States nationwide are adopting some innovative policies aimed at conserving public lands amid a warming climate, including tapping the taxes on recreational marijuana sales, according to a new report from the liberal Center for American Progress.
But CAP, while praising the efforts, said states can do more to help the Biden administration reach an ambitious goal to conserve 30 percent of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030.
The CAP report, which was also included the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, is “intended to serve as a resource for decision-makers and involved stakeholders, at all levels, who are exploring the tools available for state-level progress or looking for models that could be scaled up from the ‘test kitchens’ of the states.”
Among the ideas states have already adopted include the establishment of “conservation funds” collected from areas like “real estate or sporting goods taxes,” that are then earmarked for protecting public lands. The report notes that 10 states, from Florida to Oregon, have dedicated conservation funding mandated by their state constitutions.
