The environmental community last year welcomed President Joe Biden setting a goal of conserving 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030, even as critics on the right denounced the initiative as a federal land grab.
Administration officials working to deliver on the president’s target now find themselves working to allay concerns among rural residents that they could face heavy-handed mandates, even as some environmental groups push for a more aggressive approach.
All sides agree that much hangs on how the administration defines which lands and waters count toward the “30×30” goal, which is intended to preserve natural areas, protect threatened wildlife species and help address climate change.
