Biden Administration Launches America the Beautiful Initiative

Nada Wolff Culver, Deputy Director, Programs and Policy, Bureau of Land Management

Today, the Biden-Harris administration announced its vision for how the United States can work collaboratively to conserve and restore the lands, waters, and wildlife that support and sustain the nation as the “America the Beautiful” initiative.

A report developed by the Department of Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality outlines eight principles that will guide the nationwide effort, including a pursuit of collaborative approaches; a commitment to supporting the voluntary conservation efforts of farmers, ranchers, and fishers; and honoring of Tribal sovereignty and private property rights, in order to address climate change, nature loss and disparities in access to nature.

As we move forward, the BLM will identify next steps to support the commitment to a national conservation goal, through policies and our own initiatives. We will work together with the Department towards a decade-long effort to support locally led and voluntary conservation and restoration efforts across public, private, and Tribal lands and waters to create jobs and strengthen the economy’s foundation; tackle the climate and nature crises; and address inequitable access to the outdoors.

The report identifies the key principles that will guide our conservation efforts (many of which tie directly with our mission and ongoing work), including:

• Pursuing a collaborative and inclusive approach to conservation;
• Conserving America’s lands and waters for the benefit of all people;
• Supporting locally led and locally designed conservation efforts;
• Honoring Tribal sovereignty and supporting the priorities of Tribal Nations;
• Pursuing conservation and restoration approaches that create jobs and support healthy communities;
• Honoring private property rights and supporting the voluntary stewardship efforts of private landowners;
• Using science as a guide; and
• Building on existing tools and strategies with an emphasis on flexibility and adaptive approaches.

​​​​​​​I invite you all to review the report. I have made the same invitation to the employees at the Bureau of Land Management. I’ve asked them to think and talk more about how we as an agency will incorporate these commitments and priorities into our work across directorates.

Read the full report: https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/report-conserving-and-restoring-america-the-beautiful-2021.pdf