As the dust settles on the newly minted Inflation Reduction Act, with its $20 billion earmarked for climate crisis conservation, a bold vision for America’s West is emerging from the shadows of environmental activism. The plan, known as “Rewilding the American West,” aims to dramatically reshape the use of federal lands, prioritizing natural habitats over human enterprise and recreation.
Published strategically across various progressive platforms, including the Oxford Academia Journal Bio-Science, followed by recreational publications such as Outside Magazine and the World Economic Forum, the rewilding blueprint proposes the cessation of livestock grazing, mining, oil and gas extraction, timber production, and eventually, recreational activities on these public lands. The initiative identifies an extensive network of 11,500 square-kilometer reserves that would stitch together a corridor for wildlife stretching from Mexico to Canada.
This ambitious plan dovetails with the Sagebrush Sea Network, a conservation effort enveloping the habitat of the greater sage grouse across 13 western states, covering over 150 million acres. Together, these initiatives encompass a significant portion of the American West.
