Jobs and Economies within 30 by 30 Framework of Land Use Would Face Practical Obstacles; Ecologists Cite Outdoor Recreation Tourism as Big Opportunity; Boebert Gets Involved
In the Centennial State, Conservation Colorado leads the charge for 30 by 30.
Conservation Colorado and other philosophically aligned ecologists, like Western Resource Advocates, want to add 14 million acres to Colorado’s permanent protections by 2030. That’s a 233% increase in acreage over a few years from the current 6 million. This collides with current numbers for land use in Colorado. Consider two: coal mining and agriculture. The former is an aggregate quarter-million acres. The latter is 31.8 million acres.
30 by 30 Short List of Colorado Industries Impacted
- Logging
- Gas and oil drilling
- Coal mining
- Housing
- Most farming, especially large-scale farming
The Green-Green Bind: Economy
As many have noted, the words “ecology” and “economy” come from the same root: “eco-”, from Greek “oikos” for “household, house or family.” Ecology can affect the economy of Colorado at large. But individual citizens’ and families’ household finances are affected by ecology as well.
Total preservation or practical total preservation of land limits how that land and its waterways can make money and can serve the needs of people nearby. The 30 by 30 plan and Western Resource Advocates make clear they wish to massively reduce the production and use of fossil fuels. That alone causes some trouble for Colorado industries. The state’s fossil fuels market is still profitable even with increased environmental regulations.
Job Market Possibilities with Heavily Protected Land
When land is permanently protected, the remaining ways to generate income are mostly tourism, research, and public sector jobs.
Research jobs, mostly in the earth sciences in this context, are well-paying. Plus, innovation in science and industry can attract business. However, college educations are still a major investment in time and money. With a four-year degree as the starting point for most entry-level jobs in this sector, that limits the practical availability. As such, research jobs in and around protected lands are limited.
Government or public sector jobs–in this case, forestry, conservation, and similar employment–pay a good, living wage, but can come with strings attached. When federal money or federal payrolls show up in an enterprise, this can change operations. Policy and decision-making quickly become subject, at least in part, to federal regulations; regulations determined far from the people. Also, even with a presently growing government sector, federal employees still only number roughly 3 million nationwide meaning they’re still a smaller employer.
State, county, and city public sector jobs would still provide some opportunity, but these tend to isolate income. They involve little interstate trade.
Tourism Economy Impacted
The tourism economy is a boon to Colorado, but the scale is unclear. In 2019, there were 149,140 workers in the outdoor recreation industry in Colorado. This is according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (cited by the Colorado Sun). However, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, citing the State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), claimed there are 511,000 outdoor recreation jobs just two years previous in 2017.
This is an enormous variance. (Perhaps the difference in definitions of what constitutes a job in outdoor recreation is the reason.) That job number is a critical figure for livelihood and economic well-being. For effectively deciding whether to heavily restrict land usage, getting these numbers right is crucial.
Affecting the tourism sector is the fact that every major economy on earth involves trade. Individual states need to as well since tourism is not exportable. Further, according to BEA figures in the Colorado Sun article, the gross mean earnings for outdoor recreation employees in Colorado computed to a livable but modest $42,912 per year, per person in 2019.
The job market in Colorado, like the state, is varied and profitable but it needs land.
Lauren Boebert Gets Involved
Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert introduced legislation last year to stop 30 by 30. The bill was signed by Colorado Rep. Ken Buck and 16 other US congress members. Her bill is summed up in a press release on her website.
Even the most complex road, bridge, or transmission project pales in comparison to the impact of relegating hundreds of millions of acres [nationwide] into conservation status. The 30×30 program cannot be achieved without substantial impacts on private property and multiple-use federal lands. At a minimum, it is the administration’s obligation to provide a plan, legal justification, and venue for the public to participate.
Republicans cited her legislation when they released a counter-proposal to the federal budget in June. But Boebert’s bill has been idle for a year after it was referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry in July 2021.
Earth in the Balance
The back and forth continues between the everyday needs of the citizen majority and the urge to preserve land.
Energy needs are a growing concern nationwide and internationally. Sovereignty, always closely tied to energy policy in the industrialized world, is also on the mind of many state leaders in the US; blue, red, and green.
A letter to the White House by the American Farm Bureau Federation gave a balanced summation that might be a good starting point, especially considering Colorado’s history and the context of the American West.
“Any discussion about conservation must begin with the recognition that farmers and ranchers are already leaders in this space and have been for decades.”
Read Part 1 for more information on this vital topic.
