Business Sign-on Letter: Business Support 30×30, Campaign for Nature

August 25, 2021

Dear Governor Lujan Grisham,

Protecting public lands is one of the few strategies we can employ to not only preserve biodiversity and fight climate change, but also bolster the economy and provide social respite.

To accomplish this, the Biden-Harris administration has enacted the 30×30 initiative to protect 30% of public lands by 2030, an effort which the Partnership for Responsible Business and the New Mexico business community strongly supports.

Over the last two decades, we have lost over a million square miles of wild land to development across the globe. With each square inch we destroy, we steadily reduce our chances of combating climate change. This crisis threatens our agricultural outputs, human health, access to water and much more, all of which will have tremendous economic, social, and political impacts.

To mitigate the harm caused by climate change, PRB endorses the 30×30 initiative based on clear cut data on the effectiveness of protecting public lands.

In New Mexico alone, the outdoor recreation economy has created over 33,000 direct jobs, $41.2 billion in wages and salaries, nearly $5 billion in consumer spending annually, and over $2 billion in state GDP. Public lands offer a truly sustainable market through outdoor recreation and conservation jobs, while preserving the ecological value that helps shield us from the impacts of climate change.

Continuing business-as-usual, the preferred stance of the former administration, has already demonstrably decreased our ability to manage the climate crisis. According to the World Resources Institute, “the United States will face economic damages from climate change equivalent to 1-3% of GDP per year by 2100. In a worst-case scenario, the damages could reach 3.7-10%.” Destruction of infrastructure and homes from extreme weather will further incur costs.

In order to strengthen our resilience against the impacts of climate change, we must look to environmentally sustainable solutions. Protecting 30% of public lands by 2030 is a promise that brings us one step closer to securing a more economically, socially, and environmentally stable future.

Sincerely,