Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts has been holding “Stop 30 x 30” town hall meetings across the State to educate landowners on the program and help them identify the conservation vehicles that could be used by the federal agencies to reach the 30 percent goal.
Nebraska is 97 percent private land, and the State relies on the tax base and production of the private lands for its robust economy. The Governor is a strong advocate for private property and good conservation, which is why he wants to keep Nebraska’s lands in Nebraskan’s hands without the federal strings. He stated:
“The U.S. News and World Report ranked Nebraska as the sixth-best state in the nation for the quality of our natural environment. By contrast, the State of Delaware—which President Biden represented as a U.S. Senator from 1973 to 2009—was sixth-worst overall, and #47 for pollution. … Why would Nebraskans cede responsibility for our natural resources to leaders of states who’ve done a poor job of managing their own environment?”
Governor Ricketts also led the letter signed by 15 Governors noticing the White House they oppose the program. The letter included specific questions on how the program would be implemented, funded, and authorized, none of which have been addressed by the Biden Administration.
With him at the town hall meetings have been Cherry County Commissioner, Tanya Storer and Nebraska Farm Bureau Vice President, Sherry Vinton, as well as other speakers. Commissioner Storer has been helping Counties understand the specific ways in which conservation restrictions can devalue the land and revenue counties rely on to support their community. Sherry Vinton has been speaking from the landowner’s perspective.
Nebraska has more counties than any other state that have passed resolutions opposing 30 x 30. Their U.S. Representatives and Senators have also taken a stand against the program, as well as their Attorney General, which sent a letter co-signed with the Kansas Attorney General placing the Biden Administration on notice that they will be watching for federal overreach.
