Meet the conservation challenge by protecting 30% of land, water by 2030

Land andwater conservation is something that unites people across theworld. Our public areas help communities thrive, providing fresh air, water, food and much-needed recreation during the COVID-19 pandemic. To balance a growing human population, governments at every level — including the incoming Biden administration— must acquire more land while improving and upgrading the protections on our current conservation lands.

Here in Florida, we have bubbling springs, towering pine forests, wide grassy prairies and marshes that change with the seasons’ rains. These places are special — not just for the wildlife habitat they provide, but for their role in meeting basic, life-sustaining needs for people. These places cannot be replaced. Once they are gone, they are lost forever. Because of our harmful legacy of overdevelopment and exploitation of our natural resources, we have lost much of natural Florida. To stop the damage and save our special places and species, we need to strategically conserve our remaining land andwater now.

Ecologists worldwide are advocating for a plan to protect 30% of our land and oceans by 2030 in what’s knownas the 30x30 Campaign. In Florida, we’re well on ourway to meeting this conservation goal, but as a country, we can do more to protect and manage our natural resources.

Our preserves, parks, rural landscapes and recreational areas all fulfill different conservation roles and have different standards for protection. Like the majestic Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park in the Northern Everglades Head waters, some places are permanently protected and managed exclusively for plant and wildlife biodiversity. Other public lands cater to specific recreational uses, like hunting and fishing. Some lands at the lower level of the conservation spectrum even allow oil drilling.

You read that right: Some of our public conservation lands are used for oil drilling, even here in Florida. Specifically, an old Florida favorite: Big Cypress National Preserve.

When Florida boomed in the 1940s, oil exploration came with it. Small quantities of oil were discovered in South Florida in 1943 on property owned by the Collier family in the Western Everglades. By the 1970s, the Colliers had sold the land thatwould become Big Cypress National Preserve to the federal government, but the family retained the land’s oil and gas rights as part of the deal. While taxpayer dollars purchased Big Cypress all those years ago, today, our precious national preserve is still in jeopardy of being defiled by dirty oil and gas exploration. The Natural Resources Defense Council has already documented significant damage to the preserve as a result of oil drilling and testing.

Preserves like Big Cypress play a crucial role in filtering the water we drink, storing human-made carbon in soil, and helping people find balance and peace in an otherwise chaotic world. While oil drilling was built into Big Cypress’ federal management structure, oil exploration and extraction are outdated risks we should be phasing out. In Florida, oil drilling contributes less than 0.2% of our state’s gross domestic product. By contrast, tourism, including ecotourism, is 10% of our GDP. This is a clear case where removal of the destructive drilling rights will elevate the long-term protection of this ecological gem, which is far more valuable than the oil and gas deposits under the surface. Removing harmful activities from places like Big Cypress is an important goal of the 30x30 Campaign.

When tax payers invest in land and water conservation, we expect that these places will be maintained and protected in perpetuity. Our national and state parks and preserves are treasures worth saving, as are our local parks, trails and greenspaces.

Florida can be a global leader in the 30x30 Campaign by building upon what we already do sowell: ensuring that our conservation programs protect what makes Florida special. The incoming Biden administration has already committed to advancing the 30x30 Campaign as a component of its climate plan. This proactive approach prioritizes protecting biodiversity, slowing extinction rates and leveraging natural climate solutions— strategies that protect our people and our planet. The 30x30 Campaign is a wonderful opportunity for Florida to once again be a worldwide leader for conservation. The work we do here at home, both in Florida and across the nation, benefits our entire global community.

Florida can be a global leader in the 30x30 Campaign by building upon what we already do sowell: ensuring that our conservation programs protect what makes Florida special.