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Farm Bureau wants details of Biden’s 30×30 conservation plan

The American Farm Bureau Federation wants the Biden administration to provide more clarity about its 30-by-30 conservation plan. 

Farm Bureau’s Ryan Yates tells Brownfield very little detail has been released since President Biden announced the initiative by executive order in January. “There’s been a lot of discussion and questions coming from the countryside about what does that mean, and what would be included in the federal government’s efforts to conserve 30% of America’s lands and waters.”

Yates says so far, there are no details about how the government would move forward. “The executive order was signed back in January. The Interior Department has been working on a report, which we are expecting to be sent up to the White House any day now, so we are eagerly awaiting that report and to learn more about what is in and what is out.”

Yates says AFBF President Zippy Duvall sent a letter to President Biden asking for the details and for the ability to let the public to comment on the plan.  Farm Bureau also wants the government to recognize the conservation work already done by the people in agriculture. “Today, we have over 140 million acres of private land already enrolled in some sort of federal or non-federal conservation program, in addition to the 800-million acres of land that resides in the federal and state ownership.”

Farm Bureau says the federal government already has about 28% of U.S. land in federal ownership, plus states own another 8%.