September 21-23, 2023 BlueRibbon Coalition Executive Director, Ben Burr, Policy Director, Simone Griffin and board member Mark Maynard attended the Stop 30X30 summit held in Dallas Texas by the American Stewards of Liberty. Attendees gathered to learn and collaborate on how 30X30 is being implemented now throughout our nation, future plans and ways we can collaboratively combat this massive land grab.
Attending the event was a huge success because we were able to connect with elected officials, media, non-profits and private citizens in order to grow the work that BRC is doing. BlueRibbon Coalition has made fighting the 30X30 agenda a top priority. BRC staff and Mark Maynard were able to network with former agency officials on scaling the work to fight back at a larger capacity. Through interviews and discussions BRC walked away from the event educating many people and organizations on the work that is being done and still needs to be done.
30X30 is an initiative from the Biden Administration to conserve 30% of our nations lands and waters by the year 2030. It is also known as, America the Beautiful. There is currently no law that requires agencies to move forward, Congress has never acted on the 30X30 proposal. Another issue is how poorly defined the initiative is. There is nothing that states how the 30% will be conserved whether its through designated Wilderness, national monuments, Areas of Critical Environmental Concerns, wilderness characteristics or other tools agencies and the administrative have to issue restrictive management mandates and designations.
There has been a huge push from the current administration to designate more national monuments, and create areas that are off-limits to multiple use. We have seen this through specific planning proposals on public lands, travel management, national monuments as well as the proposed BLM rule that will allow conservation leasing. All of these pathways agencies have to manage areas restrictively are part of the greater picture. BRC is leading the fight through the following plans that are a sample of some of the work we are doing:
- Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments lawsuit
- Wilderness bills such as the Owyhee Wilderness and Wild Rogue Wilderness and many others
- Travel management: Labyrinth Rims/Gemini Bridges, Canyonlands East and West, Black Canyon Corridor and Table Mesa and Logandale
- Rock Springs Resource Management Plan
- Pinnacles, Salida and Leadville camping plans
- Lake Powell and Lake Mead
- OSV plans such as Kaniksu and Kootenai
- Forest Management Plans: Lolo, Ashley, Manti-La Sal
Unfortunately, the administration is not letting up on pushing through public land policy that will be restrictive in nature. The plans will only continue to come, and BRC is prepared to engage in and protect access. Not only is this transpiring through public lands but there are also pathways to acquire private property in the name of “conservation” such as conservation easements and critical habitats. People’s private property is now becoming up for grabs for the federal government to control.
Executive Director, Ben Burr was able to present on a panel to the attendees about BlueRibbon Coalition, our user base and the fights we are currently in. BRC will continue to engage on the issues that appear that are in conjunction with this 30X30 agenda.
BRC has positioned itself to go the distance through the public land proposals that will keep you, the user from accessing our public lands. Now more than ever we need those who support our mission and want to fight 30X30 to engage on this fight by becoming a member, submitting comments and staying vigilant to defend our ground.
