We are facing extraordinary challenges that demand swift and bold action. Three-fourths of the planet’s lands and two-thirds of its ocean areas have already been significantly altered by human activities—and on our current trajectory amplified by climate change we risk losing so much more. Failure to act urgently, rooted in justice and equity, to protect our planet will place our communities at further risk.

Climate change is changing the landscape of our planet. We know it is limiting nature’s ability to buffer communities impacted by disasters like storms, fires, and floods. We know that nature is important and needs to be protected to mitigate the crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Only 12% of the United States’ land area and 26% of U.S. ocean waters have been conserved as protected areas.

The Biden Administration launched the nation's first-ever 10-year conservation strategy to equitably and collaboratively conserve nature. The Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful Initiative is a new opportunity for the federal government to reinvest and rectify centuries of inequitable conservation practices. This effort must center this work and rectify the years of neglect to ocean conservation.