Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Chair of the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, today welcomed the release of President Biden’s ‘Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful’ report which recommends the United States conserve at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030. 

“The Biden Administration’s aptly named ‘America the Beautiful’ initiative prioritizes local stakeholder input to protect and restore our irreplaceable natural resources. This bottom up, voluntary approach to conserving 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030 will ensure that the people who love and use these spaces every day will be heard by the White House. In Maine, that means our tribal communities, fishermen, farmers, loggers, and private landowners will have a seat at the table as the nation undergoes one of the most meaningful conservation efforts of our lifetimes. The magnitude of this initiative is historic,” said Chair Pingree.

“Our oceans, forests, and soil naturally trap the greenhouse gases that are rapidly warming our planet, which makes conservation of these natural resources essential to mitigating the climate crisis. As Chair of the House Appropriations Interior and Environment subcommittee, I support the Biden Administration’s comprehensive plan to improve environmental stewardship, ensure equitable access to the outdoors, and promote natural solutions to fight the climate crisis,” continued Pingree. 

Pingree’s recently reintroduced Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) would dramatically expand voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs for farmers and forest landowners at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and refocus these programs on climate change adaptation and mitigation.