early focus that support voluntary conservation efforts, embrace programs that are showing results on the ground, and promote outdoor recreational access. 

While the America the Beautiful initiative incorporates many of the priorities advocated by the hunting conservation community, the Boone and Crockett Club and our partners intend to be actively engaged to ensure that conservation remains the foundation for achieving 30 by 30 goals. We will continue to update this landing page as new 30 by 30 policies and programs develop.