Thirty-by-Thirty is global movement that seeks to conserve 30 percent of lands and coastal waters by the year 2030, or 30 X 30.

Biologists tell us we’re in a global crisis for biodiversity, as countless species of animals and plants could be extinct in 50 to 100 years—unless we drastically change our sprawling land use and protect at least “Half Earth” which is needed as places where nature can dominate.

Aiming for 30 percent over the next decade is seen as an achievable “steppingstone” toward an eventual 50 percent—called “Nature Needs Half”. The Sierra Club has joined the global Nature Needs Half initiative.

We need to preserve Nature so that Nature can preserve us – as, truly, it is our support system.

California became the first state to adopt 30 X 30 as official state policy, in an October 2020 Executive Order by Governor Gavin Newsom. And in January 2021, a week after his inauguration, President Biden gave a national 30 X 30 executive order—his program is dubbed “America the Beautiful.”
In addition to fighting species extinction, 30 X 30 directly addresses climate change: protecting natural lands enhances the carbon sequestration ability of lands and waters – whether unlogged forests, undisturbed desert soils, grasslands, or marine habitats.

Thus, it connects the fight for biodiversity and the fight to mitigate the climate crisis. Sierra Club volunteers and staff have long pushed both these goals, and now 30 X 30 embraces both and ties them together.

At present some 12 percent of the nation and about 22 percent of California is considered “conserved”.

Sierra Club in California set up the California 30 X 30 task force—with representatives from most of our Chapters which have identified local places important to them for conservation.

Local conservation priorities in our Chapter are saving the Gaviota Coast from development and in Ventura, making the Ventura and Santa Clara rivers as natural as possible. Both counties also work on renewable energy.

What about you? Get involved by contacting your Chapter’s rep on the statewide 30 by 30 task force; they are Jim Hines for Ventura and Katie Mullin for Santa Barbara: jhcasitas@gmail.com and mullin@shelter-vet.com

You can also contact Anne Henny or Vicky Hoover, co-chairs of the statewide task force at: Vicky.hoover@sierraclub.org or anneth6@sbcglobal.net

Here's a poem about land by our Chapter Convervation Chair Jim Hines,

An Ode to the land

On how I walk on thee, soiled shoes treading one in front of the other, land you lay bare, a bare beauty like that of a sweet-skinned lass, I love you land, I feel your grip upon my soul, land which looks useless but is rich in all which provides for mankind. I walk the land, I horse ride on the land, I make love on the land, I sleep on the land . . . land you never end . . . land you never cease to amaze me.

Land, which is green from sweet rains, land which browns in the warmth of the sun, a land renewal we humans call for, a land revival . . . yes oh yes, we need to respect, love and care for you in a better way.

Land you provide for us, land you supply us with all that we need . . . land which is brown, black, red, gold, land which knows no other way than to give. The wind sweeps across the land, blowing my hair, ruffling my shirt and sending seeds across the land to start life anew.

Land who never ends, land which drinks up the water rushing across her, land which carries a heavy burden of man's aggressions, land which wildlife walks on, lives on and dies on.

Land where I grew up, still open space and preserved, land where my father is buried under the great pine tree with roots deep into the land . . . a land that I am rooted to as well . . . thank you to my father's love for the land.

The land needs renewal, land which needs carrying for from a loving and tender hand.

Land I seek ye oh land, yes I seek, where will the land take me?