As Biden Eyes a Conservation Plan, Activists Fear Low-Income Communities and People of Color Could Be Left Out

GAITHERSBURG, MD - NOVEMBER 5: Ellington Tardy, 9, enjoys the playground in his Orchard Valley neighborhood November 05, 2020 in Gaithersburg, MD. His mother, Ami Grace-Tardy said, We are a biracial family It was really important that we have people of color in our neighborhood. Its pretty diverse, with African-American, Indian and Asian families here. (Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

President-elect Joe Biden has said that one of his first steps upon taking office will be to pass an executive order to conserve 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. 

The plan is being applauded throughout the conservation world, but it has left some environmental justice groups asking: Which lands will be conserved—and for whom?

Across the United States, communities of color are three times more likely than white communities to lack access to nature, according to a report by the Center for American Progress. When young children walk out the front door, they are less likely to see trees or to find a safe, green place to play. 

Read more at Inside Climate News.