Rewilding Institute Comments on NYDEC Draft 30×30 Plan

Adirondacks, NY © Pixabay

Across the globe, policymakers and scientists have finally come to recognize that saving wild, undeveloped places is essential to address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. This shift has been taking shape as the 30×30 strategy, which aims to protect 30 percent of the world’s land and water by 2030.

The Rewilding Institute applauds this goal, including its inclusion in the Biden Administration’s climate plans. We also believe that 30×30 should be seen as a critical step toward the even more imperative and scientifically supported “Half Earth” goal: safeguarding 50 percent of natural areas by 2050.

Several U.S. states have passed legislation to protect lands and waters and achieve 30×30. This summer, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation issued a draft plan with several strategies. The Rewilding Institute commented on the plan and how to ensure that efforts actually result in the durable protection and connection of wild areas.  Read our comment letter here.

Nadia Steinzor

Nadia Steinzor is an environmental consultant with 25 years of experience in policy analysis, research, writing, and communications. She has developed and managed projects to investigate the oil and gas industry’s impact on the climate and communities, secure governmental protections for air, water, land, and wildlife, and engage the public in advocacy efforts. Nadia works with the Rewilding Institute to ensure that wolves and other carnivores thrive and roam in the Northeast and beyond. Nadia holds an M.S. in environmental policy from the Bard College Center for Environmental Policy.