In Our View: Bill ensures public lands available for future
The Columbian
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In an executive order issued one week after he took office, President Joe Biden set a goal of having the United States legislatively protect 30 percent of its public lands and oceans by 2030.
While the decree might be overly ambitious, it is far preferable to the previous administration’s view that public lands should be profit-making engines for extraction companies. By definition, public lands are owned by all Americans; protecting them now can ensure that they remain pristine for future generations.
The U.S. Senate has an important opportunity to move toward that goal. The Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act (H.R. 803) passed the House of Representatives last month largely on a party-line vote (all Washington Democrats voted in favor while Republicans, including Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, were opposed).