30X30 in the U.S.: The Lands We Share
About a quarter of the American landscape has been designated for protection. But "protection" takes many forms.
America's protected lands and waters range from untrammeled wilderness to tracts heavily managed for forests, grazing, mining, and other uses.
Until recently, it was impossible to visualize the full scope of U.S. protected areas in a single resource. But a coordinated effort, led by the United States Geological Survey, has compiled the protected lands and waters of the U.S. into a single Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US). The maps in this story are derived from this database.
Successfully protecting 30 percent of the nation's lands and waters by 2030 will depend heavily on this existing mosaic of managed and protected areas. But not all of these areas prioritize protection of our natural heritage to an extent that is enough to "count" toward the 30 percent goal. Land managers, scientists, landowners, and citizens will need to work together to determine which of these areas will help meet the goals of 30X30—and what additional protection will be needed.
What you can do
If you care about the public lands in your community and have opinions about how they should be managed, write or call your representatives in Congress, and get in touch with officials in your state and local governments.
Many nonprofits are working on protected and public lands issues, as this list indicates. Groups working mainly on wilderness issues can be found at Wilderness.net .
If you want to help preserve the natural and cultural character of your community, you can work with a local land trust. Most areas have at least one organization that's working to purchase lands or secure conservation easements that limit future development. The Land Trust Alliance maintains a list of land trusts by state .
The U.S. Geological Survey has more information about the Protected Areas Database of the United States.
Additional information can be found at ProtectedLands.net .
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