* § 49-0113. Thirty by thirty conservation goal.

1. It shall be the goal of the state to support and contribute to
national efforts to conserve at least thirty percent of United States
lands and inland waters and at least thirty percent of United States
ocean areas by the year two thousand thirty.

2. The department in consultation with the commissioner of the office
of parks, recreation and historic preservation, shall develop strategies
and a methodology to achieve the goal, including but not limited to:

(a) coordination with the state land acquisition plan;

(b) prioritizing protections for water sources and sole source
aquifers, including wetlands protections;

(c) protections and restoration projects for preserving and increasing
biodiversity, including habitat restoration, with a focus on habitats of
endangered and threatened species including resilient and connected
lands and corridors providing means for wildlife migration and
habitation;

(d) expanding access to nature and nature's benefits and equitable
outdoor access in communities in every region;

(e) consideration of a broad range of landscapes including urban,
suburban and rural natural areas, wetlands, forests, and watersheds;

(f) consideration of the state's economic sustainability, including
preservation of food security and consultation with the department of
agriculture and markets on issues related to farmland preservation of
working lands;

(g) increasing climate resilience, including reducing risk from
extreme weather events including cooling urban landscapes and natural
solutions to prevent erosion and flooding;

(h) collaboration with federal and state research institutions to
utilize innovative scientific observation technology to better
understand the state's conservation needs and biodiversity and threats
thereto;

(i) implementing actions in a manner that includes consideration of
the urgency of meeting the goal while still preserving public input and
involvement;

(j) collaboration with tribal partners to incorporate tribal expertise
and traditional ecological knowledge to better understand the state's
conservation needs and biodiversity and threats thereto; and

(k) participating in regional, national, and international efforts to
advance biodiversity protection, including preventing extinctions.

3. Conservation measures shall be undertaken in ways that serve all
communities, including low-income, disadvantaged and vulnerable
communities, including by ensuring meaningful opportunities for public
input and involvement.

4. The department shall post the draft strategies and methodology
developed to meet the goal no later than July first, two thousand
twenty-four and hold at least one public hearing thereon. The department
shall post the final goal strategies and methodology on its website.

5. The department shall maintain and, at least annually, update its
website to provide information with regard to the implementation and
status of the goal.

* NB Repealed January 1, 2031