to mitigate the climate crisis and slow species loss.
But today Colorado is losing open land faster than we’re protecting it: Over a half-million acres of natural lands were lost to development since 2001. Fortunately, a coalition of conservation groups has developed a detailed roadmap to preserve 30% of Colorado’s lands (an additional 14 million acres) by 2030.
Working with lawmakers, land managers, tribes, and private landowners, the “Colorado Pathways to 30-by-30” proposal utilizes executive orders, federal and state land manager policies, energy-development reforms, and private landowner protections.
In Colorado, 2019 outdoor recreation accounted for more than $12.2 billion in economic impact and employed almost 150,000 workers earning $6.4 billion needless to say, Eagle and Summit Counties strongly benefited. As our increasingly popular local trails and wilderness attest, outdoor recreation is critical to recovery from COVID-19.
Letter to the Editor: Fight climate change with conservation
The Thirty by Thirty campaign would protect 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030.
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When I moved to Maine six years ago, I was amazed by how vast and spread apart communities are. I was born and raised on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Cape and islands are normally packed with tourists, travelers, and large communities. It was fairly uncommon to find wilderness untouched by man.
Through the years, I have learned that Maine is not only home to over 1 million people, but home to countless types of wildlife, vital ecosystems, and native plants. Maine is known for its vast mountain ranges, gorgeous coastlines and dense forests.