The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced its support for the Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful report. The report outlines how three Federal Agencies and the Council on Environmental Quality will achieve the conservation goal of conserving 30% of America’s land and water by 2030 — also known as “30 by 30.”
This goal was first set on January 27, 2021, in President Biden’s Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, which required the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the Chair of the Council of Environmental Quality, and the heads of other relevant agencies to submit a report within 90 days of the executive order. Throughout the process of developing this report there was substantial input from members of the outdoor recreation industry. Specifically, Hunt Fish 30×30 and the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, coalitions of which MRAA is a member, helped advocate for recreational access as a pillar of conservation strategy. Additionally, this aligns with MRAA’s 2021 priorites, which can be found here.
“We are ecstatic to see recreational access included as a major theme throughout the America the Beautiful report,” said Chad Tokowicz, Government Relations Manager for MRAA. “This inclusion highlights that the recommendations of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, Hunt Fish 30×30, as well as other groups in the recreational boating, hunting and fishing industry, were taken into serious consideration.”
The report initiates a decade-long conservation challenge that will equitably restore and conserve U.S. natural resources. This locally led but nationally scaled effort will conserve, connect and restore the land, waters and wildlife upon which all Americans depend. This challenge will be met through collaboration, leveraging relationships with boaters, sportsmen and women, industry, local businesses and other stakeholders. The report also calls for the development of the “American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas,” which will create a baseline of information on lands and waters that have already been conserved or restored within the United States. Lastly, the report specifically touts an increase in access for outdoor recreation, stating that “conservation can and should improve access for hunting, fishing, hiking, boating, and other forms of outdoor recreation.”
“We expect that this focus on equitable access and opening up opportunities for people throughout America will help grow involvement in recreational boating to the benefit of boaters and the boating industry at large, ” says Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA.
To learn more about the recommendations of Hunt Fish 30×30 and the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable please click here and here.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, contact us at 763-315-8043.
