The United States Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture are joining the Western Governors Association (WGA) to launch a conservation task force.
The Departments announced the collaborative effort Feb. 3 in a press release. According to the release, the task force is being launched to better manage natural resources and face the environmental problems Western states face.
“As Western communities grapple with environmental challenges exacerbated by climate change, such as increasing drought and more frequent and intense wildfires, bolstering effective collaboration between the federal government, states and territories to respond to these issues is imperative,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in the release.
The task force will help implement existing conservation programs that address the unique needs of Western states and apply funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law toward wildlife restoration, wildland fire resistance and drought mitigation, the release stated.
“Growing up in the high desert of New Mexico, I am no stranger to water scarcity, threats of wildfire and relying on the land," said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. "As climate change intensifies these environmental challenges, we have a unique opportunity to collaborate with our Western partners and advance our shared priorities, including implementing President Biden’s infrastructure investments to bolster communities’ resilience against more extreme weather.”
Western Governors appreciate the value of cross-boundary coordination between federal, state, local, Tribal and private landowners on issues like wildfire mitigation, invasive species control, and habitat restoration, said Jim Ogsbury, executive director of the WGA.
“This is an important milestone in strengthening collaboration between Western states and the federal government and builds on efforts like the USDA-WGA Shared Stewardship Agreement,” he added.
The USDA-WGA Shared Stewardship Agreement is a 2018 partnership between the USDA and the WGA to jointly supervise forests to prevent and/or mitigate fires, according to the memorandum, which was signed by the governors of Hawaii and North Dakota.
The task force will also contribute to a conservation atlas, which is part of the 'America the Beautiful' initiative, the release stated.
