06.30.20

Livestreamed July 7 Event – "The Restoration Economy: Examining Environmental and Economic Opportunities" – Will Focus on Sustainable Job Creation

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), chair of the National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee, will lead a livestreamed policy roundtable at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, July 7, on policies to create new conservation-oriented jobs around the country.

Haaland, who is vice chair of the full Committee, will lead a discussion on building a “restoration economy” similar to – but distinct from – the now-booming recreation economy, which until the coronavirus shutdowns added close to $900 billion to the U.S. economy annually and created more than 7 million jobs. Restoration jobs can fall into several categories and include activities like replanting native species, restoring riparian areas and wetlands, reclaiming abandoned mine lands, removing outdated dams, and remediating polluted lands and waters for sustainable use.

In addition to private sector initiatives, restoration-oriented measures will likely include additional support for existing programs and partnerships like local and regional corps networks and federal restoration grants, as well as full funding for and an expansion of public programs like the Indian Youth Service Corps, which was authorized in the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 but has yet to be formally organized by the administration.

Witnesses

Mr. Brent Keith

Senior Policy Advisor – Lands

The Nature Conservancy

Ms. Mary Ellen Sprenkel

President & CEO

The Corps Network

Mr. Dwayne Lefthand

Taos Pueblo Conservation Program Coordinator

Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, New Mexico

Dr. Holly Bamford

Chief Conservation Officer

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Watch Live

Facebook at https://bit.ly/2BqFyF9 and YouTube at http://youtu.be/TmWF3vQiNrI.

Press Contact

Media Contact: Adam Sarvana

(202) 225-6065 or (202) 578-6626 mobile