President Joe Biden's 30x30 plan has successfully conserved 24 million acres of land over the past three years, with an addition of 12.5 million acres to Federal lands in 2023 alone. A recent article from the American Stewards of Liberty (ASL) reveals that Biden has also increased his conservation spending, allotting $18 billion to conservation projects.
According to a report by ASL, an analysis from the Center for American Progress (CAP) indicates that the Biden administration has expanded land conservation efforts. These efforts have been achieved either by extending surrounding areas to lands previously owned by the Federal government or by establishing new Federal monuments. The conservation additions in 2023 alone include Avi Kwa Arne National Monument in Nevada, the Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona, among others. These additions are a result of Biden’s 30x30 plan, which aims to preserve 30 percent of U.S. lands and oceans by the year 2030.
The CAP analysis commends Biden for his use of national monument designation, recognizing him for designating five new national monuments and restoring two that were previously revoked. CAP stated that if President Biden adds another 215,000 acres under the Antiquities Act of 1906, he would "set the record of monument protection by acreage among recent presidents."
ASL noted that "conservation spending" has seen an increase under President Biden's administration with $18 billion allocated for land conservation across various levels of government. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the Inflation Reduction Act, which earmarks $1.7 billion in grants for climate-smart agriculture and conservation.
However, ASL voiced criticism towards these expenditures, particularly targeting the Inflation Reduction Act. They claimed that this Act functions more as a substantial political fund rather than an effort to address climate change. ASL raised concerns over the Act's potential implications, highlighting its criticism of allowing federal influence on private property, which could result in future land use restrictions. The article argued that the Biden Administration's initiative was perceived as primarily motivated by political considerations and financial interests.
ASL, as described on its website, is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting private property rights and the corresponding freedoms associated with those rights. The organization is interested in policies that could impede the ability of Americans to produce resources. ASL is also involved with the environmental movement and favors individual land use decisions as opposed to relying solely on administrative state decisions.
