U.S. Department of the Interior:"America the Beautiful" July Recap

 

Spotlighting the Work to Restore, Connect and Conserve 30 Percent of Lands and Waters by 2030  News and Updates Biden-Harris Administration Establishes Blackwell School National Historic Site as America’s Newest National Park Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland formally established Blackwell School National Historic Site in Texas as the nation’s newest national park. The park is the seventh national park unit designated under President Biden. Recent additions include the designation of Amache National Historic Site in Colorado, the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Illinois and Mississippi, and Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park in Kansas. Built in 1909, the school serves as a significant example of how racism and cultural disparity dominated education and social systems in the United States during this period of de facto segregation from 1889 to 1965. The designation permanently protects the site and helps tell the history of Texas school districts that established separate elementary schools for Mexican American children. It also reflects the America the Beautiful initiative’s commitment to telling a more complete story of America.    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces $48 Million for Collaborative Efforts to Conserve America’s Most Imperiled Species The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced $48.4 million in grants to 19 states and Guam to support land acquisition and conservation planning projects on over 23,000 acres of habitat for 80 listed and at-risk species through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund. This approach to conservation, done in cooperation with states, territories, willing landowners and local partners, furthers species conservation and compatible economic development, and the grants will be matched by more than $27.75 million in partner funds. These efforts support the Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful initiative goal to conserve, connect and restore 30 percent of the Nation’s lands and waters by supporting biodiversity, slowing extinction rates and facilitating collaborative restoration efforts.         Interior Department Recognized for Efforts to Phase Out Single-Use Plastics Across Public Lands, Build Climate Resilience The Department of the Interior was awarded a Presidential Federal Sustainability Award for ongoing efforts to phase out single-use plastics on Department-managed lands and received a recognition for work to strengthen climate resilience through public-private partnerships. In June 2022, Secretary Deb Haaland issued Secretary’s Order (S.O.) 3407 to reduce the procurement, sale and distribution of single-use plastic products and packaging with a goal of phasing out single-use plastic products on Department-managed lands by 2032. Since the signing of the Order, Department facilities across the nation, including national parks, national wildlife refuges and conservation lands, have made progress with key efforts such as installing water bottle filling stations, increasing recycling, and working with concessionaires to reduce sales of single-use plastic bottles, as well as use of plastic utensils, bags, straws and other plastic products.   Local Spotlight WFTS ABC Tampa: New 640-acre Bellini Preserve open to public, protected from development Polk County, Florida, has a brand-new place for residents to explore nature near the Northern Everglades: the Bellini Preserve. Located on the eastern shore of Lake Marion, near Poinciana, the 639 acres of land were at risk of development when it was listed for sale in 2020. In a partnership between Conservation Florida, the Bellini family, the Department of Defense, and Polk County, the County purchased the land, not only permanently conserving the property but also safeguarding water resources.  In Case You Missed It Wildlife Watching Contributes More Than $250 Billion to United States Economy The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a report highlighting the important role wildlife plays in the lives of the American public. The Service found that about 45 percent of the U.S. population at the age of 16 and older enjoyed observing, feeding, and photographing wildlife (wildlife watching) in 2022. In addition to contributing significantly to people’s enjoyment of the outdoors, wildlife watching also added more than $250 billion to federal, state and local tax revenues, jobs, earnings, and economic output.        ###