NACD Applauds Release of DOI Programs Covered Under Justice40 Initiative 06/30/2022
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 29, 2022 |
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NACD Applauds Release of DOI Programs Covered Under Justice40 Initiative
WASHINGTON – NACD applauds the United States Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) recent announcement of the initial list of programs covered under the Justice40 Initiative. The Justice40 Initiative established the goal of directing 40 percent of certain federal investments to benefit disadvantaged communities. Several programs that are included on this initial list are central to the work that conservation districts do across the country to implement conservation and natural resources management. Many of these programs are also included in funding allocations under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Among others, included in the initial list of programs covered by the Justice40 Initiative are:
- Ecosystem Restoration
- Benefits to Private Lands
- Brown Tree Snake Control
The Ecosystem Restoration program restores habitat connectivity for aquatic species around the country to advance habitat restoration, invasive species control, conservation of at-risk and listed species and benefits to several ecosystems, including the Delaware River Basin, Klamath Basin, Lake Tahoe and sagebrush steppe ecosystem restoration in western states. It also includes building the institutional architecture for early detection and rapid response framework that have a meaningful impact on invasive species management, and removing barriers to fish and wildlife passage throughout the country via the National Fish Passage Program.
The USFWS works with private landowners through programs such as the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. Their staff consults with landowners to help them conserve and improve wildlife habitat. Many conservation districts already work with USFWS counterparts to ensure the health and sustainability of America’s fish, wildlife and plant species. USFWS works with private landowners to provide voluntary technical and financial assistance to plan, design, supervise and monitor habitat restoration projects on working landscapes such as forests, farms, and ranches.
“NACD is pleased to see that ecosystem restoration and working lands programs for historically underserved communities are covered programs,” said NACD CEO Jeremy Peters. “We are also pleased to see the focus on the Brown Tree Snake Control program for the Pacific Basin, as invasive species have major impacts on delicate ecosystems on islands such as Hawaii, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands.”
About the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD)
The National Association of Conservation Districts is the nonprofit organization that represents the nearly 3,000 conservation districts across the United States, their state and territory associations, and the 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. For more than 75 years, local conservation districts have worked with cooperating landowners and managers of private working lands to help them plan and apply effective conservation practices. For more information about NACD, visit www.nacdnet.org.