Effective Marine Protections Can Play Important Role in Meeting Global Conservation Goals

U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged to protect and conserve at least 30% of U.S. land and ocean areas by 2030—a concept known as “30 by 30”—and has established the America the Beautiful campaign, a nationwide effort to achieve this goal.

On Dec. 14, 2021, members of the National Ocean Protection Coalition, which includes The Pew Charitable Trusts, wrote to Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland regarding the use of other effective conservation measures (known as OECMs) to advance federal conservation objectives. The letter emphasizes how marine protected areas and OECMs, if properly identified and implemented, can play a critical role in efforts to protect and rejuvenate biodiversity. But the letter also warns that OECMs improperly attributed toward the 30% target pose a risk and potential setback for global conservation efforts.