President Joe Biden’s plan to conserve 30% of the nation’s public lands and waters by 2030 has a distinct Colorado brand, and not just because 43% of its acreage is publicly owned.

The goal is accompanied by a report from the National Climate Task Force and developed by the U.S. Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet of Denver and Rep. Joe Neguse of Lafayette have emerged as two of the most members of Congress on preserving public lands in Colorado, and the title of Biden’s initiative, America the Beautiful, gets its name from the beloved song first drafted by Katharine Lee Bates after her visit to the top of Pikes Peak in 1893.

“Land and water conservation is a critical part of our effort to tackle the climate crisis,” Bennet said in a statement Thursday. “This report is a strong start and lays out a vision that aligns with the kind of conservation efforts we know to be successful in Colorado — efforts that take a locally-led, collaborative, and inclusive approach and bring into the fold the private landowners, farmers, and ranchers who are already stewards of our natural resources.”

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He dropped the name of legislation he and Neguse are trying to pass to protect more than 400,000 acres of public land in the state, the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act.

Bennet said of Biden’s proposal, “It’s the same approach that brought together the ranchers, hunters, anglers and local elected leaders who worked for over a decade to draft the CORE Act.

“I’m glad to see the administration’s commitment to empowering local communities to drive the process. There’s a long road ahead to ensure that this is done right, and I expect the Biden Administration to continue to listen to Coloradans and individuals across the West as they work toward this goal. The ‘America the Beautiful’ initiative is an opportunity to not only build climate resilience, but also to create jobs and grow economies across the West.”

Bennet and former U.S. Senator Tom Udall, a Democrat from New Mexico, introduced a Senate resolution in 2019 to meet the same goals by 2030, but the legislation stalled out the Republican-led chamber.

Neguse, who chairs the House subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, said public lands are at the heart of Colorado’s economy.

“[They] drive our commitment to sustainability, inspire our values and bring travelers from across the globe to marvel at our state’s beauty,” he said in a statement. “As we’ve advocated to protect and conserve our public lands, we’ve worked to ensure that the voices of our local communities and local tribes are central to our policymaking.”

He noted that Biden’s plan endorses his proposal to create the 21st Century Civilian Climate Corps proposal Neguse has advocated for, and increases the workforce on public lands, while investing in wildfire resiliency and response.

Conservation Colorado said public lands are part of the state’s identity.

“The outdoors have always been central to our state’s identity and economy,” deputy director Jessica Goad said in a statement. “The framework that President Biden and his administration laid out will support locally led conservation efforts, create a more equitable and inclusive vision for the outdoors, and boost Colorado’s work to build back better.”