Compiled Takeaways 

State Conservation Areas

Rising visitation is expected to continue on public lands, including state parks and wildlife areas. To keep up with demand and provide outdoor opportunities for residents and visitors alike, state agencies should look for ways to expand state park systems, prioritizing accessibility and proximity to communities that stand to benefit the most from nearby nature. Establishing goals and planning processes is a great starting point, but supporting this with dedicated funding is vital to ensure the state’s conservation priorities are executed.

Where land acquisition opportunities are unavailable due to funding constraints or current ownership, establishing voluntary partnerships with other agencies and private landowners can be an important intermediate conservation measure. Agencies can lend important resources and expertise to protect significant habitat and natural resources.

As the country makes progress toward reaching 30x30, states can lead the way by protecting conservation areas while benefiting communities and increasing access to recreation. State conservation efforts can bring to life the priorities of local communities and build grassroots momentum for the bold 30x30 conservation goal. 

Conservation Funding

In every state, the demand for conservation funding outweighs what’s available. Many states are facing tough choices for how to allocate limited resources, but even so, relying on variable general fund allocations from year-to-year for conservation is unsustainable and risks missing out on federal investment and revenue from the growing outdoor recreation economy.

Dedicated funding sources, passed through legislation or constitutional amendments, have proven to be the most effective way to maintain conservation funding despite impacts to general state budgets. Programs like Colorado’s GOCO and Nevada’s conservation bond have the highest impact, but smaller revenue streams, like dedicated taxes or specialty license plates or stamps, can direct hundreds of thousands of dollars towards conservation every year, as long as the legislation is clear in specifying its priorities and ensuring funds are explicitly directed to conservation.

With the harsh reality of dwindling budgets, states should look to leverage federal funding by setting aside funds to match grants, as well as direct funds to capitalize on the economic opportunities of the outdoor recreation economy. State parks, new trails, and improved access points can bring important benefits to local communities, generate tax revenue for local communities, and help the country reach the 30x30 goal.

State Trust Lands

Western states manage significant swaths of trust lands, primarily for the economic benefit of state schools and institutions. While these agencies are constrained by certain mandates, the opportunity exists for innovative programs to conserve state trust lands for future generations. In particular, state agencies can identify ways to establish conservation leases, permits, and programs to conserve key habitat and cultural resources, while still generating revenues. Additionally, states should continue to identify opportunities for land exchanges to consolidate land ownership and provide for the conservation of broader landscapes.

Voluntary Private Land Conservation

Voluntary private conservation is incredibly popular in the West, where many landowners have a strong stewardship ethic. Some Western states successfully promote long-term private conservation through tax incentives and dedicated funding for easements, but such efforts could be dramatically expanded through increased funding and additional incentives. As a result, states would inject capital into rural communities, increase financial options for struggling landowners, support agricultural economies, empower land stewards already protecting vulnerable landscapes, and multiply returns on investment. Throughout the process, states should collect and centralize easement data wherever possible in order to assess the impacts of their investments.

Traditional voluntary private conservation mechanisms, such as easements, will be key to protecting 30% of America by 2030. But states also have options to get creative to promote more effective and ambitious conservation that will benefit landowners while expanding private conservation and stewardship. Flexible conservation mechanisms like habitat leases, coordinated planning to prioritize investments, increased incentives for conserving key habitats, and valuation of easements based on ecological metrics are all opportunities to improve the on-the-ground impact of state conservation efforts.

Promoting Ecological Connectivity

States can ensure that the 30x30 goal accomplishes the goal of protecting biodiversity by incorporating habitat connectivity into land protection efforts and using additional measures to connect a functional network of protected areas.

Creating land designations to promote connectivity can be a complicated task, especially in terms of clear communication with local stakeholders. Corridor designations in the West should be explicit about exempting private landowners from regulation while instead incentivizing voluntary conservation efforts. On the other hand, there is a very real opportunity to protect land from development and surface disturbance through regulations on extractive industries.

A key way to protect land for the purposes of ecological connectivity is via voluntary private conservation easements. Such efforts have been extremely successful, and have the potential to ensure that an ecologically functional 30% of America is protected. By incorporating connectivity into project assessments and prioritizations, states can better fund intentional and efficient conservation.

Land and habitat protections to promote connectivity are only one part of the puzzle: the vast majority of work to promote connectivity is done through research, coordination, infrastructure improvements, habitat management, and legislative or administrative actions to prioritize the needs of biodiversity. The benefits of such research and solutions can be multiplied through compelling storytelling, which helps engage and energize local communities to preserve habitat and wildlife movement.

Water

Western watersheds are increasingly feeling the impacts of climate change and development. While state governments are bound by an arcane web of laws governing water rights, several states have taken innovative measures to protect lakes, rivers, and streams, such as creating protective designations for waterways, establishing watershed restoration funds, and allowing instream flow water rights. Going forward, state action to protect aquatic habitat and conserve waterways will be critical in reaching the goal of protecting 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030.