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TOMORROW: Briefing on Improving the Efficiency of Conservation Efforts
The Northeast-Midwest Institute will hold a briefing exploring ways to improve the efficiency of conservation efforts using the Regional Conservation Partnership Program as a model. The briefing will take place tomorrow, December 11th, at 2:30 PM in Rayburn 2253.
The briefing will include a panel of the following experts:
- Dr. Michelle Perez, Water Initiative Director, American Farmland Trust
- Rosalyn Brummette, Legislative Aide, Senate Agriculture Committee
- Rebekah Lauster, RCPP Program Specialist, Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Dr. Sri Vedachalam, Director of Safe Drinking Water Program, Northeast-Midwest Institute
For more information, please contact
Eric Heath
, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute
.
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Conference Committee Signs Farm Bill Compromise Text
Members of the conference committee tasked with drafting a compromise text between the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill finally completed their mission today. With months of negotiations finally drawing to a close, the bill will now face quick votes (Wednesday in the House and Thursday in the Senate, according to Politico) in an attempt to pass the legislation before Friday.
While much is still unknown about the content of the bill, Senator Debbie Stabenow announced last week that the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) will be in the compromise version of the bill despite efforts from the House Agriculture Committee to eliminate the program by folding it into the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Senator Stabenow did not specify the funding levels for CSP or EQIP, however, so reallocation of funding is still possible.
The text of the conference report is expected to be released tomorrow morning.
For more information, please contact
Eric Heath
, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute
.
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EPA to Scale Back Waters of the U.S. Definition in Second Attempt at Rule Change
The Trump administration will propose a change to the definition of the "waters of the U.S" (WOTUS) rule, which would restrict the number of wetlands and waterways covered by the Clean Water Act if implemented. The proposed definition would remove federal protections from streams that only flow following rainfall, along with wetlands that are not physically connected to larger waterways.
Until the fully detailed proposal is released, which is expected to be sometime this week, the exact number of wetlands and waterways losing federal protections is unknown. Talking points obtained from the EPA by E&E News indicate that "ephemeral streams and related features" that become wet only after rain events would be completely excluded from the WOTUS definition. Wetlands that are "meaningfully connected to other jurisdictional waters" will be covered by the new definition, but it is not clear how the EPA will choose to define the phrase and implement it.
The controversial proposal will have to go through a public notice and comment period before any changes are implemented. If finalized, it is expected to face legal challenges, just as the Obama-era rule currently is. The 2015 rule is currently in effect for around half of the U.S., and is judicially blocked in the other half.
For more information, please contact
Eric Heath
, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute
.
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Chuck Schumer: Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Needs to Address Climate Change
Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, wrote an
opinion piece for the Washington Post last week that details his ideas about an infrastructure bill that could be passed in the 116
th Congress. Since the Democrats gained a majority in the House of Representatives, President Trump has been expressing support for a bipartisan infrastructure bill in an attempt to fulfill a campaign promise he made in 2016.
Senator Schumer said that in order to have any support from Senate Democrats, the bill would have to "include policies and funding that help transition our country to a clean energy economy and mitigate the risks the United States already faces from climate change."
Furthermore, he pointed out that infrastructure investment has been a priority of the Democrats for decades. As recently as last year, Democrats proposed a trillion-dollar infrastructure bill that was ignored by the president. Schumer stated that he will send a letter to President Trump with details of the policies Democrats expect to see in an infrastructure bill. Some of those policies are:
- Provide permanent tax credits for clean-energy production and storage, electric vehicles, and energy efficient homes
- Invest in conservation, wildlife, and deferred maintenance on public lands
- Significantly reduce release of methane pollution from domestic energy production
- Reduce carbon released in atmosphere
A single infrastructure bill will not solve all of the problems the United States faces regarding climate change, but it could be an important first step towards curbing the calamitous status quo.
For more information, please contact
Eric Heath
, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute
.
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This Week in Washington
The following are committee hearings and briefings of interest to the region.
In the Senate:
In the House:
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NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation
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