TNC Applauds America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge
This commitment will reconnect, restore and protect 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of rivers and streams by 2030
Media Contacts
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Cody Sullivan
Associate Director of Communications, North American Climate Policy
The Nature Conservancy
Email: cody.sullivan@tnc.org
Commenting on the launch of the America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge, The Nature Conservancy’s CEO Jennifer Morris said:
“It’s past time that we stand up for our nation’s rivers, lakes and wetlands. For far too long, we have taken these systems, and the waters they carry, for granted. Rates of biodiversity decline and habitat loss are highest in freshwater ecosystems both here in the United States and around the world. We can and must do better.
“Doing more requires that we work together—NGOs, companies, Federal and State agencies, Tribal nations and local communities—to protect and restore these systems. This is what America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge is all about.
“We applaud the White House’s new commitment to reconnect, restore and protect 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of rivers and streams by 2030. We hope that launching this timely initiative will spur needed action at home and motivate even more countries to join the complementary global Freshwater Challenge.
Quote: Jennifer Morris
It’s past time that we stand up for our nation’s rivers, lakes and wetlands. For far too long, we have taken these systems, and the waters they carry, for granted. We can and must do better.
“Together, the 46 countries (and counting) that have signed on to the global Freshwater Challenge will work to accelerate the restoration of 300,000 km of degraded rivers and 350 million hectares of degraded wetlands by 2030, helping address some of the most urgent threats facing the planet’s freshwater systems.
“As a supporting partner to the Freshwater Challenge, The Nature Conservancy will work at both global and national levels to support the Country Members through the implementation of their national targets, leveraging the organization’s expertise in science, policy, capacity building and resource mobilization.
“We're proud that our own 2030 goals for freshwater are aligned with the both the global and national Freshwater Challenge. Today our freshwater work touches down at 383 projects in 37 countries. By 2030, we are challenging ourselves through this work and its expansion to conserve one million kilometers of rivers and 30 million hectares of lakes, wetlands and floodplains. We are ready to do more, together.”
The Freshwater Challenge was officially launched by the governments of Colombia, DR Congo, Gabon, Mexico and Zambia at the UN Water Conference in March 2023. Supporting partners include The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, IUCN, UNEP, Wetlands International and WWF. Learn more at www.freshwaterchallenge.org/
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 77 countries and territories (41 by direct conservation impact and 36 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on X.
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