Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883

America the Beautiful or America the Feudal?

On his first day of his Presidency, President Biden signed many executive orders, including #14008, also known as "The America the Beautiful Initiative."

In this simple moniker is a strong reminder of the power of words. Doesn't it invoke images of undulating prairie grasses as far as the eye can see; of the majesty of the dusky purple mountains and teary-eyes at small town sporting events?  

It seems to ratchet up the emotional determination in many of us that longs to preserve our picturesque nation for future generations, does it not? Especially for those of us who enjoy being outdoors or who've had the challenging pleasure of creating a livelihood out of working with the land or animals in some aspect. Another name for this Executive Order is also known as the 30x30 Act; where the main goal is to conserve 30 percent (approximately 680 million acres) of all the land in the U.S. by 2030, or the "Tackling the Climate Change at Home and Abroad" executive order.

An article put out by the League of Conservation Voters from Dec. 2021, sums up the first year's success succinctly. Conservation Program Director Alex Taurel stated: "The Biden-Harris administration established a strong foundation in its first year by setting our country's first-ever national conservation goal. We honor the work they have done to restore protections for lands and waters put at risk, and their moves to protect several new, sensitive landscapes. We also applaud the local leaders, Tribal Nations, farmers and ranchers, hunters and anglers, and advocacy groups who've worked hard to develop locally-driven conservation initiatives to meet the challenge of protecting 30% of our lands and waters by 2030."

Despite the glowing rhetoric here, subliminally showing us linked arms working together from all walks of life, some of the objectives to this Act are its ambiguity in defining working terms for what "conservation" will look like when the rubber meets the road; no pun intended as this Initiative also has a significant nod towards less dependence on the oil and gas industry. Some area organizations are already proactively protecting themselves against any potential governmental over-reach that could come in under the guise of "good-for-all-conservatism" and "pro-environment" agenda.

In February of this year, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBA) adopted a policy that will close the door on the 30x30 land initiative. It reads in part: "We oppose the implementation of the 30x30 (America the Beautiful) goal in any matter inconsistent with our policies on land designations and management, voluntary and incentive-based programs, and any other relevant-based policy." The North Dakota chapter of AFBA is one of the states currently opposing the Initiative.

According to American Society of Animal Science's (ASAS) website, in May of 2021, proactive bills were introduced to both the House and Senate – "30x30 Termination Act" and the "No Land Grab Act 2021" – seeking to limit the executive branch's grasp of privately-run lands, with Senators Cramer (N.D.) and Roger Marshall (Kansas) as the sponsors of the first bill and Senator Jerry Morgan (Kansas) for the second bill. Other states, like Nebraska, were home to events this spring, hosted by Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, to inform and encourage area citizens to educate themselves on this Executive Order, before "volunteering" to sign up for any conservation programs that are incentivized for an active and robust enrollment. Nebraska is also leading the nation in the sheer number of counties (over 60) that have signed resolutions opposing the Initiative, including McKenzie County in N.D. Currently over a dozen states are opposed to the America the Beautiful Initiative. Ricketts also drafted a letter addressing several main questions that he has: How are lands/waters identified for this program? What federal agency/agencies are responsible for management and what would that process look like? Who will provide compensation for areas removed from future productive economic use? So far, 15 governors has signed this letter, including N.D. Governor Doug Burgum.

What many American citizens may not know is that the federal government currently claims over 28 percent of the acreage of our nation, most notably in the western states, and I would postulate that the lands they control have not benefited much from their input yet. Agencies such as the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Land Reclamation, Fish & Wildlife, comprise the majority; however, non-government organizations (NGO's) and conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited (with about 20,000 acres), aren't listed on some maps, as the criteria of claiming more than 23,000 acres isn't met. In 2016, a privately owned conservation group, The Land Trust Alliance, had over 56 million acres set aside in various trusts in many states. According to the USDA's website, as of September 2021, producers and landowners had already submitted over 4 million acres of grasslands- the highest signing to date- leading me to wonder about the incentives being offered to meet this voluntary Exectuive Order/Initiative. The question begs to be asked...does the federal government really just want to conserve a total of 30 percent, approximately adding another 2 percent of land and waters? Or do they want to add an additional 30 percent to what is already being conserved? Is this the beginning chapter of Americans "owning nothing and being happy," as some tout?

Clearly, conservation is an issue that resonates with many of us at a personal level and drives our actions to preserve what we've inherited from our ancestors; we've all seen how mismanagement ruins the lands or how sprawling suburbs continue to encroach on wild lands and farm lands. However, the government spurring us on to conserve more, whether publicly or privately, seems a bit redundant –perhaps even dangerous – if programs with their terms are vague and incentivized. Perhaps the heart of this Executive Order is as pure as the "America the Beautiful" title implies, but perhaps it will be the 'land grab' that some citizens are currently proclaiming. It is best to do your own research, study our past and make decisions for our future generations that are based on informed consent, not emotional, patriotic rhetoric hiding ambiguous terms in voluntary programs for our diligent land owners. Feudal systems haven't ever worked out well for the tenants in the past.

For more information, consider checking out American Stewards online and the article "The 30x30 Land Grab" by Norman D. James, ESQ, or Heritage Foundation's report, "Lands and Habitat in United States: A Reality Check," by Robert Gordon.

For a visual of land ownership, check out the maps on the American Farm Bureau Federation website: https://www.fb.org/market-intel/uncle-sam-is-the-largest-land-owner-in-the-u.s, but keep in mind this map is 7 years old. If you would like to take more action, take a look at what Garfield County, Co. did in the form of a resolution and track down what other counties may be taking similar steps to protect their right to conserve their lands without government interference.

I leave you with this quote from Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimando from Vox's article last May: "30% isn't the end...30% is the beginning. It's setting a very strong foundation and we hope (it) will build the momentum for longer-term conservation to benefit current and future generations."

 
 
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