Today, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and 26 of its member companies–including Orvis–sent a letter to the White House expressing support of and commitment to the 30×30 initiative, which establishes a national goal to conserve at least 30 percent of our nation’s lands and waters by the year 2030.
“For 165 years, Orvis, our customers, and our partners have built our lives around enjoying, sharing, and protecting the habitats and ecosystems that keep us deeply connected to the outdoors,” says Orvis President Simon Perkins. “The 30×30 initiative is a vital and powerful commitment to ensure a sustainable natural world — one where outdoor passions for all can flourish and continue to be passed down from generation to generation. With so many people turning to the outdoors, this is the opportunity for policy makers, knowledge experts, businesses, and the outdoor community to come together and succeed in the greatest conservation effort of our time.”
In the letter, the signatories note that success will only result if all levels of government engage and if all voices — including tribal nations, private landowners, outdoor recreation interests, historically underserved communities, and scientists, work together. Click here to read the full letter.
About 30×30
In its announcement of the 30×30 initiative, the Department of the Interior notes that approximately 60% of land in the continental U.S. is in a natural state, but we are losing a football field worth of it every 30 seconds. The decline of nature threatens wildlife; across the globe, approximately one million animal and plant species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades, including one-third of U.S. wildlife.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, currently only 12% of lands are permanently protected. Studies show that roughly 23% of America’s ocean is currently strongly protected, with the vast majority of ocean protections found in the western Pacific Ocean.
The next decade will be vitally important to the health of the country’s wildlife habitat, and Orvis is committed to be a part of the efforts to create a better world for future generations.
Credit: Source link
