State & Federal "30 X 30” Campaigns Bolster Friends’ Ongoing Work

Friends of the Desert Mountains has been working since 1987 to conserve land and the scenic, biologic, cultural and recreational resources we all — residents and visitors alike — have come to value so highly. “Friends has protected over 60,000 acres in and around the Coachella Valley, and we welcome this boost from the ‘30 x 30’ campaigns,” said Friends’ Executive Director Tammy Martin.

Last year California became first state in the nation to pledge to conserve 30 percent of land and coastal water by 2030, joining 38 countries in commitment to conservation. “Once again, California is taking on the mantle of global climate leadership and advancing bold strategies to fight climate change,” said Governor Newsom.

The Biden-Harris administration has also outlined a vision for how the United States can work collaboratively to conserve and restore the 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.A joint statement from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory, states:

“The ambition of this goal reflects the urgency of the challenges we face: the need to do more to safeguard the drinking water, clean air, food supplies, and wildlife upon which we all depend; the need to fight climate change with the natural solutions that our forests, agricultural lands, and the ocean provide; and the need to give every child in America the chance to experience the wonders of nature “Where this path leads over the next decade will be determined not by our agencies, but by the ideas and leadership of local communities,” states the report.

Friends of the Desert Mountains is proud of what our organization has accomplished, and we look forward to working collaboratively with our state and federal partners  to conserve and protect our unique desert habitat for all.