Opposition to the Continued Implementation of the 30X30 "America The Beautiful" Plan

ISSUE:

The “30x30” initiative creates significant concerns for agriculture and private property rights, because there remains no clear or enforceable limitation on how federal agencies may define “conserved” lands or waters. Farmers and ranchers fear that productive agricultural land could increasingly be targeted for conservation programs, restrictive easements, rewilding projects, habitat restoration, or regulatory limitations that reduce or eliminate productive use.

Farmers and ranchers have historically been the true conservationists of America’s natural resources. Generations of agricultural producers have responsibly managed land, water, wildlife habitat, forests, and grazing lands without the need for sweeping federal initiatives driven by climate ideology.

Yet under policies connected to “30x30,” private landowners are still facing:

• Expansion of conservation easements that permanently restrict land use.

• Increased pressure to participate in federally influenced carbon or climate programs.

• Reduced water access and irrigation allocations.

• Increased endangered species and habitat restrictions.

• Limitations on grazing and agricultural production.

• Expansion of federal land acquisition and federal management authority.

• Regulatory barriers tied to federal conservation funding.

• Increased influence of environmental non-governmental organizations over land use policy.

Rural Americans fear these policies are slowly shifting control of land and water away from private citizens and local communities toward federal agencies and politically connected environmental organizations.

American Agri-Women Request:

We urge Congress and federal policymakers to:

• Formally rescind and terminate the federal “30x30” / “America the Beautiful” initiative established under Executive Order 14008.

• Protect private property rights from federal overreach and coercive conservation practices.

• Oppose policies that reduce agricultural production or remove productive land from use.

• Preserve critical water infrastructure including dams, reservoirs, irrigation systems, and water storage projects.

• Ensure that conservation programs remain voluntary and locally driven

• Prevent federal agencies from using climate initiatives to impose land use restrictions on private property owners.

• Increase oversight and transparency regarding the role of environmental NGOs in shaping federal conservation policy.

• Protect state and local authority over land and water management decisions

• Recognize agriculture producers, ranchers, and landowners as essential stewards of America’s natural resources and food security.

America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural landowners are among the best stewards of land and natural resources in the world. Policies that undermine agricultural production, weaken water infrastructure, restrict private property rights, and expand federal control over rural America threatens not only individual livelihoods, but also the future of America’s food security and national independence.

The continued implementation of the “30x30” / “America the Beautiful” initiative raises serious concerns regarding federal overreach, erosion of private property rights, and the long-term viability of agricultural communities across the United States.

Conservation should never come at the expense of the people who feed this nation.

American Agri-Women supports responsible stewardship of natural resources while strongly opposing federal policies that place disproportionate burdens on agriculture producers, rural communities, and private landowners in pursuit of politically driven environmental agendas.

Background:

In January 2021, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14008, titled “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” which launched the foundation for the federal government’s “30x30” conservation initiative, later branded as the “America the Beautiful” plan. The stated objective of this initiative is to “conserve” 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by the year 2030.

While the initiative has been publicly framed as a voluntary conservation effort, many farmers, ranchers, landowners, water users, and rural communities remain deeply concerned about the long-term consequences of expanding federal influence over land use, water access, agricultural production, and private property rights.

Although President Donald Trump has reversed many climate and environmental policies implemented under the Biden Administration, there has been no formal executive action specifically terminating or rescinding the “30x30” initiative or the underlying framework established by Executive Order 14008. As a result, many aspects of the policy continue to influence federal agencies, state programs, grant funding structures, regulatory priorities, conservation easements, land acquisition efforts, and water management policies.

Across the country, Americans are witnessing increasing pressure on productive agricultural lands, water infrastructure, grazing access, energy production, and rural economies under the broader umbrella of climate and conservation policy. Rural communities are increasingly concerned that “30x30” serves as a mechanism for expanding federal and NGO control over land and water resources while diminishing local control and private property protections.

Particularly alarming are ongoing efforts impacting western water infrastructure, including the dismantling or removal of dams and reservoirs, restrictions on water usage, expansion of conservation easements, habitat designations, and regulatory actions that reduce agricultural productivity in favor of environmental objectives. These policies carry devastating consequences for farmers, ranchers, food security, irrigation systems, hydroelectric generation, and rural economies.

WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND FOOD SECURITY:

Water is the lifeblood of agriculture and rural America. The growing movement to remove dams, restrict reservoirs, reduce irrigation access, and reprioritize water allocation under environmental restoration policies presents a direct threat to food production and national security.

In many western states, water policies tied to environmental goals have already resulted in reduced agricultural output, increased costs to producers, land fallowing, loss of generational farms and ranches, and increased dependence on foreign food supplies.

The dismantling of critical water infrastructure under the guise of conservation or ecosystem restoration undermines America’s ability to feed itself. Reservoirs, irrigation systems, and water storage infrastructure were built to sustain agriculture, livestock production, hydroelectric power generation, and rural communities.

Weakening or eliminating these systems jeopardizes food security, raises food costs for consumers, and threatens the economic survival of agricultural communities.

No nation can remain strong while simultaneously dismantling the infrastructure necessary to produce food and sustain rural economies.

THE ROLE OF UNELECTED NGO INFLUENCE:

Another growing concern surrounding the “30x30” initiative is the expanding influence of large environmental organizations and public-private partnerships in shaping federal land and conservation policy.

Many conservation initiatives tied to “America the Beautiful” rely heavily on partnerships with environmental NGOs that often advocate for reduced livestock production, reduced land use, restrictions on resource development, and expanded federal oversight of rural lands.

These organizations frequently receive federal funding, grants, or partnership status while exerting substantial influence over conservation priorities and regulatory policy despite lacking direct accountability to American voters.

This growing partnership between government agencies and activist organizations raises serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and the future of private property ownership in the United States.