New Report: State Policy Leadership To Conserve Nature

A Guide to Innovative Land Conservation Policy Tools Being Deployed by State and Territorial Governments Across the Country

Dozens of states across the country are stepping up with innovative solutions to conserve lands and waters, protecting natural resources and wildlife for future generations.

Today the Center for American Progress and the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators released a new report highlighting state land conservation policy models. Some of the models highlighted include:

• Statewide targets and conservation plans.
• Conservation funds.
• Outdoor equity funds.
• Tax incentives for conservation.
• Natural carbon sequestration.
• New state parks and conservation lands.
• State trust lands management.
• Tribal land return and co-management.
• Wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity.

Background

The Biden administration has led the way on conservation at the federal level, with the America the Beautiful program aiming to conserve 30% of all U.S. lands and waters by 2030. And states such as California, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, and Vermont have all committed to goals that mirror the 30% by 2030 national target.

Many other states, spanning a wide range of geographies and political representation, have also taken major steps to conserve their lands and waters in recent years.

• Last year, New Mexico launched a new permanent fund to conserve threatened landscapes, improve recreation access, and protect cultural heritage sites.
• Georgia established a dedicated funding stream for conservation projects in 2018.
• Colorado expanded tax credits for private land conservation in 2021.
• Texas voters approved $1 billion for state parks in 2023.
• Florida’s legislature invested more than $1 billion from 2021 to 2023 to complete a critical wildlife corridor.

Read the Report

“State Policy Leadership To Conserve Nature: A Guide to Innovative Land Conservation Policy Tools Being Deployed by State and Territorial Governments Across the Country” by Drew McConville, Kate Burgess, and Mariel Lutz