Walsh spoke about the importance of natural lands to addressing the climate crisis. He said, “Achieving these goals and getting to our carbon reduction targets is going to be challenging but they are achievable, and public lands will play a critical role in achieving them.”

Limiting climate change to the extent required by science will, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society,” and “could go hand in hand with ensuring a more sustainable and equitable society.” This transformation must happen at the speed and scale demanded by scientific reality and the urgent need of our communities. If we do it right, we can not only avoid the worst impacts of climate change, but create quality, family-sustaining jobs and ensure a more equitable society. Walsh concluded, “Given the scale of the problem, numerous solutions will be needed and public lands will have to play a key role. We appreciate the committee’s efforts to make progress now. We look forward to working with this committee as you move forward.”

Download The Document