Farm406

farm406 36 Last January, President Biden launched the "30 x 30" by Executive Order. is initiative comes from the international community calling on all nations to permanently protect 30 percent of the world's lands and oceans by 2030 in their natural state. Proponents claim that over one million of the world's species will go extinct in the coming decades, and over one-third of America's species if the lands are not returned to nature. e organization "Center for American Progress," in their report, "How Much Nature Should America Keep?" claims that we are losing a football field of land every 30 seconds to development. at equates to approximately 3,000 acres a day or 11 million acres over ten years. Yet, they are calling on American's to "permanently protect" a total of 700 million acres in 9 short years. According to the Department of Interior, only 12 percent, or approximately 300 million acres of America's land is currently "permanently protected." ese include our National and State Parks, Wildlife Refuges, Wilderness Areas, and permanent conservation easements on private lands. To reach the 30 percent goal, they will need to protect the equivalent of one state of Nebraska every year for the next nine years, as Nebraska Governor Pete Rickes has noted. is is the largest unauthorized federal land grab our nation has ever faced. Governor Rickes, along with Montana's Governor Greg Gianforte and 13 others, sent a leer to the Biden Administration last April opposing the federal overreach and pointing out that conservation of America's lands should be le to the States and private landowners, not Washington, D.C. is is an important point given that the lands most in need of restoration are those currently managed by the federal government. Why should we give them more? While Governor Rickets has issued an Executive Order to stop 30 x 30 in Nebraska, New Mexico's Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an Executive Order calling for the conservation of 30 percent of New Mexico, plus an additional 20 percent for "climate stabilization areas." at is a total of 50 percent, beer known as the "Half-Earth" agenda launched by biologist E.O. Wilson. Our Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, one of the four Department heads on the 30 x 30 task force, clarifies that 30 x 30 is just the Administration's first step towards "Half- Earth" in an interview she gave to "Vox" last May. She said: "30 percent isn't the end … 30 percent is the beginning. It's seing a very strong foundation, and we hope [it] will build the momentum for longer-term conservation to benefit current and future generations." Selling this international agenda in America is more difficult than in other nations. Unique to us is the right every American has to own private property and be assured of its protection regardless of their financial status. In fact, 60 percent of the land in America is privately owned. is is a good thing for a society of free people who want to retain control of their government. But to those wanting to By Margaret Byfield Who Will Own MONTANA?

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