U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Lands, said he opposes President Joe Biden's 30x30 initiative, saying he instead supports a "sunset clause," which would mean the federal government shouldn't simply be able grab land that could be put to commercial use.
“The Biden administration shouldn’t be locking up land and then throwing away the key," Tiffany told Federal Newswire. "Instead of the Biden administration’s ill-advised 30x30 plan, Congress must pursue innovative pro-growth solutions that responsibly expedite regulatory processes, reduce frivolous litigation, restore scientifically sound management and remove arbitrary barriers blocking access to our federal lands and forests. A sunset clause in an agreed time frame could be a good idea, because forever is a long time.”
According to a report by the RV Industry Association, the 30x30 plan aims to preserve at least 30% of lands and waters by 2030. The initiative is a component of a broader movement by the Biden administration to increase environmental safeguards and protect natural habitats. Biden signed an executive order shortly after taking office in 2021, which instructed the Department of the Interior to put the plan into practice.
The administration is pushing for conservation easements that expand government ownership, forcing permanent conservation of land while giving landowners a one-time tax deduction. That would require landowners to surrender development and give the government the power to place restrictions on the land, according to Federal Newswire.
Instead of permanent provisions, however, property rights activists advocate limiting federal easements on private property to 30 years, a so-called "sunset" clause to preserve landowners' rights at the state level, preventing permanent federal conservation efforts and allowing future generations to adapt conservation priorities.
Groups like the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) have expressed skepticism about the government's understanding of the roughly 640 million acres of land it owns.
"It must be difficult -- nay, impossible -- to manage property officials don’t know they have, or for which there is no government purpose," Greg Walcher, president of the Natural Resources Group, told Federal Newswire.
Officials like Tiffany have questioned the location and condition of properties, their respective uses and who would manage them.
The American Stewards of Liberty has raised concerns about the potential targeting of private land by the initiative. A report from the Center for American Progress, titled "How Much Nature Should America Keep," said that the government should do more with what it already has.
"The United States will not reach a 30x30 goal, unless policymakers do more to help farmers, ranchers, fishermen and other private landowners conserve lands, waters and wildlife," the report said. The report also highlighted the Wyoming Acquisition, where the federal government reportedly claimed more than 35,000 acres of land without the consent of the Wyoming governor.
The American Stewards of Liberty quoted former President John Adams: “Private property must be secured or liberty cannot exist.”
