{"id":12994,"date":"2017-06-08T17:15:40","date_gmt":"2017-06-08T21:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/?p=12994"},"modified":"2017-06-08T17:15:40","modified_gmt":"2017-06-08T21:15:40","slug":"policy-news-june-8-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/2017\/06\/08\/policy-news-june-8-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Policy News: June 8, 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

In This Issue:<\/strong><\/h1>\n

U.S. to Exit Paris Climate Accord<\/a><\/span> <\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

President withdraws from global deal<\/p>\n

Agency Heads Defend Paris Withdrawal, Question Climate Change<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Support for withdrawal from Zinke, Pruitt<\/p>\n

ESA Statement on U.S. Exit from Paris Agreement<\/a> <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Statement from ESA president condemns withdrawal<\/p>\n

Quick Reads<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

ESA member action alert, NSF DDIGs discontinued, hearing on NSF grant costs, EPA rule delays, DOI order, FWS deputy director pick, interagency firefighting<\/p>\n

Get Involved<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Provide your comments, input, and recommendations to federal agencies and the White House<\/p>\n

Congressional Updates<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Agriculture Research Caucus, bipartisan climate science center support, House letter warns against altering monuments, wildfire hearing, appropriations hearings\u00a0 <\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Legislative Updates<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Digital Coast Act and whistleblower protection bills pass Senate, other legislation of interest<\/p>\n

Federal Register<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Upcoming meetings and other opportunities for public\u00a0involvement<\/p>\n

ESA Correspondence to Policymakers<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>U.S. to Exit Paris Climate Accord <\/strong><\/h2>\n

President Trump announced that the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord in a celebratory Rose Garden ceremony on Thursday, June 1. The long-anticipated announcement came after lengthy internal White House debate; it had been expected prior to the G-7 Summit at the end of May.<\/p>\n

Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, and Secretary of State and former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson advocated remaining in the agreement; none of them attended the ceremony. White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt pushed for U.S. withdrawal. There was a burst of applause when Trump announced that he would pull out and Bannon held his hands up in the air, clapping enthusiastically. Administrator Pruitt was invited by President Trump to offer closing comments. Abandoning the Paris deal fulfills a Trump campaign promise and satisfies opponents of the global climate deal but also isolates the country. World leaders quickly condemned the move. At home, business and congressional leaders voiced opposition to the decision, while most Republican leaders largely praised the move. Many governors and mayors have organized in support of the Paris deal, with some taking action to implement parts of the agreement.<\/p>\n

Curiously, after announcing the exit, President Trump immediately suggested reengaging in the Paris accord, saying: \u201cSo we\u2019re getting out.\u00a0 But we will start to negotiate, and we will see if we can make a deal that\u2019s fair. And if we can, that\u2019s great. And if we can\u2019t, that\u2019s fine.\u201d He later continued, \u201cI\u2019m willing to immediately work with Democratic leaders to either negotiate our way back into Paris, under the terms that are fair to the United States and its workers, or to negotiate a new deal that protects our country and its taxpayers.\u201d<\/p>\n

World leaders reject renegotiation.<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Other world leaders, however, rejected the notion of renegotiating Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni, at the 19th<\/sup> Summit between the European Union (EU) and China on June 2, issued a rare joint statement dismissing that possibility. \u201cWe deem the momentum generated in Paris in December 2015 irreversible and we firmly believe that the Paris agreement cannot be renegotiated, since it is a vital instrument for our planet, societies and economies,\u201d they wrote. Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a statement that he \u201cattaches great importance\u201d to the Paris agreement.<\/p>\n

Congress also shows little interest in renegotiation.<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Both congressional Democrats and Republicans also showed little interest in a Paris renegotiation. \u201cI have no idea what he means when he says renegotiate,\u201d said Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). However, Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN) suggested that the president could, at some point, advance a Paris treaty for the Senate to ratify.<\/p>\n

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said in a June 1 statement, \u201cPresident Trump has once again put families and jobs ahead of left-wing ideology and should be commended for his action.\u201d House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) called the Paris climate agreement \u201csimply a raw deal for America,\u201d in a separate statement.<\/p>\n

Democratic leadership dismissed renegotiation outright. \u201cI think that is not realistic, not likely to happen,\u201d said Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), Environment and Public Works committee ranking member. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said Congress can continue to show support for the Paris targets, as many state and local governments and businesses have pledged to do since Trump\u2019s withdrawal.<\/p>\n

State and local governments organize in support of Paris Agreement.<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan group of states founded by California, New York, and Washington and committed to upholding the Paris agreement, gained 10 new members on June 5. The Mayors\u2019 National Climate Action Agenda<\/a> is also encouraging actions to limit warming and has more than tripled its membership.<\/p>\n

A coalition of governors, mayors, and business leaders have pledged \u201cWe Are Still In\u201d<\/a> the Paris agreement. The coalition published an open letter to the international community\u2014signed by more than 1,200 leaders of U.S. states, cities, businesses, and universities\u2014declaring their commitment to the Paris agreement and to continuing to ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in reducing carbon emissions.<\/p>\n

Additionally, nineteen state attorneys general from California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, pledged to continue to seek carbon reductions in line with the Paris commitments.<\/p>\n

On June 7, Hawaii became the first state to pass a law committing to the goals and limits of the Paris agreement.<\/p>\n

China steps forward as climate leader.<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

U.S. federal withdrawal from climate leadership places sharper focus on China, currently the leading greenhouse gas emitter. Last Friday, at the 19th EU-China Summit, the European Union and China issued a first-ever joint statement on the \u201cimperative\u201d of the Paris agreement, especially in the face of U.S. withdrawal. China continues to step forward on climate change, hosting the Clean Energy Ministerial in Beijing<\/a> this week.<\/p>\n

The business community responds.<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Internationally, more than 1,300 cities, regions, businesses, investors, civil society groups, trade unions, and other signatories have joined the Paris Pledge for Action<\/a>, declaring that \u201cnon-party stakeholders are ready to play their part to support the objectives of the Paris agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many American business leaders united in support of the Paris agreement, and in opposition to the Trump decision. Walt Disney Co. Chairman and CEO Bob Iger and Tesla Inc. co-founder and CEO Elon Musk quit President Trump\u2019s Strategic and Policy Forum, the council of business executives.<\/p>\n

IBM\u2019s chief executive, Ginni Rometty, remains on the panel. The company issued a statement saying, \u201cWhether the U.S. participates in the Paris agreement or not, IBM will continue its decades-long work to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions and will continue to help our clients do so as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein, in his first-ever tweet, called the decision \u201ca setback for the environment and for the US\u2019s leadership position in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Facebook\u2019s Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter\u2019s Jack Dorsey, and Google\u2019s Sundar Pichai each came out strongly against the president\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n

Citigroup\u2019s head of environmental finance, Mike Eckhart, called for a mechanism to enable private sector participation in the Paris agreement. United Nations Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres endorsed the idea while appearing at an event, calling it \u201can excellent idea.\u201d Guterres added, \u201cWe need to find all kind of new forms of allowing for the private sector to have a stronger voice in this discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is the timetable for withdrawal?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Trump administration has committed to following the exit procedure described in the rules of the agreement. It specifies a three-year waiting period before a notice of exit can be given followed by a one-year period of deliberation in which the country may remove its request and decide to stay in. This timeline means that the earliest the U.S. can leave is November 4, 2020. In the meantime, parties to the Paris agreement will continue to meet, prospectively including the U.S. which will still technically co-chair a key committee at upcoming implementation discussions this fall in Bonn, Germany. Beginning in Nov. 2018, parties to the agreement will begin meeting every five years to evaluate what further measures might be needed to stay below the goal of less than 2 degrees Celsius of global warming.<\/p>\n

A new U.S. president in January 2021 could rejoin the Paris accord by submitting a written notice to the United Nations. The U.S. would then re-enter the agreement 30 days later and submit a new climate change pledge.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>Agency Heads Defend Paris Withdrawal, Question Climate Change<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke fielded multiple questions about climate change and the Paris agreement at the Alaska Oil and Gas Association\u2019s annual conference in Anchorage, AK, on June 1. Zinke said, \u201cI have yet to read what the actual Paris agreement is. I\u2019ve seen some different press releases back and forth, so before I make an opinion I want to sit down and read it.\u201d Saying man\u2019s influence on climate is \u2018still unsettled,\u2019 he emphasized the role of science in investigating global warming and the importance of \u201cinvestment in research and development and investing in our science community.\u201d Climate research funding is targeted for heavy cuts in the president\u2019s proposed FY 2018 budget. For example, four of eight U.S. Geological Survey climate adaptation science centers would be eliminated.<\/p>\n

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, a vocal critic of the Paris deal and strong proponent of withdrawal, defended the U.S. exit from the agreement. Speaking at a White House press briefing and appearing on television morning shows, Pruitt avoided answering questions about whether the president believes climate change is real. He told Fox News\u2019s Chris Wallace that the \u201cwhole question [of what the president believes] is an effort of trying to get it off the point.\u201d When asked about his own views, he echoed the response he gave during his Senate confirmation hearing, acknowledging that the climate is changing but questioning the extent to which human activity plays a role.<\/p>\n

President Trump\u2019s decision to exit the Paris agreement was made with virtually no science advisers on staff. He has announced nominees for only 7 of 46 \u2013 15 percent \u2013 of top science positions. Critical posts such as head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy \u2013 a position that serves as presidential science adviser \u2013 and chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality remain unfilled.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>ESA Statement on U.S. Exit from Paris Agreement <\/strong><\/h2>\n

ESA president David Lodge strongly condemns the president\u2019s decision to withdraw from the Paris accord in a statement<\/a> published on June 2. He offered encouraging words to ecologists, \u201cEcologists can take heart that hundreds of U.S. state and local elected officials of both parties, and a rapidly growing group of prominent U.S. business leaders are using our science to make important decisions about products, practices, and policies every day.\u00a0Instead of ignoring what science reveals, they are redoubling their efforts to slow climate change and increase the resilience of biodiversity, ecosystems, and human society even without federal leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n

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<\/a>Quick Reads<\/strong><\/h2>\n

ESA Action Alert \u2013 FY 2018 Science Funding<\/strong><\/p>\n

ESA sent an action alert to members<\/a> on June 6 encouraging them to contact their members of Congress and ask them to preserve funding for science and scientific research across federal agencies in FY 2018. Visit ESA\u2019s Federal Budget Tracker<\/a> for more information about the FY 2018 federal budget.<\/p>\n

NSF Discontinues <\/strong>Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants (DDIGs)<\/strong><\/p>\n

NSF issued a \u201cDear Colleague\u201d letter<\/a>\u00a0on June 6 announcing the demise of the fifty-year-old DDIG award for the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) and its Division of Environmental Biology (DEB).\u00a0An NSF DEBrief blog<\/a> cites increased staff workload for proposal review and award management as justification for its discontinuation. According to the blog, NSF issued 135 DDIG awards in FY 2015 and 121 in FY 2016 in the amount of $20,000 for each student\u2019s project and institutional overhead costs. There were 510 full proposals reviewed in 2015 and 524 in 2016 that required four review panels composed of nearly eighty panelists. Each DDIG award receives the same oversight and management as any other NSF award. The ecological community is expressing its dismay on social media channels such as Twitter about the program\u2019s demise. ESA sent a letter<\/a> urging NSF leadership to keep the DDIG program.<\/p>\n

House Science Committee Holds Oversight Hearing on NSF Award Indirect Costs<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Research & Technology and Oversight subcommittees of the House Science Committee recently held a hearing<\/a> about overhead or indirect costs of NSF grants. Several witnesses testified, including John Neumann of the Government Accountability Office who spoke about the GAO NSF Indirect Costs\u00a0report<\/a> that is in development. Viewpoints expressed fell along party lines. Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) criticized funds used for indirect costs while Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) supported the use of indirect funds for overhead costs associated with research, mainly at universities.<\/p>\n

EPA Delays Ozone Rule<\/strong><\/p>\n

On June 6, the EPA stated in a letter to state governors that the agency is delaying implementation of its 2015 ground-level ozone standards by a year. The delay, announced by Administrator Scott Pruitt<\/a>, gives states until 2018 to meet the Obama-era ozone regulations.<\/p>\n

EPA Halts Obama Rule on Methane <\/strong><\/p>\n

On May 31, the EPA announced a 90-day stay<\/a> of agency rules related to standards for the oil and natural gas industry. These rules, finalized under the Obama administration, regulated methane pollution at oil and gas drilling wells, as well as standards for equipment and employee certification. This decision aligns with the president\u2019s executive order on \u201cPromoting Energy Independence and Executive Growth<\/a>,\u201d which directed the EPA to review the oil and gas methane rules. In response to the stay, environmental groups sued the administration, filing a petition seeking review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit and asking the court to vacate the EPA\u2019s stay of the methane rules. The Court of Appeals has asked the EPA to respond to this lawsuit, giving the agency until June 15 to justify its authority to pause the regulation.<\/p>\n

DOI Order Moves Forward with Alaska Energy Assessment<\/strong><\/p>\n

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signed a secretarial order<\/a> on May 31 that could lead to expanded oil and gas drilling in areas of the Alaska National Petroleum Reserve. Consistent with the president\u2019s energy executive order, the secretarial order initiates review and assessment of energy resources, which could open new sections of Alaska to drilling. The order also lays the groundwork for assessment of oil and gas resources in parts of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.<\/p>\n

Zinke Selects FWS Deputy Director<\/strong><\/p>\n

Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke appointed Greg Shaheen as deputy director<\/a> of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a newly created position. Shaheen is a state wildlife and natural resource manager who previously served as director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Service. He will serve as acting director of the agency until the president nominates and the Senate approves a director.<\/p>\n

Perdue and Zinke Emphasize Interagency Firefighting Cooperation<\/strong><\/p>\n

On June 2, Secretary of the Interior Zinke and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue sent a joint memorandum<\/a> to the leadership of wildland fire management agencies emphasizing inter-departmental collaboration in managing and fighting fires to protect communities. The memo comes in advance of a 2017 wildfire season that they anticipate to be another \u201cchallenging year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span> Return to top<\/a><\/p>\n

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<\/a>Get Involved<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Review IPBES Assessments <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is seeking experts and scientists to conduct external reviews of regional assessments, a land degradation and restoration assessment, and a global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The regional assessments cover biodiversity and ecosystem services for Europe and Central Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. The review period for the regional and land degradation and restoration assessments is open now. More information on how to participate can be found here<\/a>. The review period for the global assessment opens on June 15.<\/p>\n

Submit Ideas to the White House<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The White House is soliciting public input<\/a> on which agencies should be reformed or eliminated. The administration is also asking for public feedback on management reform and other ideas for reorganizing the federal government. If you have thoughts on agencies to reform, or if you want to express support for agencies that should not be eliminated, comment by June 12.<\/p>\n

Comment on Monument Designations<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Department of the Interior released a list of monuments under review under the April 26 executive order and announced a public comment period<\/a> for the review process. The list of sites under review includes 22 national monuments and 5 marine national monuments. Comments on monument designations must be received by July 10. Submit comments online<\/a> or by mail.<\/p>\n

Recommend Members for NSF Directorate and Office Advisory Committees<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The National Science Foundation is requesting recommendations for membership<\/a> on its scientific and technical federal advisory committees, including the Advisory Committee for Biological Sciences. These external advisory committees provide advice on program management, discuss current issues, and review and provide advice on the impact of policies, programs, and activities of the directorate or office of NSF.<\/p>\n

Nominate Members for EPA\u2019s Board of Scientific Counselors<\/strong><\/p>\n

The EPA is seeking nominations for technical experts<\/a> to serve on one of its advisory committees, the Board of Scientific Counselors, after Administrator Pruitt dismissed half of the members of this board earlier this month. The Board provides independent scientific and technical peer review, advice, consultation, and recommendations to EPA\u2019s Office of Research and Development. Nominations must be submitted by June 30.<\/p>\n

For more opportunities to get involved, go to the Federal Register<\/a><\/strong> section.<\/em><\/p>\n

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<\/a>Congressional Updates<\/strong><\/h2>\n

House Agriculture Research Caucus Forms<\/strong><\/p>\n

A new House caucus has been created<\/a> that is dedicated to agriculture research and innovation, including protecting federal investments in agriculture research. Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL) formed the bipartisan Congressional Agriculture Research Caucus to elevate agriculture research ahead of the 2018 Farm Bill. A hearing on \u201cAgricultural Research: Perspectives on Past and Future Successes for the 2018 Farm Bill<\/a>\u201d will be held in the Senate Agriculture Committee on June 15.<\/p>\n

Bipartisan House Letter Urges Support for Climate Science Centers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nineteen members of the House of Representatives sent a \u201cDear Colleague\u201d letter<\/a> to the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee asking for stable and full funding of the USGS National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers in FY 2018. These science centers prepare for and reduce the consequences of extreme climate. The president\u2019s budget request proposes to cut the centers\u2019 funding by nearly $8 million (from $25.3 million in FY 2017) and close four of the eight centers. The bipartisan letter was led by Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) and Rep. Don Young (R-AK).<\/p>\n

House Democrats Warn Against Altering Monuments<\/strong><\/p>\n

In response to Interior Secretary Zinke\u2019s ongoing review of 27 national monuments, 86 House Democrats \u2013 led by Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Ra\u00fal Grijalva (D-NM) \u2013 sent a letter to Zinke warning him against altering monuments<\/a>. The letter cautions that only Congress has the authority to rescind or substantially reduce the size of national monuments and that any attempt by the executive branch to do so \u2013 despite the president\u2019s executive order directing the review \u2013 would be a \u201cmisuse of [Zinke\u2019s] time and the public\u2019s money.\u201d DOI is accepting public comments on the review of national monuments until July 10. Comments for Bears Ears National Monument were due in May, and Secretary Zinke is scheduled to issue preliminary recommendations for the Bears Ears site this week.<\/p>\n

House Natural Resources Hearing on Wildfires and Forest Management<\/strong><\/p>\n

The House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Federal Lands is holding a hearing today, June 8, on \u201cBurdensome Litigation and Federal Bureaucratic Roadblocks to Manage our Nation\u2019s Overgrown, Fire-Prone National Forests<\/a>.\u201d This is the subcommittee\u2019s second hearing in the past month focusing on wildfires and forest management. Subcommittee Chairman Tom McClintock (R-CA) is in favor of increased forest thinning, and the June 8 hearing is meant to examine how litigation, compliance, and added requirements impede more active management.<\/p>\n

Upcoming Appropriations Hearings <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Appropriations Subcommittees in the House and the Senate began holding hearings on the Fiscal Year 2018 budgets for the agencies under their jurisdiction.<\/p>\n

House<\/a><\/p>\n