P

An update on progress made to support locally led 

conservation and restoration efforts

America the Beautiful

2022 Annual Report

Photo by BLM
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

Table of Contents

Letter to America.........................................................................................................................................3

I. Introduction..............................................................................................................................................4

Background on the America the Beautiful Initiative ............................................................................4

Overview: Year Two of America the Beautiful......................................................................................6

Historic Investments ...........................................................................................................................7

New Policies and Initiatives ...............................................................................................................8

New National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, and Other Conservation Actions........................................9

Broad Public Engagement.................................................................................................................10

II. Progress in Six Focus Areas..................................................................................................................12

Creating More Parks and Safe Outdoor Opportunities in Nature-Deprived Communities .............12

Support Tribally Led Conservation and Restoration Priorities.........................................................15

Expand Collaborative Conservation of Fish and Wildlife Habitats and Corridors...........................20

Increase Access for Outdoor Recreation .............................................................................................26

Incentivize and Reward the Voluntary Conservation Efforts of Fishers, Ranchers, Farmers, and 

Forest Owners .......................................................................................................................................29

Create Jobs by Investing in Restoration and Resilience.....................................................................33

III. Conclusion............................................................................................................................................37

Appendix: Summary of Public Comment Period on the Development of the American Conservation 

and Stewardship Atlas ..............................................................................................................................38
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Letter to America

Dear Reader:

In this second annual report on President Biden’s America the Beautiful initiative, you will find 

updates on the steps Federal agencies are taking to support locally led efforts to conserve and 

restore our nation’s lands, waters, and wildlife. 

In particular, this report describes the impacts of unprecedented investments in conservation and 

restoration that we are making from coast to coast, thanks to the President’s Bipartisan 

Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. You will also read about the successes of 

communities who, after years and years of work, secured protections for irreplaceable natural, 

historic, and cultural treasures, from the Tongass National Forest and Camp Hale and Camp Amache 

in Colorado. And you will find updates on our efforts to support and advance the conservation 

priorities and needs of Tribal Nations, to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into the Federal 

Government’s decision-making, and to ensure that all communities have access to nature and its 

many benefits.

Though the milestones and accomplishments described in this report are important and inspiring, 

so too is the way in which communities, stakeholders, and governments at all levels are advancing 

land, water, and wildlife stewardship. True to the principles of the America the Beautiful initiative, 

we are pursuing the President’s national conservation goal in a way that is collaborative and 

inclusive, honors Tribal sovereignty and supports the priorities of Tribal Nations, supports 

voluntary stewardship efforts of private landowners and honors private property rights, fosters job 

creation and healthy communities, uses science as a guide, and conserves our nation’s lands and 

waters for the benefit of all people.

My colleagues and I in the Biden-Harris administration are proud of the progress reflected in this 

second annual report, and excited about the work that remains ahead.

Sincerely,

Brenda Mallory

Chair, Council on Environmental Quality
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I. Introduction

In 2022, the Federal family continued to support and advance locally led conservation and 

restoration efforts across the nation as part of the America the Beautiful initiative. This call 

to action, born out of Executive Order 14008 on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and 

Abroad that President Biden signed during his first month in office, charged the Secretaries 

of the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce along with the Chair of the 

White House Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ) 

with the goal of conserving at 

least 30 percent of our lands 

and waters by 2030. 

As part of the America the 

Beautiful initiative, the BidenHarris administration

committed to produce annual, 

publicly available reports. This 

report—the second on America 

the Beautiful—provides an 

overview of activities that 

occurred in 2022 consistent 

with the goals and principles of 

the initiative. 

Background on the America the Beautiful Initiative

For years, scientists have sounded the alarm about the extinction crisis that threatens the 

health of the natural systems that supply our food, water, fiber, fuel, and other resources.

This nature crisis exacerbates—and is exacerbated by—the impacts of climate change that 

are rapidly altering our terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Nature-deprived 

communities across the nation bear the brunt of nature loss and climate change, resulting 

in disproportionate impacts to their health and well-being.

The America the Beautiful initiative is designed to strengthen the nation’s economy by 

addressing the interconnected climate and biodiversity crises and improving equitable 

access to nature. The initiative builds on America’s long tradition of collaborative 

stewardship to build a future where every person in the country can experience the 

opportunities provided by our nation’s cherished lands and waters. Locally led and

partnership-driven, America the Beautiful supports conservation and restoration efforts 

across the country. 

Following the President’s Executive Order in January 2021, the Federal Government

conducted listening sessions to inform the America the Beautiful initiative. A wide range of 

Figure 1: President Biden speaking at the 2022 Tribal 

Nations Summit. Photo by DOI.
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

stakeholders provided input that supported the development of the America the Beautiful 

initiative. As reflected in the initial report from May 2021, the input reflected significant

agreement and shared values across many stakeholders, leaders, geographies, and political 

perspectives on the value of natural places and healthy ecosystems in the fight against 

climate change, in protecting clean drinking water and clean air, and in safeguarding an 

abundance and diversity of wildlife. The feedback also emphasized the belief that the 

country can and should be doing more to support and accelerate locally led conservation 

efforts of all kinds across the country as well as the need to expand access to the outdoors 

and nature for all communities.

The input also illuminated strong agreement on a set of principles adopted as the 

foundation of the initiative. These eight principles guide the work that the Biden-Harris 

administration has done and will continue to do to advance conservation and restoration:

• Pursue a collaborative and inclusive approach to conservation;

• Conserve America’s lands and waters for the benefit of all people;

• Support locally led and locally designed conservation efforts;

• Honor Tribal sovereignty and support the priorities of Tribal Nations;

• Pursue conservation and restoration approaches that create jobs and support 

healthy communities;

• Honor private property rights and support the voluntary stewardship efforts of 

private landowners and fishers;

• Use science as a guide; and

• Build on existing tools and strategies with an emphasis on flexibility and adaptive 

approaches.

Additionally, stakeholders helped identify six areas ripe for successful collaboration

through the initiative: creating more parks in underserved communities; supporting 

Tribally led conservation and restoration priorities; expanding collaborative conservation 

of fish and wildlife habitats and corridors; increasing access for outdoor recreation; 

rewarding voluntary conservation efforts of fishers, ranchers, farmers, and forest owners; 

and creating jobs by investing in restoration and resilience.

Within the Biden-Harris administration, the America the Beautiful Interagency Working 

Group is co-chaired by CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, 

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. 

Together, they help coordinate and advance conservation and restoration work across the 

government—with many additional agencies playing significant roles.

In year one, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) made big investments to support 

conservation outcomes on private lands, enrolling more acres in Farm Bill Conservation 

Programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and making its programs 

easier to use and more responsive to the needs of farmers, ranchers, and other landowners.
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) designated the Wisconsin 

Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Michigan, initiated the designation 

process for the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of California, 

expanded Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, and proposed new national 

estuarine research reserves in Connecticut, Wisconsin, and Louisiana. Additionally, the 

Department of the Interior (DOI) led action to facilitate Tribal co-stewardship on public 

lands, such as taking action to protect Chaco Canyon, made big investments in new parks 

and outdoor spaces through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and laid the groundwork 

with States and Tribes to conserve wildlife corridors. The first year, too, marked 

restorations of national monuments, including Bears Ears, in which President Biden 

reaffirmed the principle that once a place is protected, it is to be protected forever.

Overview: Year Two of America the Beautiful

In 2022, the Biden-Harris administration continued to advance locally led conservation and 

restoration efforts while engaging a broad array of stakeholders. Through historic 

investments, new policies, and place-based efforts, the administration worked to 

strengthen conservation of lands and waters across the country. The President’s Bipartisan 

Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act made the largest investments in the 

restoration and resilience of natural systems in U.S. history, and States, Tribes, and local 

governments advanced visionary and creative conservation goals across the country.

President Biden also signed into law other legislation that bolstered conservation and 

restoration work, including with the Bipartisan Year-End Omnibus and the National 

Defense Authorization Act. These two legislative accomplishments supported the goals and 

principles of America the Beautiful nationwide, designating new wilderness in Nevada,

establishing a new national historic site in Illinois, designating more than 70 new miles of 

wild and scenic river segments and national heritage areas across the country, extending

authorizations for myriad programs, and more.

In total during his first two years in office, President Biden took more conservation actions 

and protected more lands than any other 21st century President by channeling more than 

$10 billion to local land conservation. His efforts have conserved millions of acres of lands 

and waters through designations of national monuments, wildlife refuges, wilderness 

areas, farm bill conservation programs, and more. The President has demonstrated his 

commitment as a modern conservationist to aggressively pursuing the challenge of 

conserving at least 30 percent of American lands and waters by 2030. 

Additionally, late in 2022, the administration was pleased to see the international 

community follow America’s lead in these efforts when, at the United Nations Biodiversity 

Conference, governments across the globe reached a historic agreement to collectively 

commit to conserving at least 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030, among other goals.
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Historic Investments

The Inflation Reduction Act, which President Biden signed into law in August 2022, reflects 

the most ambitious action taken on combatting the climate crisis in the nation’s history and 

has already begun to support American workers and create good-paying jobs across the 

country. It is providing historic investments to reduce emissions, secure environmental 

justice, and develop a robust and sustainable clean energy economy. Many of these 

investments also advance restoration of America’s lands and waters, and will enable 

communities to improve access to outdoor spaces.

For example, the Inflation Reduction Act included $4.6 billion to address the worsening 

drought crisis in the West; $500 million for land resilience, conservation, and habitat 

restoration within the Interior Department; approximately $20 billion for USDA’s Farm Bill 

conservation programs to support producers in climate change mitigation and resilience;

$700 million in additional funding for the Forest Legacy program to permanently conserve 

private forestlands; $1.8 billion for hazardous reduction projects to mitigate the risk of 

wildfire to communities, critical infrastructure, water sources, and at-risk species habitat; 

$1.5 billion for Urban and Community Forestry activities including those in underserved 

communities and that mitigate extreme heat; $2.6 billion for NOAA to build the nation’s 

resilience to climate change, including by enabling more targeted research, conservation, 

restoration, and protection measures for coastal and marine habitats, fisheries, and marine 

mammals; $3 billion for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants for projects related 

to climate change and air pollution, extreme heat risk mitigation, resiliency and adaptation, 

and community engagement; and $3 billion for Department of Transportation grants to 

reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, manage stormwater run-off, address 

urban heat islands, and gaps in tree canopy coverage.

These investments build on the once-in-a-generation investments in our nation’s 

infrastructure and natural capital through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 

and the Great American Outdoors Act. In the first year of implementing the Bipartisan 

Infrastructure Law, the Biden-Harris administration announced more than $185 billion in 

funding and more than 6,900 specific projects, reaching more than 4,000 communities 

across all 50 States, D.C., and the territories that, in many cases, support conservation and 

restoration nationwide. The Great American Outdoors Act also continued to support the 

nation’s lands and waters through full and permanent funding of the Land and Water 

Conservation Fund, and through critical investments in infrastructure on our national 

parks, forests, wildlife refuges, recreation areas, and more.

Aligned with the goals and principles of the America the Beautiful initiative, the BidenHarris administration has worked to ensure that these historic investments directly

support and empower local communities to advance their conservation and restoration 

priorities. For example, the Biden-Harris administration and National Fish and Wildlife 

Foundation launched the America the Beautiful Challenge, a “one stop shop” competitive 
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

grant program for conservation and restoration projects that implement conservation 

plans across the nation.

In 2022, the America the Beautiful Challenge granted $91 million to 55 conservation 

projects in 42 States, three U.S. territories and for 14 Tribal Nations. The fund leveraged 

more than $50 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of 

more than $141 million. About one-third of the funding supported projects proposed by 

Tribes, and the Native Americans in Philanthropy organization is covering the match 

requirements for Tribes through its Tribal Nations Conservation Collaborative Fund. The 

request for proposals received an unprecedented response, with applicants submitting 527 

proposals representing all 50 States, Puerto Rico, and three U.S. Territories requesting a 

total of $1.1 billion, illustrating how much impactful conservation work is ready and 

waiting for investments like these.

Furthermore, USDA enrolled more than 3.1 million acres in the Grassland Conservation 

Reserve Program, which is the largest signup in the program to date. This voluntary 

program protects grasslands and promotes biodiversity while allowing producers and 

landowners to continue grazing and haying practices on their land.

New Policies and Initiatives

In 2022, the Biden-Harris administration outlined new strategies and goals that strengthen 

collaborative, science-based conservation of public lands and waters. In Executive Order 

14072 on Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities, and Local Economies, President 

Biden provided directives to safeguard mature and old-growth forests on Federal lands, 

strengthen reforestation partnerships across the country, combat global deforestation, and 

enlist nature to address the climate crisis and improve the resilience of our lands, waters, 

wildlife, and communities.

The administration’s Nature-Based Solutions Roadmap, for example, responded to 

President Biden’s directive in the Order for the Federal Government to identify key 

opportunities for greater deployment of nature-based solutions across the Federal 

Government. The Roadmap, released in November, outlined new actions and 

recommendations to make nature-based solutions a go-to option for fighting climate 

change, and boosting progress toward America’s climate goals. Additionally, the Order 

established the directive for the U.S. Global Change Research Program to conduct the first 

National Nature Assessment for the country to increase our knowledge of nature in the 

United States, its relevance to our lives and the economy, and its links to global change. In 

complementary actions, the Office of Management and the Budget, the White House Office 

of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and the Department of Commerce produced a 

draft plan for a national strategy to put America’s natural assets on its economic balance 

sheet, to help reflect the importance of nature in the lives of Americans and in the economy. 
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

At the 2022 Tribal Nations Summit, CEQ and OSTP announced first-of-its-kind governmentwide guidance for Federal agencies to recognize and include Indigenous Knowledge in 

Federal research, policy, and decision-making. Initiated at the 2021 White House Tribal 

Nations Summit, the new guidance was developed in consultation with Tribes and 

engagement with Indigenous Peoples to elevate Indigenous observations, oral and written 

knowledge, practices, and beliefs that promote environmental sustainability and the 

responsible stewardship of natural and cultural resources in Federal policymaking.

Additionally, the administration has established two forums for interagency coordination 

on the America the Beautiful initiative. First, the Biden-Harris administration renewed the 

Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR), which focuses on providing 

the public with improved and more affordable experiences on America’s public lands and 

waters. Second, the Biden-Harris administration launched the Nature in Communities 

Committee, which focuses on strengthening investments in communities that have 

historically been denied the many benefits that nature provides.

New National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, and Other Conservation Actions

In 2022, President Biden had the honor to lift up a number of nationally significant sites

that, together, help tell a more complete story of America. 

In March, he signed the Amache National Historic Site Act, designating the former 

incarceration site for Japanese Americans during World War II in Granada, Colorado as part 

of the National Park System. In May, the President signed the Brown v. Board of Education 

National Historical Park Expansion and Redesignation Act, providing for inclusion of 

additional related sites in the National Park System to reflect a more complete story of the 

landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawing segregation in public schools in 1954. In 

October, President Biden 

designated Blackwell 

School National Historic 

Site in Texas to help tell the 

history of Texas school 

districts that established 

separate elementary 

schools for Mexican 

American children through 

the practice of de facto 

segregation.

Also in October, as part of 

his administration's 

commitment to protect, 

conserve, and restore our 

country's iconic outdoor 

Figure 2: President Biden at the first new national monument of 

his presidency: the Camp Hale – Continental Divide National 

Monument. Photo by White House.
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

spaces and historical sites for the benefit of future generations, President Biden used his 

authorities under the Antiquities Act to designate the Camp Hale – Continental Divide 

National Monument in Colorado. This new monument honors the nation’s veterans and 

Indigenous People and their legacy by protecting this Colorado landscape, while supporting 

jobs and America’s outdoor recreation economy.

In November, at the White House Tribal Nations Summit, President Biden committed to

continuing to use his authorities to protect sacred Tribal lands, including Avi Kwa Ame or 

Spirit Mountain, an area in southern Nevada central to the creation story of many Tribes. 

The Departments of the Interior and Agriculture also completed more than 20 costewardship agreements to continue advancing and supporting Tribally led conservation 

and restoration priorities.

And, in December, the omnibus bill included the designation of New Philadelphia National 

Historic Site in Illinois, which commemorates the history of early 19th century Black 

pioneers; established seven new National Heritage Areas including Alabama Black Belt, 

Bronzeville-Black Metropolis in Illinois, Downeast Maine, Northern Neck in Virginia, St 

Croix, Southern Campaign of the Revolution in North Carolina and South Carolina, and 

Southern Maryland; expanded the protection of important historical and natural resources 

by expanding the boundaries of several existing parks; and added two new rivers to the 

Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Additionally, the Red River National Wildlife Refuge 

Boundary Modification Act, which became law in December, upgraded the acquisition 

boundary of the refuge in Louisiana by thousands of acres.

In addition to President Biden’s actions, multiple Federal departments and agencies made 

conservation progress. For example, DOI announced the establishment of the Lost Trail 

Conservation Area in northwest Montana as the 568th and newest unit of the National 

Wildlife Refuge System. This expansion—the first unit for the System under the BidenHarris administration—is the culmination of a 20-year locally-led effort to conserve 

important big game corridors and recreational areas in the region. The new conservation 

area provides an important wildlife habitat corridor between National Forest lands, the 

Flathead Indian Reservation, and other wildlife refuges while allowing for sustainable 

timber harvest and continued outdoor recreation opportunities.

Additionally, in January 2022, NOAA designated the Connecticut National Estuarine 

Research Reserve in Long Island Sound. As the 30th site in the reserve system, the new 

reserve encompasses 52,160 acres. In June 2022, NOAA initiated the designation process 

for the proposed Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary, for an area near the largest 

submarine canyon along the United States Atlantic coast.

Broad Public Engagement

The Biden-Harris administration is committed to continuing to engage the public to inform 

conservation and restoration priorities. In 2022, for example, the Departments of the 
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

Interior and Agriculture stood up the Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council to provide 

recommendations on policies that benefit wildlife and habitat conservation, safe 

recreational shooting sports, and wildlife-associated recreation opportunities. NOAA also 

announced the establishment of a new Marine and Coastal Area-based Management 

Advisory Committee, which will advise NOAA on science-based approaches to area-based 

protection, conservation, restoration, and management in marine and coastal areas, 

including the Great Lakes.

In addition, the America the Beautiful Interagency Working Group, co-chaired by 

Secretaries Haaland, Vilsack, Raimondo, and Chair Mallory, gathered input from the public 

about how to best track, reflect, and advance progress within the initiative and illustrate 

where additional investments can make the most difference for climate, biodiversity, and 

equity.

During the 60-day formal public comment period on the development of the American 

Conservation and Stewardship Atlas (Atlas), more than 34,500 comments were received. 

Some of these comments were signed by individual organizations or members of the 

public; others had ten to thousands of individuals sign on in agreement. Comments came 

from a wide, diverse range of constituents. Some examples include: 

• Elected officials, including Governors and county commissioners 

• Farm bureaus and other national, State, regional, and local agricultural 

organizations

• Regional Fishery Management Councils, including New England, North Pacific, and

the Council Coordination Committee

• Conservation-focused nonprofits

• Researchers and scientists from universities, private companies, and more 

• Indigenous scientists, Indigenous Knowledge holders, and Tribal organizations 

• Engaged citizens

The open-ended nature of the Federal Register questions generated myriad perspectives, 

and the full version of each comment can be individually reviewed on the Regulations.gov 

docket. However, general themes emerged from each of the questions posted in the Federal 

Register Notice that have been useful to inform interagency conversations. The summary in 

Appendix A offers a snapshot of consistent themes and feedback heard.
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II. Progress in Six Focus Areas

In addition to the key investments, policies, designations, and public engagement

highlighted above for 2022, this section provides additional detail on efforts to advance the 

six areas of early focus of the America the Beautiful initiative. These summaries do not 

capture all the efforts underway; nor do they fully reflect the important partnerships with 

local, State, and Tribal governments, and non-governmental organizations to advance 

locally led conservation and restoration. Appropriately, many of the items highlighted have 

been decades in the making and build on existing programs that have been embraced by 

local, State, and Tribal governments as well as previous administrations. Like the 2021

annual report, this compilation is both a celebration of accomplishments to date and a call 

to action to continue future conservation and restoration work in the years to come.

Creating More Parks and Safe Outdoor Opportunities in Nature-Deprived 

Communities

The Biden-Harris administration has continued to create more parks and safe outdoor 

opportunities in nature-deprived communities, many of which are communities of color or 

low-income communities, to improve equitable access to nature and its benefits. Examples 

from 2022 include:

• Interagency Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Equitable Access 

to Nature in Nature-Deprived Communities. The Biden-Harris administration 

celebrated the signing of this agreement by 10 Federal departments and agencies to 

support local leaders’ efforts to improve access to nature and create, expand, 

steward, and conserve 

natural spaces for all 

Americans. The CEQ has 

convened the newly 

formed interagency 

group, named the Nature 

in Communities 

Committee, with 

representatives from the 

Environmental Protection 

Agency, AmeriCorps, and 

the Departments of the 

Interior, Agriculture, 

Commerce, Army Civil 

Works, Housing and 

Urban Development, 

Transportation, and 

Homeland Security.

Figure 3: Second Gentleman Emhoff planting trees with 

local leaders in celebration of the signing of the 

memorandum to expand equitable access to nature. 

Photo by White House.
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

• Mapping Nature-Deprived Communities. The Biden-Harris administration 

included, for the first time, a layer in the Climate and Economic Justice Screening 

Tool to reflect a lack of equitable access to parks and open space. This inclusion 

acknowledges disparity—and the impact of parks and open spaces on human health 

and community wellbeing—and drives important resources to disadvantaged

communities. 

• Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership: Through the Land and Water 

Conservation Fund’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program, the National 

Park Service (NPS) announced that communities in 26 cities across the United 

States would receive up to $61.1 million in grant funding to create new parks and 

trails, or substantial renovations to existing parks. In addition, NPS announced that 

$192 million will be distributed to urban communities to create new outdoor 

recreation spaces, reinvigorate existing parks, and form connections between 

people and the outdoors in economically underserved areas. In order to increase the 

program’s flexibility, the Department announced programmatic changes to the 

program to support bigger ideas and more communities in their pursuit of creating 

more parks and places.

• Urban Forests, Gardens, and Agriculture: The USDA has continued to invest in its 

programs focused on urban forests, gardens, and agricultural opportunities.

o Urban and Community Forestry: In addition to regular appropriations at a 

historic high of $40 million, the Forest Service (FS) Urban and Community 

Forestry Program also received $1.5 billion in 2022 in Inflation Reduction 

Act funding to engage directly with historically underrepresented and 

disadvantaged communities and restore and sustain the health of urban and 

community forests. 

o Gardens: The People's Garden Initiative based in the Natural Resources 

Conservation Service (NRCS) distributed more than $1 million to support 

gardens in nature-deprived communities in 17 cities with an additional $2.5 

million slated for distribution.

o Agriculture: The Farm Service Agency (FSA) established six additional 

Urban and Suburban County Committees in 2022 to partner with local 

organizations to identify urban spaces in nature-deprived communities that 

could be transformed into agricultural spaces for urban and suburban 

producers.

• Urban Waters Federal Partnership: Led by the EPA, this existing partnership 

among 15 Federal agencies continued its work throughout 2022 to help reconnect 

communities with their waterways by improving coordination and collaboration 

with community-led revitalization efforts and promoting their economic, 

environmental, and social benefits. Currently in 20 communities, the partnership 

announced nearly $4 million to benefit 22 urban waters projects that are critical for 

citizen health and safety, recreation, and economic development across 15 cities.
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

• Bureau of Indian Education Community Schoolyards: At the 2022 White House 

Tribal Nations Summit, DOI announced a new partnership between the Bureau of 

Indian Education (BIE) and Trust for Public Land to create culturally informed 

education spaces. This innovative partnership will help fund nine new schoolyards 

in Tribal communities that combine nature, physical activity, education, Native 

languages, and cultural heritage.

• Urban Bird Treaty Program: In 2022, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Urban 

Bird Treaty Program contributed $135,000 to support projects in five cities, 

representing more than $460,000 from FWS and its partners that engage 

communities in habitat restoration and bird monitoring, education, and recreation 

and improve access to nature for diverse and underserved communities.

• Land Use Innovation Grants: The NPS, EPA, and Groundwork USA, a national 

nonprofit serving a network of local groundwork trust organizations committed to 

improving the natural and built environments of low-resource communities, 

launched a new grant initiative to help communities transform brownfields into 

parks, trails, and greenspace. The inaugural round of awards totaled nearly 

$230,000 and supported six projects in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, 

Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.

• Fisheries Equity and Environmental Justice Strategy: NOAA developed a new 

Fisheries Equity and Environmental Justice Strategy to increase coordination, 

communication, and engagement with underserved and underrepresented groups. 

Based on public comments and feedback received, NOAA is revising and finalizing 

its strategy for public release. 

• Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program: Through this program in

2022, experienced NPS staff provided free, on-location help to 260 communities and 

public land managers who are working to create and restore parks, conservation 

areas, and brownfields. Completed projects helped restore rivers, wildlife habitats, 

and impaired resources; improve outdoor recreation; develop climate resiliency 

strategies; and support natural disaster recovery. 

• Community Development Block Grants: In fiscal year 2022, the Department of 

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provided $146.4 million in funding directed 

by States, cities, and counties to develop and improve parks and recreational 

facilities and to plant trees.

Next Steps: The America the Beautiful initiative will continue to build and integrate with 

the Biden-Harris administration’s work on the Justice40 Initiative to deliver 40 percent of 

the overall benefits from Federal investments in climate and clean energy to disadvantaged

communities. Leadership from the newly established interagency Nature in Communities 

Committee, which CEQ convenes, will provide information and coordination for naturerelated efforts across the Federal family. Additionally, Federal departments and agencies 

will continue to look for effective ways to invest the historic funding available from the 
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Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to advance the goals of 

America the Beautiful in an equitable manner.

Support Tribally Led Conservation and Restoration Priorities

The Biden-Harris administration remains committed to honoring Tribal sovereignty and 

supporting the priorities of Tribal Nations as part of the America the Beautiful initiative. 

Examples from 2022 include:

• Advancing Tribal CoStewardship Policies:

Since Secretary Haaland 

and Secretary Vilsack 

signed Joint Secretarial

Order 3403 in 2021 

committing to costewardship of Federal 

lands, waters and wildlife, 

the Departments of the 

Interior and Agriculture 

have celebrated several 

significant costewardship 

arrangements providing Tribes a greater role in the management of Federal lands 

and waters that have cultural and natural resources of significance and value to 

their respective communities. At the 2022 Tribal Nations Summit, the Department 

of Commerce joined the Order, furthering the administration’s co-stewardship goals 

in the management of waters, fisheries, and other resources of significance and 

value to Tribes. Additionally, for the first time, the Departments of the Interior and 

Agriculture released reports on land, water, and wildlife treaty responsibilities and 

legal authorities that can support Tribal co-stewardship.

• Co-Stewardship Agreements: In 2022, DOI and FS completed more than 20 

landmark co-stewardship agreements with Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations and 

consortiums, with more under development. A representative sample of the 

agreements include:

o Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Bison Range: In December 

2020, the Montana Water Rights Protection Act restored the National Bison 

Range land to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and created a 

two-year period for transitioning management of the bison range from FWS 

to the Tribes. In June 2021, DOI transferred all lands comprising the bison 

range, approximately 18,800 acres, to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to be held 

in trust for the Tribes. In January 2022, ahead of schedule, the Tribes 

Figure 4: Vice President Harris speaking at the 2022 Tribal 

Nations Summit. Photo by DOI.
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

assumed full management of the bison range and, in fiscal year 2022, FWS

also transferred $5.4 million to repair deficient infrastructure.

o Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge: The Rappahannock 

Tribe reacquired from a private landowner 465 acres at Fones Cliffs, a sacred 

site to the Tribe and part of their ancestral homelands. Fones Cliffs, a globally 

significant area for bald eagles, is located on the eastern side of the 

Rappahannock 

River in Virginia 

and within the 

authorized 

boundary of the 

Rappahannock

River Valley 

National Wildlife 

Refuge. The land 

is now owned by 

the Tribe, is 

publicly 

accessible, and is 

held with a 

permanent 

conservation 

easement that 

was conveyed to 

FWS. 

o Redwood National Park: In May 2022, Redwood National Park and the 

Yurok Tribe successfully reintroduced condors at the park in California. This 

marks the first time in 130 years that the endangered species returned to the 

ancestral homelands of the Yurok people. In July 2022, Redwood National 

Park and the Yurok Tribe executed a funding agreement for the Tribe to 

continue their groundbreaking condor reintroduction work, as well as for 

trail repair and maintenance, and air quality monitoring. 

o Bears Ears National Monument: In June 2022, the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM), FS, and the five Tribes of the Bears Ears Commission—

the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Ute Indian Tribe of 

the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, and the Pueblo of Zuni—formalized and 

celebrated their partnership for co-management of Bears Ears National 

Monument in Utah. To implement the collaborative stewardship, BLM, FS, 

and the five Tribes executed a first-of-its-kind cooperative agreement to 

guide the shared stewardship of the 1.36 million acres of the monument.

o Kawerak, Inc. Co-Stewardship Funding Agreement: In 2022, BLM signed a 

multiyear, self-governance funding agreement to transfer a portion of BLM’s 

Figure 5: Secretary Haaland speaks at the celebration of 

the Rappahannock Tribe’s reacquisition of Fones Cliff. 

Photo by DOI.
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

cultural resource activities and functions to Kawerak, Inc., a Tribal non-profit 

consortium representing 20 Tribal governments in the Bering Strait region of 

Alaska. This groundbreaking self-governance agreement regarding cultural 

resources is the first of-its-kind between BLM and Tribes in Alaska. 

o Effigy Mounds National Monument Sister Park Agreement: In November 

2022, NPS celebrated the first sister park agreement between a Tribe and 

NPS. The Tribal Sister Park Agreement between Effigy Mounds National 

Monument in Iowa and the Ioway Tribal National Park (Iowa Tribe of Kansas 

and Nebraska) will promote cooperation and support for the mutual benefit 

of both parties and enrich the experience and capacity of the personnel at 

both parks. 

o Joshua Tree National Park: In November 2022, Joshua Tree National Park 

celebrated an agreement with the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission 

Indians that enables the park and Tribe to collaborate on interpretive and 

educational services, natural and cultural history training, mutual aid for 

search and rescue and wildland fire operations, joint protection of the 

Chemehuevi Cemetery, and other opportunities in California. 

o Tongass National Forest: The Tongass National Forest has worked closely 

with Tribes and Tribal partners in Alaska—the Hoonah Indian Association, 

the Organized Village of Kake, and the Organized Village of Kasaan—to 

execute multiple agreements. The agreements include thinning work that 

contributes to the long-standing Hoonah Native Forest Partnership, youth 

stewardship projects that protect burial sites while providing training and 

leadership development in Kake, and a framework to sustain culturally 

critical resources and forest products in Kasaan. These co-stewardship 

agreements also include sharing Indigenous Knowledge, enabling workforce 

development, and protecting culturally significant places.

o Nez-Perce Tribe: The Nez Perce Tribe and the Nez Perce-Clearwater 

National Forests in Idaho continued their long-standing collaboration in 

2022 with a Master Participating Agreement for stream and floodplain 

restoration, and continuation of historic and prehistoric interpretation. The 

Nez Perce Tribe is leading this stream habitat restoration in the Crooked 

River Valley to protect steelhead and Chinook salmon.

o Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians: The Nantahala and Pisgah National 

Forests in North Carolina and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians entered 

into a historic Tribal Forest Protection Act agreement, the first ever to be 

signed within the Southern Region of the FS. The Southern Region spans

from Texas to North Carolina and includes the southeast United States. 

Coupled with a Good Neighbor Agreement, this work integrates cultural and 

Indigenous Knowledge with silviculture and fire management to inform best 

management practices for basket-quality white oak trees and other culturally 

important forest products while reducing fire risk, restoring oak forests, 
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

improving wildlife habitat, creating early successional habitat, promoting 

cultural tourism and recreation, and reducing risk to Tribal trust lands. 

• Regional Collaboration: A wide variety of partnerships across the Federal family 

continued to grow in 2022. A few examples are as follows:

o Espanola, Rio Grande, and Tributaries Project: In 2022, the Army Corps of 

Engineers (USACE) finalized a design agreement with the Santa Clara Pueblo 

and Ohkay Owingeh for the Espanola, Rio Grande, and Tributaries Project, 

which is a major Civil Works project that will restore and protect 

approximately 1,000 acres of aquatic and riparian habitat in the Rio Grande 

and its tributaries and protect cultural resources on Tribal lands. These 

habitats are an integral part of maintaining the social identity and the 

transmission and retention of Indigenous Knowledge for both Santa Clara 

and Ohkay Owingeh.

o Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area: In 2022, the Office of 

Science and Technology Policy, as Chair of the Arctic Executive Steering 

Committee, worked closely with Federal and Tribal partners to implement 

provisions of Executive Order 13990 that re-established the Northern Bering 

Sea Climate Resilience Area, a co-management, co-stewardship arrangement 

between a Federal Task Force led by DOI, NOAA, and the U.S. Coast Guard 

with the Bering Intergovernmental Tribal Advisory Council.

o Northern Great Plains Tribal Communities: The Smithsonian Institution is 

collaborating with Tribal communities in the Northern Great Plains region to 

advance buffalo restoration programs, establish educational and professional 

pathways for natural resources students, and develop long-term research to 

inform resource management in the face of climate change.

• Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Tribal Climate Plan: The Advisory 

Council on Historic Preservation issued a plan to assist Tribes and Native Hawaiian 

Organizations (NHOs) in addressing the impacts of climate change and emergency 

response on sacred sites, cultural landscapes, and other historic properties. 

Developed based on listening sessions and extensive consultation, the plan supports 

the incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge in addressing these impacts since 

natural landscapes are cultural landscapes and identifying ways to avoid and 

mitigate climate impacts on historic properties of religious and cultural significance 

to Tribes and NHOs remains critical. 

• Replacement of Derogatory Names: The Interior Department that the Board of 

Geographic Names voted on the final replacement names for nearly 650 geographic 

features including the word sq___. The final vote completed the last step in the 

historic efforts to remove a term from Federal use that has historically been used as 

an offensive ethnic, racial, and sexist slur, particularly for Indigenous women. In 

addition, the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names held its 

inaugural meeting in December to initiate its task of identifying Federal land unit 
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

names and geographic feature names that may be considered derogatory and 

creating recommendations for potential replacement names.

• Climate Resilience and Relocation Planning: The Biden-Harris administration 

made historic investments to support Tribes and Tribal organizations in enhancing 

their preparedness, planning, resilience, and relocation efforts, bolstered by new 

funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.

Through the Tribal Climate Resilience program, DOI announced 124 awards totaling 

$45 million, to support 76 Tribes and 8 Tribal organizations. At the 2022 Tribal 

Nations Summit, the administration also announced a new Voluntary CommunityDriven Relocation program and a $135 million commitment from DOI and the 

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist Tribal communities 

severely impacted by climate-related environmental threats.

• Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program: In fiscal year 2022, 

the Department of Defense (DoD) entered into Cooperative Agreements with 13 

Tribes through this program, which works to address environmental impacts to 

Tribal lands from past military activities. Additionally, DoD appropriated $20 

million to the program to continue advancing these efforts, which is the largest 

amount to date.

• International Workshop on Indigenous Perspectives: In September 2022, NOAA 

and NPS, with additional funding support from the Department of State, convened 

approximately 55 Indigenous and government representatives from the U.S., Chile, 

Canada, and Mexico in Port Angeles, WA. The workshop facilitated a dialogue among 

Indigenous representatives and government agencies that are involved with 

protected lands and waters. The participants, most of whom represented 

Indigenous communities, organizations, and Tribal governments, shared their 

unique experiences, raised concerns, and collectively identified actions to advance 

collaborative management between Indigenous communities and government 

agencies, including in our domestic approaches.

• Pollution Management Grants for Tribal Governments: The EPA awarded grants 

to 186 federally recognized tribes to support Tribally led efforts to protect and 

restore waters from nonpoint source pollution under the Clean Water Act section 

319 program.

• Tribal Transportation Funding: The Department of Transportation supported 

efforts to improve transportation and access for Tribes across the country. For 

example, with more than $575 million in this program available in fiscal year 2022, 

the funds help support Tribal priorities to improve community access to parks, 

natural areas, and other outdoor opportunities including areas of traditional or 

cultural importance.

Next Steps: With clear direction from President Biden to continue advancing Tribally led 

conservation and restoration priorities, the initiative will implement guidance established 

in 2022, build on the momentum to empower co-stewardship efforts, and look for 
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

meaningful ways to support Tribally led conservation and restoration priorities. The

historic funding available from laws including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the 

Inflation Reduction Act as well as new programs such as the America the Beautiful 

Challenge, will enable the Federal Government to grow the foundation of progress that has 

been set in the early years of the America the Beautiful initiative.

Expand Collaborative Conservation of Fish and Wildlife Habitats and Corridors

The Biden-Harris administration has continued its work to enhance fish and wildlife 

habitat nationwide, improve migratory corridors, and support the full diversity of wildlife 

in America through improved Federal interagency coordination as well as close 

collaboration with States, Tribes, local communities, and willing private landowners. 

Examples from 2022 include:

• Enhancements of Public Lands and Waters: The Federal family celebrated the 

expansion and addition of public lands and waters through funding from the Land 

and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and other grant programs that improve and 

connect habitats and corridors as well as increase access to nature and outdoor 

recreation. Some highlights of expansions supported by the LWCF include:

o San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge: This FWS refuge, which is home to 

some of the only forested wetlands adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, 

gained more than 

4,600 acres of 

Columbia 

Bottomlands habitat 

for the benefit of 

resident and 

migratory wildlife.

o Bayou Sauvage 

Urban National 

Wildlife Refuge: 

This FWS refuge, 

which is one of the 

last remaining 

marsh areas in New 

Orleans area, gained 

the 2,500-acre Little 

Pine Island Tract, 

consisting mostly of 

tidal marshes and hardwood forests.

Figure 6: Secretary Haaland celebrates the expansion of 

Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge. Photo 

by DOI.
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

o Great Sand Dunes National Park: The NPS celebrated the transfer of 9,362 

acres of land containing springs and wetlands vital to supporting the park’s

rich diversity of life. The land also contains sand sheets and salt flats, key 

contributing factors to the formation and maintenance of the dune system, 

and the acquisition allows the Park to manage the land more holistically as a 

large, connected landscape.

o Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park: The NPS acquired 16,451 acres of land,

which includes critical habitat for endangered species, such as Hawaiian 

hawksbill turtles and Hawaiian monk seals, as well as many well-preserved 

and significant Hawaiian cultural sites.

o Ninemile Prairie: The BLM acquired 4,600 acres in the Blackfoot River 

Watershed in Montana, which provides important habitat for a variety of 

wildlife including grizzly bears, Canada lynx, bull trout, and Westslope 

cutthroat trout and ensures access to high-quality hunting and hiking.

o Escalante Creek: The BLM acquired a 160-acre parcel that is home to three 

sensitive fish species and a popular whitewater kayaking destination in 

Colorado in the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area.

o Elk Creek: The FS acquired 1,015 acres within the Wallowa-Whitman 

National Forest in Northeast Oregon, providing access to campgrounds and 

more than 15 public trails with a popular overlook. The area is well-known 

for its high-quality elk, deer, and bear hunting opportunities.

o Etowah River: The FS acquired 272 acres within the Chattahoochee-Oconee 

National Forests in Georgia, which contains numerous threatened and 

endangered species within the Etowah River. The acquisition provides 

enhanced access to trout fishing, deer and turkey hunting, and kayaking.

• Connectivity Guidance: The BLM released a new policy in 2022 designed to 

support connections between habitats for fish, wildlife, and native plants, 

preserving the ability of wildlife to migrate between and across seasonal habitat. 

The policy will continue to strengthen BLM’s ongoing partnerships with States, 

Tribes, and diverse stakeholders. Additionally, in 2022, the FS released a memo 

asking National Forest System units and Regions to consider the impacts of FS 

actions on ecological connectivity and wildlife corridors and to seek out 

opportunities to enhance and integrate connectivity and corridors into national 

forest system management and collaborations.

• Federal Partnerships:

o Interagency Coordination on Fish Passage: Across the Federal family, 

interagency coordination is underway to deliver on the more than $2 billion 

allocated to fish passage through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In 2022, 

the FS and its partners upgraded or removed 126 road-stream crossings, 

reconnecting nearly 200 miles of upstream aquatic habitat. Leveraging both 

annual funds and additional investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure 

Law, FWS advanced collaborative efforts with partners to remove or bypass 
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

211 barriers to fish passage that will reopen more than 6,800 miles of stream 

and river habitat, improve infrastructure and community resilience to 

climate change, and provide direct benefits to Tribal and underserved 

communities. In December 2022, NOAA announced nearly $105 million in 

recommended funding for 36 new fish passage projects under the Bipartisan 

Infrastructure Law, including significant funding to implement fish passage 

projects that meet Tribal priorities and build Tribal organizational capacity 

to support their role as stewards of Tribal resources. Fifteen of the projects—

encompassing more than $26.3 million in funding—will be led by Tribal 

applicants for fish passage.

o National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration: In 

partnership with the Plant Conservation Alliance, BLM advanced its 

extensive public-private collaboration with more than 400 partners 

including 17 Federal agencies and more than 20 Tribal Nations across 52 

States and territories to protect native plants and develop native seed for 

restoration. This year, the partnership published its annual report, continued 

to assess native seed needs and capacities, and advanced large-scale research 

of native production to meet increasing demand. Additionally, BLM awarded 

nine new national agreements for plant conservation and restoration work 

with partners, such as the Navajo Nation, Society for Ecological 

Restoration, Oregon State University, University of NevadaReno, and Institute for Applied Ecology. The BLM also continued in 2022 to 

grow Seeds of Success, the national wildland native seed collecting 

program, and managed 36 Seeds of Success seed collecting teams and 

brought its national collection total to more than 27,000 native seed 

collections.

o Recovery and Sustainment Partnership: This DoD initiative, which 

manages habitats across the country in collaboration with DOI, continued to 

support efforts to better address the dynamic between protected species and 

mission activities. In 2022, the partnership continued to focus on improving 

the conservation status of more than 40 species. 

o The National Fish Habitat Partnership: This program supported by the 

FWS, NOAA, EPA, FS, USACE, and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), continued 

collaboration with State and Tribal governments and non-governmental and 

research organizations to achieve nationwide gains for fish habitat, aquatic 

communities, and recreational anglers. In 2022, FWS facilitated the 

distribution of more than $5 million to 90 projects through the broad 

network of Fish Habitat Partnerships across the country, and NOAA funded 

$150,000 for three specific coastal partnership projects in Hawaii, South 

Carolina, and Alaska. Additionally, in 2022, USACE and the Reservoir 

Fisheries Habitat Partnership funded $800,000 at two Civil Works projects in 
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

Pennsylvania and New Mexico to improve shoreline stabilization, increase 

fish habitat, and reduce invasive species.

o Forest Management for Habitat Health: In 2022, in collaboration with 

partners, the FS leveraged $127 million of agency funds with $32 million 

from partners to restore and improve more than 2.3 million acres of wildlife 

habitat benefiting game and non-game species alike. The program worked 

hand-in-hand with the Forest Management and Fuels programs to achieve 

habitat benefits while also reducing fuels and producing commercial timber 

products on 129,000 acres.

o Understanding Networks and Habitats: The Smithsonian Institute, in 

concert with National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the support of many 

partners, is leading efforts to track imperiled birds of the Northern Great 

Plains across their full annual cycle using the Motus animal tracking network, 

which will dramatically enhance knowledge of grassland bird movement 

ecology and inform integrated population models for these imperiled species. 

Additionally, Smithsonian staff, along with a multi-organization research 

team, continue advancing an initiative to create a dynamic online system for 

projecting wildlife habitat and connectivity across the West by using wildlife 

relocation data provided by wildlife agencies, universities, and non-profit 

organizations.

• Environmental Stewardship: The USACE funded $35.21 million in fiscal year 2022 

to manage approximately 954,863 acres for invasive species, forestry management, 

wildlife habitat, and fisheries management.

• National Environmental Research Parks: The approximately 200,000-acre 

Savannah River Site, the first of seven National Environmental Research Parks 

designated by the Department of Energy (DOE), continued its efforts to support 

conservation in South Carolina. In 2022, the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, a 

University of Georgia research unit, partnered with USDA and FWS to advance 

habitat efforts around the Carolina bays.

• Sustainable Sites Initiative: The DOE’s Sustainable Climate-Ready Sites Initiative

recognizes participating sites for excellence in natural resource and habitat 

conservation, improvements in adaptation and resilience to climate change, and 

other environmental benefits. The voluntary program covers approximately 2.4 

million acres of DOE-managed land and, in fiscal year 2022, completed a six-month 

pilot with eight sites to test and refine the program. Twelve sites signed on to the 

initiative for fiscal year 2023, representing all DOE program offices with operations 

on DOE-managed land.

• Hawaiian Forest Bird Extinction Prevention Strategy: The DOI announced in 

2022 a multi-agency strategy that invests $14 million in funding to prevent 

imminent extinction of Hawaiian forest birds imperiled by mosquito-borne avian 

malaria, which causes widespread mortality in part because of rising temperatures 

caused by climate change. Ecologically and culturally integral to the Hawaiian 
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

Islands, the forest birds reflect the health of the forest and remain a cultural 

connection between the Native Hawaiian Community and the Hawaiian Islands, and 

this coordinated strategy incorporates Indigenous Knowledge and respects

Hawaiʻi’s unique ecosystems and the islands’ heritage.

• Watersheds, Rivers, and Oceans: 

o National Marine Sanctuaries: The NOAA received strong support for the 

proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of 

California during public scoping and has since worked to prepare a draft 

management plan, environmental impact statement, and proposed rule, as 

well as an Indigenous Collaborative Management Framework to continue 

active and inclusive engagement with all interested Tribes. In addition, NOAA 

initiated the designation process for a proposed sanctuary for Hudson 

Canyon, the largest submarine canyon along the United States Atlantic coast 

that provides habitat for a range of protected and sensitive species including 

sperm whales, sea turtles, and deep-sea corals, and whose biodiversity 

supports the economies in New York, New Jersey, and beyond, with 

commercial and recreational fisheries, recreational diving, and wildlife 

viewing. The NOAA also announced a new pre-designation Hudson Canyon

Sanctuary Advisory Council.

o Management Federal Advisory Committee: The NOAA announced the 

establishment of a new Marine and Coastal Area-based Management 

Advisory Committee, which will advise NOAA on science-based approaches 

to area-based protection, conservation, restoration, and management in 

marine and coastal areas, including the Great Lakes. The committee will 

provide a forum for discussion and advice on area-based management, 

including opportunities to enhance conservation of biodiversity, climate 

resilience, and access to nature for underserved communities.

o Estuary and Wetlands Conservation and Restoration:

▪ National Estuary Program Grants: The National Estuary Program

(NEP) led by the EPA and partners conserved and restored more than 

150,000 acres across 28 nationally designated watershed-based 

estuarine systems in 2022. Additionally, the program created a new 

NEP Watershed Grant program for up to $18 million for projects to 

address habitat loss, coastal flooding and erosion, and nutrient over 

enrichment.

▪ Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve: The NOAA and 

the State of Connecticut designated a reserve in Long Island Sound in 

Connecticut in 2022 that encompasses 52,160 acres and includes 

unique habitat types as well as diverse lands and seascapes for many 

species, including threatened or endangered species. The reserve also 

contains a historically important shelter and burial pit by First Nation 

Peoples that placed them in this area more than 4,700 years ago.
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

▪ Chesapeake Bay: The USACE awarded a contract for $43 million to 

begin construction on the Eastern Shore, Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island 

Ecosystem Restoration Project. This project will use dredged material 

to provide hundreds of acres of wetland and terrestrial habitat for 

fish, shellfish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals in the Bay.

▪ Steigerwald Lake National Refuge: The DOE Bonneville Power 

Administration investment of $24 million into the Steigerwald Lake 

National Wildlife Refuge Reconnection Project made the project the 

largest agency-funded estuary restoration project to date and

culminated in the reconnection of 965 acres of Columbia River 

floodplain for the first time in more than 50 years. Through 

coordination with the FWS and local partners, the project removed 

more than two miles of levee to connect the river to its historic 

floodplain; expanded the refuge by 160 acres; restored salmonbearing Gibbons Creek to its natural channel with unobstructed 

access for salmon and lamprey; created more than 100 acres of 

wetland; reforested 250 acres of riparian habitat; and added more 

than a mile to the existing recreational trails.

▪ Wetland Restoration: The DOI provided more than $142 million in 

funding for wetland conservation projects and national wildlife 

refuges. More than $112 million in grants approved by the Migratory 

Bird Conservation Commission support the conservation or 

restoration of more than 488,000 acres of wetland and associated 

upland habitats for waterfowl, shorebirds and other birds in the 

United States, Canada, and Mexico.

o River Conservation: 

▪ Sustainable Rivers Program: The Sustainable Rivers Program 

through the USACE focused on improving the health and life of rivers 

by changing infrastructure operations. In 2021 and 2022, the program 

engaged 20 new river systems through collaboration with Tribes and 

other stakeholders and now includes more than 12,000 river miles in 

44 river systems.

▪ Wild and Scenic Rivers: The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System 

grew its collection of exceptional rivers protecting free-flowing 

conditions, water quality, and outstanding natural, cultural, and 

recreational values with the designation in December 2022 of more 

than 70 miles of river segments across two new rivers: the York River 

in Maine and the Housatonic River in Connecticut. An approximately 

four-mile segment of the Musconetcong River in New Jersey was also 

added to the system in June 2022.

o Coastal Restoration: The Coastal Program within the FWS, through 

cooperative conservation partnerships in priority coastal ecosystems and 
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

communities, completed 185 projects in fiscal year 2022 that protected 

23,871 upland acres, 7,426 wetland acres, and 17 river miles. Additionally, 

the Program restored and enhanced 11,357 upland acres, 2,379 wetland 

acres, and more than 5 river miles. Every Coastal Program project dollar was 

leveraged by approximately 14 non-program dollars to maximize the benefit 

to America’s wildlife and people.

o Coral Reefs: The DOI announced $2.7 million in fiscal year 2023 funding 

under the Office of Insular Affairs Coral Reef Initiative and Natural Resources 

program to help protect corals and fight invasive species in the U.S. 

territories and the freely associated states. The NOAA also continued to 

advance its efforts in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in fiscal 

year 2022 by, for example, investing $1.1 million in grants for ten capacity 

building projects to nine partners and outplanting more than 20,000 corals.

Additionally, NOAA continued its efforts to help reverse the long-term 

ecosystem decline of the Florida Reef Tract by engaging partners to restore 

seven ecologically and culturally significant coral reef sites in the Florida 

Keys National Marine Sanctuary. 

o Everglades Restoration: The United States provided the largest-ever single 

investment in the Everglades in 2022 of $1.1 billion dollars. This landscape 

provides drinking water for more than 8 million Americans and supports 

Florida’s $90 billion dollar tourism economy.

o Healthy Watersheds: In 2022, the EPA Healthy Watersheds Program helped 

grantees and their partners protect an estimated 1.1 million acres of intact 

watershed lands and more than 5,000 perennial stream miles through direct 

land acquisition, conservation easements and other non-regulatory voluntary 

tools working with state and local government partners as well as private 

landowners.

Next Steps: Given the strong catalyst that recent Federal funding investments have given 

for such a wide range of locally led, partnership-driven efforts to expand collaborative 

conservation of fish and wildlife habitats and corridors, the America the Beautiful initiative 

will continue sowing the seeds for more regional partnerships and place-based priorities. 

For example, USDA will continue to look for opportunities to expand the approach used 

with its big game corridor collaboration with the State of Wyoming and the voluntary 

contributions of private landowners.

Increase Access for Outdoor Recreation

Hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, biking, and other activities benefit communities, 

economies, and wildlife, and the Biden-Harris administration remains committed to 

enhancing and building the outdoor recreation economy. In 2022, new data from the 

Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) confirmed that outdoor recreation is a major economic 

powerhouse, generating more than $862 billion in economic output and supporting more 

than 4.5 million jobs across the nation. Further, NOAA and BEA released the latest update 
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

to the Marine Economy Satellite Account, a report on the contributions to the U.S. economy 

from the nation’s oceans, seaports, Great Lakes, and other major water bodies; the update 

valued coastal and offshore tourism and recreation at $190.9 billion. Examples of Federal 

action to support access to outdoor recreation and the growing outdoor industry from 

2022 include:

• Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation: The Biden-Harris 

administration launched an interagency effort, called the Federal Interagency 

Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR), that will work to create more safe, 

affordable, and equitable opportunities for Americans to get outdoors. The FICOR—

which includes leaders from the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, 

Commerce, and Defense—will focus on improving access to nature, expanding 

outdoor recreation opportunities, and providing the public with improved and more 

affordable experiences on America’s public lands and waters.

• Interagency Task Force on Outdoor Recreation for Veterans: This task force, 

established by the COMPACT Act of 2020 and co-chaired by the Department of 

Veterans Affairs (VA) and DOI, worked in 2022 to formalize coordination between 

the VA and public land agencies, identify barriers to access for outdoor recreation 

for veterans, and develop recommendations by the end of 2024 to better facilitate 

the use of public lands for wellness and therapy for veterans.

• New Lifetime Pass for Military Veterans and Gold Star Families: The BidenHarris administration announced that veterans of the U.S. Armed Services and Gold 

Star Families can obtain a free lifetime pass to more than 2,000 Federal recreation 

sites spread out across more than 400 million acres of public lands, including 

national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests.

• Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council: The DOI and USDA announced 18 

members of the council, which is a Federal advisory committee of subject matter 

experts that will provide recommendations to the Federal Government regarding 

policies that benefit wildlife and habitat conservation; expand fair-chase hunting, 

safe recreational shooting sports, and wildlife-associated recreation opportunities; 

and policies that benefit national and local economies. The newly established 

Council was chartered and held its first meeting in 2022.

• Hunting and Fishing Access and Opportunities: In 2022, FWS opened or 

expanded 109 hunting or sport fishing opportunities on approximately 38,000 acres 

across 18 refuges. Additionally, in fiscal year 2022, the NPS granted $2 million in 

recreation fishing funds to engage underrepresented groups, providing new fishing 

equipment and instruction for student and family groups.

• Trails Programs:

o National Trails System: The DOI announced the designation of nine new 

national recreation trails in seven States, adding nearly 600 miles to 

the National Trails System. With the new additions of land and water trails, 

the network now includes more than 1,300 trails, and more than 30,400 
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

miles, with at least one in every State, the District of Columbia, and Puerto 

Rico.

o Recreational Trails Program: The DOT continued to advance the work of 

its Recreational Trails Program, which will provide up to $84 million dollars 

per year through fiscal year 2026 to support States in developing, 

maintaining, and improving access to park and recreation facilities for both 

nonmotorized and motorized recreational trail users.

o Rails-to-Trails and Rails-with-Trails: These facilities help communities 

safely develop and expand their bicycle and pedestrian and trail networks 

along abandoned or near active railway corridors. The DOT issued an 

updated Rails-with-Trails Report in 2021 that identified effective design 

practices for project development and is continuing to research best 

practices to support the work ahead.

• Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Program: The Economic Development 

Administration supports travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation with this program 

that includes $510 million in non-competitive awards directly allocated to every U.S. 

State and territory and a $240 million competitive grant program. Each State or 

territory is utilizing 

its allocated funds to 

engage in activities 

that best support 

their travel, tourism,

and outdoor 

recreation sectors. 

Of the total provided 

in 2022, for 

example, a 

significant portion 

of the $145.4 million 

was directed to 

build and improve 

attractions like 

hiking trails and to 

increase access in 

communities across 

the country. More 

than 50 percent of 

competitive awards 

are intended to 

directly benefit 

historically underserved communities and populations, including $21.2 million 

supporting Indigenous communities.

Figure 7: Under Secretary and Administrator Spinrad 

visits the Anchor River State Recreation Area in Alaska. 

Photo by NOAA.
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• Recreation Infrastructure: Across the Federal family, many Departments and 

agencies invested in recreation infrastructure to help improve access to the 

outdoors. Some examples include:

o FS: The FS announced more than $37 million in investments in 2022 to 

improve vital recreation infrastructure located on national forests and 

grasslands, with funding made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure law, 

and these investments include $19 million for recreation sites.

o USACE: The USACE invested more than $73 million, including $25 million 

this year in roads and parking, to support outdoor recreation opportunities

through funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Disaster 

Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.

o Land and Water Conservation Fund State-side Projects: The DOI 

announced the distribution of $279 million from the Land and Water 

Conservation Fund to all 50 States, U.S. territories, and the District of 

Columbia for State-identified outdoor recreation and conservation projects.

• Thompson Divide: In addition to the new designations established by President 

Biden in 2022 that support outdoor recreation, including the Camp Hale –

Continental Divide National Monument, the Departments of Agriculture and the 

Interior announced a proposed 20-year withdrawal to protect the Thompson Divide 

in western Colorado, one of the State’s most cherished landscapes. In response to 

broad concerns about protecting the Thompson Divide’s important wildlife habitat, 

recreation opportunities, grazing lands, and clean air and water, the proposal would 

withdraw the area from operation of the public land laws, mining laws, and mineral 

and geothermal leasing laws, subject to valid existing rights.

Next Steps: As interest in outdoor recreation continues to grow across the country, the 

America the Beautiful initiative will continue to celebrate, sustain, and responsibly support 

this trend. The newly launched FICOR, which is currently chaired by the NPS, will provide 

strategic leadership to help coordinate policies, facilitate partnerships, and improve 

implementation on issues such as investing in resilient recreation infrastructure; bolstering 

education and career opportunities; cooperating with State, Tribal, territorial, and local 

governments; and improving equitable access to Federal lands and waters.

Incentivize and Reward the Voluntary Conservation Efforts of Fishers, Ranchers, 

Farmers, and Forest Owners

The Biden-Harris administration celebrates conservation as a continuum, recognizing the 

varied and important contributions of voluntary conservation efforts from fishers, farmers, 

forest owners, ranchers, and other landowners. The America the Beautiful initiative has 

remained faithful to the commitment to support healthy rural economies, advance climatesmart, sustainable agriculture practices, and keep working lands and waterfronts 

productive. Examples from 2022 include:
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

• Big Game Conservation: The USDA and State of Wyoming formalized a partnership 

to support the voluntary conservation of private working lands and migratory big 

game populations in Wyoming. As part of this partnership, USDA will leverage its 

tools and authorities across NRCS, FSA, FS and the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. For fiscal year 2023, USDA also committed additional funding in 

key conservation programs including $6 million in additional assistance through the 

Environmental Quality Incentives Program, $10 million through the Agricultural 

Conservation Easement Program, and piloting a Habitat Lease building on the 

Grassland Conservation Reserve Program.

• Conservation Reserve Program: In 2022, USDA enrolled more than 2 million acres 

into the CRP and more than 3.1 million acres in the Grassland Conservation Reserve 

Program (Grassland CRP), the largest Grassland CRP signup to date. USDA also 

announced partnerships with three Tribal Nations in the Great Plains to help 

conserve, maintain 

and improve 

grassland 

productivity, 

reduce soil erosion, 

and enhance 

wildlife habitat 

through the

Conservation 

Reserve 

Enhancement 

Program (CREP).

These are the firstever CREP 

agreements in 

partnership with 

Tribal Nations. This 

program advances 

conservation goals 

and creates new 

streams of income for farmers, ranchers, producers, and private foresters.

• Regional Conservation Partnership Program: The USDA announced $197 million 

in new investments through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program’s 

Alternative Funding Arrangements. Funded projects include collaborative efforts to 

sequester carbon, mitigate the effects of climate change, and improve the efficiency 

of agricultural irrigation systems. Through this program, NRCS works with partners 

to implement projects that demonstrate innovative solutions to advance 

conservation priorities on the ground. 

Figure 8: Secretary Vilsack meets with producers and partners in 

Arkansas. Photo by USDA.
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

• Forest Legacy Program: In 2022, USDA invested $90 million of Forest Legacy funds 

to promote voluntary conservation of lands through permanent conservation 

easements contributed by private landowners and land acquisitions by State natural 

resource agencies. These projects leveraged approximately $66 million in nonFederal contributions from States, private landowners, non-profit partners, and 

private donors. Once fully implemented, these projects will permanently conserve 

~178,000 acres of forestlands to maintain a multitude of environmental, social, and 

economic public benefits.

• Chesapeake Bay Initiative: The USDA announced the new Chesapeake Bay States’ 

Partnership and an additional $22.5 million in conservation assistance in fiscal year 

2022 to help farmers boost water quality improvements and conservation in the 

Chesapeake Bay watershed. The new initiative will support Bay-area farmers, 

building on a $1.1 billion investment made by NRCS more than the past decade. The 

USDA and EPA also announced and are moving forward with a new task joint force 

to better quantify the voluntary conservation efforts of farmers in the Bay 

watershed.

• Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative: Through its Grazing Lands Conservation 

Initiative, NRCS invested $12 million in partnerships that expand access to 

conservation technical assistance for livestock producers to increase the use of 

conservation practices on grazing lands. 

• Sentinel Landscapes Partnership: The partnership, founded in 2013 by DoD and 

implemented through coordination between DoD, USDA, and DOI empowers private 

landowners around military installations to advance sustainable management 

practices on their farms, ranches, and forests around DoD installations and ranges. 

In 2022, the partnership designated three new sentinel landscapes in Texas, Florida, 

and Indiana, bringing the total number of sentinel landscapes to ten. To date, the 

program and associated contributions have permanently conserved more than 

609,000 acres of land and enrolled 3 million acres of land in technical assistance 

programs.

• Partners for Fish and Wildlife: The FWS supported landowners in their voluntary 

efforts to conserve wildlife habitat, offering financial and technical assistance to 

interested landowners and helping to keep working lands in working hands. In fiscal 

year 2022, the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program completed 1,877 projects, 

restoring and enhancing 233,890 upland acres, 17,453 wetland acres, 280 river 

miles, and 60 fish passage structures. Every Partners for Fish and Wildlife project 

dollar leveraged approximately four non-program dollars to maximize return on 

investment.

• Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances: The FWS continued to 

support these collaborative agreements that provide non-Federal landowners with 

additional incentives for engaging in voluntary conservation to support non-listed 

species. For example, a programmatic agreement for aquatic species in Kansas,

finalized in 2021 and expanded in 2022 focuses on conserving 10 species—
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

including the alligator snapping turtle, 4 species of fish, and 5 mussel species—with 

up to 883,200 acres eligible for enrollment. In total, the program’s 62 active 

agreements involve 49 States and more than 670 landowners, cover more than 27 

million acres and 93 stream miles, and support 97 species.

• Safe Harbor Agreements: This year, FWS finalized two new safe harbor 

agreements, which support the voluntary efforts of non-Federal landowners whose 

actions specifically contribute to the recovery of species listed as endangered or 

threatened. The two recent additions bring the current total to 116 active 

agreements with 737 landowners, covering more than 5.8 million acres and 84 

linear miles of stream and providing conservation benefits to 130 species.

• Tidal Channel Restoration: In Puerto Rico, the USACE entered into a Project 

Partnership Agreement in July 2022 to provide $163 million for restoration of Cano 

Martin Peña tidal channel, Puerto Rico. The restoration project supports the 

revitalization of eight impoverished communities settled along the tidal channel and 

will significantly improve human health and safety by reducing residents’ contact 

with polluted floodwaters.

• Marine Species Conservation:

o Species in the Spotlight: Through its “Species in the Spotlight” initiative, 

NOAA has continued taking targeted actions to halt the decline of the nine 

species most at-risk of extinction in the near future. In 2022, NOAA 

continued implementing action plans through voluntary measures and 

public-private partnerships to, for example, rehabilitate Hawaiian monk seal 

pups. 

o Species Recovery Grants: These grants from NOAA support States, Tribes, 

and territories in implementing high priority recovery actions, including 

management, research, monitoring, and/or outreach activities, that have 

direct conservation benefits for species listed as threatened or endangered. 

In fiscal year 2022, NOAA awarded about $6.2 million across 25 multi-year 

awards.

o Marine Mammal Rescue Grant Program: This NOAA grant program 

provides funding for communities to develop or continue conservation 

efforts such as marine mammal stranding response, rehabilitation, and 

scientific research regarding marine mammal health. In 2022, NOAA 

awarded $3.7 million across 49 grants to recipients in 20 States and one 

Tribe.

Next Steps: America the Beautiful will continue to honor private property rights and 

support the voluntary stewardship efforts of private landowners and fishers, a guiding 

principle of the initiative. The Federal Government will continue to use the historic funds 

available from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as well as the Inflation Reduction Act to 

ensure that programs focused on ranchers, farmers, forest owners, fishers and others have 
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

the resources necessary to continue meaningful conservation and restoration already 

underway.

Create Jobs by Investing in Restoration and Resilience

The Biden-Harris administration has continued to invest in restoration, reforestation, 

reclamation, and other activities to benefit America's natural systems and strengthen the 

nation’s resilience to sea level rise, flooding, extreme wildfires, droughts, storms, and other 

climate-related impacts. These efforts to restore the nation’s lands and waters have

created, and will continue to create good-paying jobs and deliver economic benefits to 

communities nationwide. Examples from 2022 include:

• Great American Outdoors Act: The Act continues to provide historic opportunities 

to create jobs while addressing maintenance needs and supporting critical projects 

on public lands and at BIE schools. Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) projects funded 

in fiscal year 2022 at both DOI and FS are expected to contribute approximately 

20,000 jobs and $2.2 billion in Gross Domestic Product. By the end of 2022, more 

than $1.6 billion of LRF funds were awarded to support more than 180 Great 

American Outdoors Act deferred maintenance and repair projects nationwide. The 

following are examples of major project accomplishments funded by the LRF: 

o NPS: In fiscal year 2022, the NPS selected 34 projects across 22 States for the 

LRF. In partnership with DOT’s Federal Highway Administration, numerous 

projects have initiated design or construction, including improvements to the 

cave trails at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky and stabilization of 

the riverbank at high priority areas along the Towpath Trail and Valley 

Railway at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.

o BLM: Building on the previous year, the BLM awarded more than 50 

construction contracts to improve facilities and infrastructure on public 

lands in the Western States. Additionally, the BLM completed 12 projects 

with noticeable public benefits: for example, in Montana, the BLM replaced 

the outlet works at the Grub Dam Rehabilitation project to improve safe 

operation since the dam provides recreational and natural resources benefits 

in addition to a consistent water source for wildland fire control.

o FWS: In 2022, the FWS continued work on LRF projects at more than 30

refuges across the country. Additional public access project components 

were completed at locations, such as at the Dale Bumpers National Wildlife 

Refuge in Arkansas where more than 40 miles of public-use roadways and 

campgrounds were rehabilitated, providing public access to more than 

10,000 permit holders annually. Other LRF-funded projects have been 

implemented to address water management at drought-impacted refuges.

o FS: In 2022, the FS completed 80 deferred maintenance projects across 45 

national forests in 21 states with 884 additional projects underway. Once 

completed, these LRF-funded projects will address more than $600 million in 

backlog maintenance spanning 120 national forests and 5 FS research 
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

stations across 42 States and Puerto Rico. This work involves 372 active 

partnerships and leverages more th$200 million in partner contributions. 

Projects address numerous priorities by supporting for small businesses and 

rural economies—97 percent of contracts are with small businesses and 45

percent are disadvantaged small businesses—as well as investing in 

infrastructure to help communities adapt to and manage impacts of climate 

change and to help protect communities with the highest wildfire risk.

• Wildfire Mitigation: The USDA announced $131 million in wildfire mitigation to 

begin work on the FS 10-year wildfire strategy. The initial investment in 10 

landscapes in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, New 

Mexico and Arizona will lead to about 208,000 acres of wildfire risk reduction 

treatments. Additionally, DOI invested $180 million in total in wildfire mitigation 

funding for fiscal year 2022, including $103 million to support nearly 2 million acres 

of fuels management work, as part of the Department’s Five-year Monitoring, 

Maintenance and Treatment Plan; the USDA also announced $228 million in funding 

for fiscal year 2023, the first of four allocations.

• Tackling Legacy Pollution: The Biden-Harris administration advanced efforts to 

address orphan wells, abandoned mine lands, and remediation sites:

o Brownfields Cleanup: The EPA Brownfields Program helps revitalize 

communities by cleaning up and repurposing contaminated sites. In fiscal 

year 2022, the program exceeded many of its targets by assessing 1,638 sites, 

cleaning up 173 properties, supporting 14,170 jobs and making 6,900 acres 

available for reuse, often including parks or other open space. 

o Orphan Well Clean Up: As part of the historic $4.7 billion investment 

authorized through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to clean 

up orphaned oil and gas wells, the DOI announced $33 million to clean up 

277 well sites on Federal lands, distributed $560 million in initial grants to 

States to begin plugging and remediating well sites on State and private land,

and released guidance, informed by Tribal consultations and listening 

sessions, making the first $50 million in funding available to Tribes to 

address orphan wells on Tribal lands.

o Reclamation of Abandoned Mine Lands: Due to new investments from the 

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Interior Department began distributing 

$725 million in additional grants for abandoned mine land remediation for 

States and Tribes. These funds will support local investment opportunities 

that create good-paying union jobs and provide for the sustainable long-term 

rehabilitation of abandoned mine lands.

o Environmental Remediation: The Interior Department announced just 

more than $68 million to invest in ecosystem restoration efforts over the 

next five years, to build on proven projects, programs and partnerships that

conserve wildlife and natural resources, including nearly $10 million focused 

on environmental remediation and legacy pollution clean-up.
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

• Coastal Resilience Funding: In December 2022, NOAA in partnership with the 

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced $136 million to fund 88 projects 

under the 2022 National Coastal Resilience Fund. The projects will restore, increase, 

and strengthen natural infrastructure to ultimately protect coastal communities and 

enhance fish and wildlife habitat. The total investment, including grants announced 

earlier in 2022, as well as non-Federal match, is $241 million.

• Regional Restoration: Several examples from 2022 of significant regional efforts 

include:

o Gulf States: The DOI announced more than $252 million to Gulf States to 

support coastal restoration and conservation, including onshore 

infrastructure projects and activities to implement marine and coastal 

resilience management plans.

o Delaware River Watershed: The DOI announced a nearly $15.8 million 

investment in the watershed to improve wildlife habitat, enhance resilience 

to climate change, and engage underserved communities in conservation.

o Sagebrush Ecosystems: The DOI announced a nearly $20 million

investment in fiscal year 2022 and 2023 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds 

to support more than 90 projects in western States to restore and conserve 

strategic areas within the sagebrush ecosystem.

o Klamath Basin: The DOI announced nearly $26 million from President 

Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for Klamath Basin restoration projects, 

including nearly $16 million for ecosystem restoration projects in the Basin 

and $10 million to expand the Klamath Falls National Fish Hatchery. This 

funding builds on months of close collaboration and engagement with 

Klamath Basin stakeholders, Tribes, and Federal, State and local leaders.

o Great Lakes: The FWS announced more than $2.8 million in fiscal year 2022 

funding through the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, and the 

twelve selected projects address key conservation and restoration needs in 

the basin across seven States.

• Addressing Natural Disaster Risks: The FEMA within the Department of 

Homeland Security announced $2.3 billion in funding for its Building Resilient 

Infrastructure and Communities program for Fiscal Year 2022—the largest program

investment in history, boosted by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

This funding will help communities increase resilience to heat waves, drought, 

wildfires, flood, hurricanes, and other hazards by preparing before disaster strikes. 

• Fisheries Habitat Restoration: Through the Damage Assessment, Remediation, 

and Restoration Program, NOAA works with co-trustees from Federal and State 

agencies and federally recognized tribes to protect and restore natural resources 

and fisheries injured by oil spills, hazardous waste sites, and vessel groundings. In 

fiscal year 2022, six pollution settlements were finalized, yielding a total of $113.6

million for restoration in Louisiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
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• Youth Opportunities

o AmeriCorps Projects: In 2022, nearly 13,000 AmeriCorps members carried 

out environmental stewardship activities, exposing them to careers in 

restoration and resilience. Across the fiscal year, AmeriCorps members and 

AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers served in national parks and worked on a 

variety of 

projects that 

benefited parks, 

including 

interpretation, 

facility, climate 

change, natural 

and cultural 

resources, and 

other projects. 

o Indian Youth 

Service Corps

Program: In 

2022, the 

Biden-Harris 

administration

launched the

Indian Youth Service Corps, a new partnership-based program to engage 

Indigenous youth in public service and workforce development while 

deepening connections to the nation’s natural and cultural resources.

o Urban Wildlife Conservation Program: In 2022, the FWS Urban Wildlife 

Conservation Program bolstered the efforts of 27 urban national wildlife 

refuges by providing training, coaching, mentoring and youth internships to 

engage in co-designing conservation with systematically excluded 

communities. These efforts are part of the $17 million the FWS invested in 

fiscal year 2022 in internships or fellowships with more than 870 young 

adults to support restoration projects and conservation activities across 

public and partner lands.

o NOAA Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador Program: The NOAA Ocean 

Guardian Youth Ambassador program provides a new level of engagement 

for youth aged 12-18 committed to ocean conservation and stewardship of 

our blue planet. These enthusiastic youth will share their ideas and unique 

perspectives about America’s underwater treasures, as well as share their 

passion with others. The pilot youth ambassador application period started 

in November 2022 and concluded with an application deadline of January 6, 

2023. To date, more than 250 youth have applied to be included in the NOAA 

Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador Program.

Figure 9: An all-veterans California Conservations Corps crew 

advances a trail project. Photo by DOI.
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

Next Steps: The commitment to supporting restoration priorities as a means of 

strengthening local economies, creating jobs, and fostering resilience will remain a key 

focus for the America the Beautiful initiative. The Federal Government will continue to 

make effective use of funding afforded through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure 

Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to continue maximizing benefits and leveraging 

existing programs with demonstrated results.

III. Conclusion

The historic goal that President Biden set in Executive Order 14008 and the America the 

Beautiful initiative continue to inspire action and stewardship across the country and the 

world, as evidenced by the global target committed to at the 2022 United Nations 

Biodiversity Conference to conserve at least 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030. 

During the first year, the Biden-Harris administration developed the foundational, inclusive 

vision and created strong momentum with unprecedented funding. In the second year of 

the America the Beautiful initiative, the administration continued to celebrate and support

meaningful, diverse, locally led and partnership-driven efforts across the country. By 

investing unparalleled resources and engaging with States, Tribes, local communities, and 

other key stakeholders, the Federal family will continue to advance our nation’s shared 

commitment to building a better America for generations to come.
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

Appendix: Summary of Public Comment Period on the Development of 

the American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas

Science and Data

The first question in the Federal Register Notice focused on science and data and asked 

what data sources, standards, and technical approaches should be applied to data included 

in the Atlas to ensure that it is an authoritative and useful tool for the public. Many 

comments here emphasized the importance of prioritizing scientific integrity with requests 

for the interagency team to use a transparent, repeatable methodology; use credible data 

standards; and make data public, free, and easily accessible.

Other comments focused on the importance of ensuring user-friendly outputs. These 

comments raised the importance of continually updating data for timely use; meeting 508 

and related requirements for accessibility; and complementing the Atlas with useful 

guidance and educational tools.

Some comments emphasized the importance of respecting privacy considerations, and 

some urged that the data used demonstrate characteristics central to the America the 

Beautiful initiative. Here, comments discussed the value of reflecting lands, freshwater, and 

marine data consistently; reflecting the initiative’s goals on biodiversity, climate change, 

and equity; integrating Indigenous Knowledge; and showing lands and waters that are 

vulnerable to conservation-related threats.

Comments also addressed the critical importance of collaborating with State and local 

governments as well as a wide variety of other partners to ensure alignment between 

ongoing efforts. Other comments similarly spoke to the significance of acknowledging and 

building on existing tools to avoid redundancy and learn from past tools: comments here 

urged the interagency team to carefully examine options related to using existing Federal 

databases, such as the Protected Areas Database (PAD-US), and building potential layers 

out of the existing resources.

Conservation as a Continuum

The second question in the Federal Register Notice focused on how the Atlas can best 

represent conservation as a continuum. Specifically, this question had three subsections 

about what types of stewardship actions should be considered to reflect a more holistic 

view of conservation and restoration, specific attributes that should be considered in 

determining what counts as conservation, and strategies for ensuring that the Atlas is 

comprehensive and inclusive given the many concurrent efforts of State, local, and Tribal 

governments.

The sub-question about stewardship actions to be considered generated a wide variety of 

perspectives. Comments urged the interagency team to carefully consider how it handles 

the question of permanence and how different types of resource uses—including grazing, 
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AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

forest management, mining, working seascapes, and clean energy development—may have 

different implications. The comments also emphasized the value of reflecting a diversity of 

specific stewardship efforts; carefully evaluating Federal designations; prioritizing comanagement actions and the application of Indigenous Knowledge; and looking for 

overlaps with existing international standards.

The sub-question about attributes of lands and waters that should be included similarly 

generated a wide variety of feedback. Many comments discussed the value of focusing on 

outcomes and benefits; committing to regional diversity; including a range of specific 

characteristics—including everything from the history of past conservation efforts to the 

conservation objectives of the area; and considering a variety of guiding ideas and 

approaches, such as a Hippocratic Oath for nature.

Likewise, the sub-question about strategies for the Atlas to best reflect contributions of 

State, local, Tribal, territorial, and private lands generated meaningful ideas. Many 

comments spoke to the benefit of continuous engagement with the aforementioned parties; 

others emphasized the value of incentivizing and potentially compensating participation, 

the significance of continually updating the inventory to account for new additions, 

incorporating Indigenous Knowledge meaningfully, and celebrating concrete examples to 

illustrate and inspire action.

Outcomes

The third question in the Federal Register Notice requested feedback about how the Atlas 

can reflect land and water contributions to biodiversity, climate change mitigation and 

resilience, and equitable access to nature and its benefits. Key themes from the comments 

here spoke to the importance of establishing and reflecting clear definitions of 

conservation and restoration; using the clear definitions to explore how stewardship 

affects outcomes; developing and maintaining updated baselines with appropriate 

datasets; focusing on and evaluating goals individually; ensuring that outcomes are 

considered inclusively and accessibly; and using the Atlas to highlight particularly effective, 

at-risk, or promising areas for attention.

The Process

Significant feedback also emerged through the public comment period about the process by 

which feedback is gathered. These comments focused on the importance of continuing 

future and ongoing engagement, allowing a forum for future comments to consider and 

respond to clear definitions, and extending the amount of time oral comments could be 

offered.