This generation will inherit our blue planet — but right now, the future of our lands and ocean is far from bright.

Decades of human impacts—from climate change, oil and gas drilling, and unsustainable fishery and agricultural practices—have put stress on our most amazing and most important terrestrial and marine habitats.

We need to do more to protect the health of our lands and ocean.

Across the country and around the world, we’ve seen that setting aside key habitats in protected areas has led to better outcomes for life. That’s why President Biden set a goal of protecting and conserving at least 30 percent of our lands, waters, and ocean by 2030.

Right now, the Department of Interior is considering what steps they need to take to implement this goal and ensure a more abundant, resilient ocean and healthier lands, as well as equitable access to nature.  

They need to hear from young people that we're counting on them to make decisions today that give our lands and ocean -- and us -- a healthier and more hopeful future.

Please sign the letter below by February 28, 2022.

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The Honorable Debra Haaland
Secretary U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20240

Dear Secretary Haaland:

On behalf of our XXX youth groups, student clubs and youth-serving organizations, we are writing to you in strong support of President Biden’s commitment to protecting at least 30 percent of our lands and ocean by 2030, to help tackle climate change, sustain biodiversity, and increase equitable access to nature.

We urge the Department of Interior to do what it takes to set aside a geographically and biologically diverse array of critical land and ocean ecosystems for the long-term conservation of nature, using science as the guide and honoring tribal sovereignty and supporting tribal-led conservation priorities.

From sea to shining sea, our nation has some of the most diverse ecosystems on our planet, and we have jurisdiction over an ocean area larger than the combined land area of all 50 states. The value of these ecosystems cannot be underestimated. But the lands and ocean we enjoy today are not the same ones that existed in our grandparents' youth. The world has seen an average 68% drop in mammal, bird, fish, reptile, and amphibian populations since 1970.

The biodiversity and climate emergencies are alarming and interconnected, and we know that protecting our nation’s ecosystems and their incredible diversity of plant and animal life is essential for tackling these crises. At the same time, we need to expand equitable public access to our public lands and ocean, so that all Americans can experience the benefits of nature. We all depend on nature for the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the food we eat. Nature keeps us healthy, ensures our emotional well-being, powers our economy, and connects us as a nation. Access to abundant natural spaces is essential for health and well being, but today, too many Americans are not able to enjoy the restorative power of our ocean and public lands.

The decisions we make today will determine whether we can enjoy the beauty and bounty of the lands and ocean and share them with our children and grandchildren. If we fail to act responsibly and quickly, that future is highly uncertain.

There are strong actions our country can take now to turn the tide. By creating safe and close-to-home opportunities for all Americans to enjoy the outdoors – no matter where they live – and by protecting the ecosystems we all need to survive, President Biden can help address the dual climate and nature crises and remedy long running environmental injustices. Additionally, as we measure progress, it is important to separately evaluate the distinct goals of biodiversity conservation and equitable access to nature.

Strongly protecting key habitats is a crucial tool in the fight to save our lands and ocean. Long-standing, well-protected national parks and marine protected areas have shown us that when we safeguard our important and vulnerable habitats, life can bounce back. Across the country and around the globe, strongly protected areas have helped recover depleted fish populations and other wildlife, protect endangered species and create ecosystems more resilient to climate change and natural disasters.

The United States has placed some of its lands and ocean waters under protection, but too many of our terrestrial, coastal and ocean habitats do not have vital safeguards that these places need to survive and thrive. Only by protecting far more of the habitats that represent the geographic and ecological diversity of our amazing lands and ocean will we be able to put our landscapes and seascapes on a path to health and recovery.

We thank you for your efforts, and we look forward to working together with you and others in the Administration, including the Department of Commerce and NOAA, Department of Agriculture, and the Council on Environmental Quality, to achieve the national goal of 30x30 and ensure a better future for all Americans. We urge you to designate more fully and highly protected areas on the lands and in the ocean, in line with President Biden’s national goal. These areas should be set aside for the long-term conservation of nature and biodiversity, and the Department of Interior’s existing management of areas should be strengthened to prioritize land and ocean health and protection of its diversity of life.

Today’s youth will inherit this planet, and it is up to all of us to make decisions that will protect our shared future. Help us make that future a healthy and hopeful one, for us and for our lands and ocean.

Sincerely,