The US state of New York has drafted a plan to advance efforts towards protecting 30% of its land and sea by 2030, saying an additional 1.2 million hectares need to be conserved to achieve this target.
Developed by the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), the document estimates that less than 22% of lands, inland waters, and ocean areas are currently protected.
The plan, which will be open for comments until the end of August, intends to expand existing programmes, such as farmland protection implementation grants and water quality improvement funds, as well as establish new initiatives supporting nature protection and restoration across urban, suburban, and rural natural areas.
“New York’s sustained leadership to invest in and advance natural climate solutions is vital to achieving both our climate goals and our efforts to conserve 30% of state lands and waters by 2030,” said DEC interim commissioner Sean Mahar.
“Public input on the draft 30×30 methodology and strategies document will help inform these efforts as New York state moves forward with planning and managing new acquisitions, conservation partnership work, and applicable policies and regulations to meet our goals.”
Under the plan, the New York government seeks to bolster state and municipal land acquisitions, already cited as “the most reliable long-term protection of forested areas from land conversion” by the 2022 New York State Climate Action Council scoping plan, which created a framework for how the state will achieve net zero emissions.
Conservation NGOs have recently urged the New York administration, led by Governor Kathy Hochul, to accelerate land purchases, with the non-profit Protect the Adirondacks calling for setting a goal of protecting at least 400,000 ha by 2030 through expanding the Forest Preserve and state parks.
IMPROVING HABITAT CONNECTIVITY
In addition to land purchases, the state will explore new measures to bolster nature conservation, including initiatives aimed at enhancing habitat connectivity.
“Conservation pathways, lands, or projects that increase habitat connectivity and ecosystem health by eliminating barriers or creating connections will collectively have a great impact on overall ecosystem health and biodiversity conservation,” said the plan.
As well, DEC plans to ramp up grant funding for non-profit organisations, counties, and municipalities to implement conservation projects, and explore the establishment of new marine protection areas (MPAs) within the ocean and Great Lakes.
State agencies and conservation partners will also provide recommendations for legislative and regulatory initiatives that have the potential to enhance long-term conservation efforts, said the plan.
While the US has yet to ratify the treaty that established the UN Convention on Biodiversity Diversity (CBD), President Joe Biden’s administration has committed to conserving 30% of national land and coastal seas by 2030 in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework target.
In Dec. 2022, Governor Hochul signed a bill that set forth New York state’s commitment to supporting the national 30×30 goal.
New York was also among the 10 US states joining the America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge, launched in April by the Biden administration with the aim of restoring and protecting 3 mln ha of wetlands and 160,000 kilometres of rivers across the country by 2030.
By Sergio Colombo – sergio@carbon-pulse.com
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