By: Tessa English
Preserving 30% of the Earth’s land and oceans by 2030 is an ambitious goal. Currently, about 12% of American lands are protected so, while ambitious, it is achievable to conserve 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030.
In order to succeed, diverse and community-driven conservation efforts while also increasing protections for local, state, and federal public lands are needed. Known in the U.S. as the Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful plan, 30×30 projects are oriented toward protecting a broad diversity of plants, animals and ecosystems. This effort opens a path to recovery, sometimes by allowing nature to flourish, sometimes through actual restoration of species.
The town of Orleans has been implementing its own version of 30×30 for years. ECO Orleans Climate Action Network recently caught up with Robert Cunningham, chair of the Orleans Open Space Committee (OSC), who discussed the town’s participation in 30×30 and its intersection with climate work.
Cunningham says, “While our emphasis is on preservation rather than mitigation per se, open space provides a vital “carbon sink” or mitigation function.” He explained that OSC’s work involves three types of open space acquisition:
- Undeveloped, natural spaces such as those belonging to the Orleans Conservation Trust
- Space acquired by the OSC where there is public accessthrough the existing wild landscape such as Mill Pond Conservation area.
- Partially developed or groomed for public use, such as ball fields, beaches, and Windmill Park and Meadow on the Cove.
OSC efforts also respect the presence of Native Peoples in the area as evidenced by its work to acquire a Portanimicut Indian waterfront parcel at 12 Peck’s Way in South Orleans. ECO Orleans applauds Orleans’ important work to conserve and protect Orleans’ open space and reach the 30×30 goal!