Concord, N.H. — Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) released the following statement after the Biden-Harris administration announced the Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful report outlining recommendations on how the United States should achieve the goal of conserving at least 30 percent of our lands, waters, and ocean by 2030:

“Here in New Hampshire, we live amongst the most beautiful lands in the world, and we have a responsibility to protect them. Our state’s natural beauty is the backbone of our culture and outdoor economy. From our public lands to working farms and forests, Granite Staters have a strong conservation ethic that has made us a national leader in protecting land and water. I have long advocated for forward-looking measures to ensure we preserve our environment for generations to come.

“I applaud the Biden-Harris administration for advancing conservation efforts and for prioritizing the inclusion of local and regional stakeholders as we work on this ambitious and important goal to conserve U.S. lands and waters. This 30 x 30 plan is the first step in a broader national shift, and I look forward to working with the administration as well as New Hampshire partners to keep the Granite State a wonderful place to live and visit.”

A member of the House Energy and Commerce Energy Subcommittee and House Agriculture Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee, Kuster is a leader in Congress to combat climate change, preserve the environment, and create a clean energy economy. Earlier this year, Kuster led 39 colleagues in sending a letter to the Biden administration urging the inclusion of funding to retrofit, rehabilitate, and remove dams in the next infrastructure package to improve public safety, increase free-flowing rivers, expand low-carbon generation, and create jobs. She has also introduced legislation to help protect local conservation land and National Scenic Trails from natural gas pipeline development. In July 2020, Kuster helped pass the Great American Outdoors Act — landmark conservation legislation that included full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for the first time in the program’s 56 year history.

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