Across the United States, states and municipalities are planning and implementing protections for their lands and waters to meet the global goal of protecting 30% of lands and waters by 2030 (30×30).
While country-level efforts have been documented both within the U.S. and across other countries, details for how to achieve 30×30 targets at the state level are still being determined in many states.
One state – Michigan – provides a example after launching its 30×30 initiative, “Michigan the Beautiful,” in 2024. A new report co-authored by The Nature Conservancy and University of Michigan now provides recommendations for protecting Michigan’s vast coastline and waters to achieve the goals set out in the initiative. These recommendations provide a template for how other states might also move forward in their 30×30 efforts.
Freshwater ecosystems are a quintessential element of Michigan’s natural resources. The state manages the most coastline of any of the Great Lakes States, but climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and a lack of dedicated state funding threaten the health of the Great Lakes. Although the report found that 24.23% of Michigan’s waters are under some level of state or federal protection, these protections vary widely in their degree of protection and management, with some focusing more on cultural resources than ecological resources.
The report provides recommendations for achieving the goal of protecting 30% of Michigan’s waters by 2030, grouped into three categories: education and engagement; coastal zone policy and planning, and mechanisms to increase protections. These recommendations include expanding and funding existing state-level protections, and includes a proximity analysis showing which underwater preserves could be more easily connected. These programs could protect coastal areas, fish spawning grounds, and underwater indigenous archeological sites.
The Michigan the Beautiful Great Lakes report provides a prime example of how states and municipalities can shape their 30×30 protections to meet their unique context and needs. Although the methods through which states and countries achieve 30×30 will vary, learning from others examples may help achieve the global goal of protecting and connecting more habitat.
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