Collaborative local conservation efforts in Montana show the way forward for protecting 30 percent of America by 2030
Montana Wildlife Federation and Montana Artemis Sportswomen Alliance discuss local conservation success stories as a road map for reaching the bold 30x30 goal
The Center for Western Priorities held its fourth stop on the Road to 30 virtual tour of states across the West, emphasizing the importance of a bold proposal to protect 30 percent of America’s lands and water by 2030, known as the 30x30 initiative. The fourth event was co-hosted by Montana Wildlife Federation (MWF) and moderated by Jennifer Rokala, Executive Director of the Center for Western Priorities, and featured Frank Szollosi, Executive Director of MWF, Rachelle Schrute with Montana Artemis Alliance, a sportswomen and conservation organization, and Nick Gevock, MWF’s Conservation Director. The virtual event highlighted how Montanans have been leading the way on effective local conservation efforts for decades and focused on wildlife corridors, the role of sportswomen and men in protecting access to public lands and waters for hunting and fishing, the impact of climate change on Montana’s ecosystems, and how the 30x30 initiative can play a positive role in these efforts.
Recent polling by the Center for Western Priorities shows that 75 percent of voters in five key Western states — AZ, CO, MT, NM, and NV — support setting a national goal to conserve 30 percent of America’s lands and ocean areas by 2030 to help protect wildlife and open spaces for future generations, with majority support across party lines for the ambitious conservation goal. In Montana specifically, 74 percent of voters said they supported setting a national goal to conserve 30 percent of lands and ocean by the end of the decade.
Highlights from the speakers at the Montana event are shared below:
Frank Szollosi, Executive Director of Montana Wildlife Federation: “When you save wildlife, you save yourself. Since 1936 that has been the mission of the Montana Wildlife Federation. The 30x30 initiative syncs up nicely with what we do: We work to protect Montana’s fish, wildlife, wild lands, and public access to the outdoors. We must continue to push forward with restoration efforts in Montana for fishing habitat to increase the resiliency of wildlife species. Everyone has a hand in it.”
Rachelle Schrute, Co-lead of Montana Artemis Alliance: “As a born and raised Montanan, I am intimately familiar with the value of the wild places we are fortunate to call home. Conservation efforts are critical to preserving our lands, waters, heritage, and traditions. As hunters and anglers, we have a specific responsibility to ensure these places are protected. These are more than just our outdoor playgrounds; they are the lands and waters which sustain our wildlife populations and feed our families. Conservation efforts on all lands and waterways, both public and private, are critical to the success of preserving our environmental stability moving forward. It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to do our part in ensuring we protect nature in order to sustain our lives and livelihoods. To be ethical sportswomen, we must first be conservationists. The goal of 30 percent protection is a big one, but it is vital to the health of ourselves, our wildlife populations, and our planet.”
Nick Gevock, Conservation Director of Montana Wildlife Federation: “In Montana we’ve seen an incredible conservation success story with the recovery of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems, and that recovery continues today as grizzlies expand in numbers and geographic area. With that expansion comes new challenges as grizzlies move into mountain valleys with farms, ranches and communities, and we know that building social tolerance by reducing conflicts with livestock and people will be essential to future success with grizzlies. Private lands are especially important for conservation and wildlife movement, and a necessary element of the 30x30 goal’s bold vision to protect biodiversity and sustain healthy wildlife populations. By working hand-in-hand with farmers, ranchers and communities we can move forward toward protecting more access to land and water for the people who live and work in these areas and have more grizzlies on the landscape.”
Jennifer Rokala, Executive Director of the Center for Western Priorities: “Scientists have urged us to protect at least 30 percent of our planet’s land and water resources as a necessary step to prevent the unraveling of the ecosystems that support all life on this planet. The Center for Western Priorities asked voters in five Western swing states about the 30 by 30 goal in our Winning the West poll this spring, and there was a bipartisan consensus in favor of it. In Montana specifically, 74 percent of voters said they supported setting a national goal to conserve 30 percent of lands and ocean by the end of the decade. Despite the administration’s best attempts to roll back conservation protections, there is strong bipartisan support from voters in the West to conserve our public lands for future generations, a critical step towards reaching this bold 30 by 30 goal.”
A video recording of this event is available on RoadTo30.org. To learn more, check out our video explaining the 30x30 initiative, featuring National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Enric Sala and U.S. Senator Tom Udall.
Coinciding with the Road to 30 virtual tour, the Center for Western Priorities has published a series of explainer blogs and interactive story maps delving into the important conservation roles played by National Wildlife Refuges, BLM’s National Conservation Lands, state parks, and tribal land management initiatives.
The Road to 30 Virtual Tour will visit states across the West throughout the summer and fall. To stay informed on the virtual tour and for more information about 30x30, visit our website and sign up for our Road to 30 mailing list.
30x30 Background:
Nature across the world is collapsing. Global human activity has altered three-quarters of the Earth’s lands, while within the United States, about a football field worth of natural area is converted to human development every 30 seconds. Hundreds of leading scientists have warned that this rapid loss of natural space is resulting in a mass extinction, exacerbated by climate change. In the face of this crisis, scientists have urged us to conserve at least 30 percent of the planet’s lands and oceans by 2030 (30×30), a step that is necessary to prevent the unraveling of fundamental natural systems. Research has found much higher animal and plant abundance within protected areas, both on land and in marine reserves. Protected natural areas are also critical to stabilizing the climate and reducing the risk of the most severe impacts of climate change.
Protected natural areas have numerous economic and environmental benefits, including drawing visitors to local economies built on outdoor recreation. Outdoor recreation and tourism provide rural communities — that may otherwise be dependent on the boom and bust cycles of energy development — an opportunity to diversify their economies. Protected natural areas also provide a competitive advantage for hiring and retaining workers; research shows that in the West, protected public lands support faster rates of job growth and higher levels of per-capita income. Natural areas also provide fresh drinking water to hundreds of millions of Americans, and research has shown that protecting watersheds is the most cost-effective strategy to ensure clean drinking water. Increased human health and well-being is also related to access to natural areas. These benefits can include lower risks of disease and obesity, as well as better mental health.
For more information, visit westernpriorities.org. To learn more about the 30x30 goal and to participate in discussions about this bold vision, visit RoadTo30.org. Sign up for Look West to get daily public lands and energy news sent to your inbox, or subscribe to Go West, Young Podcast.”
