“At this juncture, the fact NMFS hasn’t already addressed deaths due to vessel collisions is beyond incomprehensible,” said Erica Fuller, a senior attorney at Conservation Law Foundation. “We hope this will force the agency to take emergency action rather than wait until next spring to start a new rule-making process. That kind of delay does little to protect the moms traveling up and down the coast now.”
In a monumental decision, President Biden honors science by restoring protections to the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument.
“President Biden’s announcement is a welcome relief after Trump threw science out the window and slashed protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts,” said Peter Shelley, Senior Counsel at CLF. “Restoring these commonsense safeguards will have an immeasurable impact on species that call the monument home and will result in a healthier ocean overall. With our oceans in peril from human impacts and the climate crisis, it’s time to protect more areas, not less.”
CLF celebrates the fifth anniversary of the designation of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. Now, we’re calling for more of our ocean and land to be permanently protected.
“With our nation’s waters under siege from polluters, today’s announcement is a step in the right direction,” said Heather Govern, Director of CLF’s Clean Air and Water Program. “But the Biden Administration must move quickly to officially overturn Trump’s irresponsible dirty water rule. Officials need to get to work redefining Waters of the United States to ensure clean water for current and future generations.”
“It cannot be overstated how critical it is to protect more of this country’s natural places,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “Permanently protecting 30 percent of lands and waters will help fight the climate crisis, protect biodiversity, and give future generations a chance at inheriting a healthy planet. The administration’s report presents a reasonable path for reaching this goal in nine short years, but for the effort to be credible the administration needs to be clearer about what criteria must be met to consider lands or waters ‘preserved.’”
Ensuring a just economic recovery from the pandemic means not following a business-as-usual model. Instead, we must prioritize people’s health, provide direct relief to families and individuals, and invest in the future of our communities.
Biden’s infrastructure package represents a critical investment in our future, infusing much-needed funding to ramp up New England’s transition to a carbon-free economy by 2050.
“After four years of Trump obstructing clean energy and promoting dirty fuels at every turn, President Biden’s focus on offshore wind comes not a moment too soon,” said Bradley Campbell, President of CLF. “Wind has the potential to power our homes, our green economy, and our transition away from polluting fossil fuels for good. However, projects must be responsibly sited to protect ocean life as well. Today’s announcement should be a boon to New England’s nascent wind industry and a strong start to the administration’s pledge to have a zero-emission grid by 2035.”
“Without strong action now, the climate crisis will devastate our communities, amplify injustice, and destroy ecosystems essential to human survival,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “President Biden is ushering in a new era for climate and environmental justice by prioritizing the needs of communities that have long borne the brunt of pollution and poor health. Conserving 30 percent of our lands and ocean will also allow thriving ecosystems to protect human and natural communities from climate changes already on the way. Today’s announcements are a welcome break from four years of all-out assaults on our environment.”
