{"id":13968,"date":"2018-04-17T15:15:08","date_gmt":"2018-04-17T19:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/?p=13968"},"modified":"2018-04-17T15:15:08","modified_gmt":"2018-04-17T19:15:08","slug":"policy-news-april-17-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/2018\/04\/17\/policy-news-april-17-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Policy News: April 17, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

ESA Policy News<\/strong><\/h1>\n

In This Issue:<\/h1>\n

UN-administered\u00a0IPBES Identifies Impact of Land Degradation on Climate Change<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Concludes that land degradation, caused by human activities, is a significant driver of climate change and biodiversity loss.<\/p>\n

EPA Talking Points Memo to Staff Downplays Climate Change<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Coordinated strategy to discredit climate science.<\/p>\n

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

USGS director confirmed, National Park Service removes mentions of human\u2019s role in climate change from report, Jane Lubchenco receives 2018 Vannever Bush Award and more.<\/p>\n

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

Opportunities to provide nominations for scientific advisory committees and opportunities to provide input.<\/p>\n

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

Listing recently introduced of relevant legislation<\/p>\n

Opportunities from the Federal Register<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

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

Register to Vote<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

2018 midterm elections are happening in November.\u00a0Register to vote and learn more about voting policies and rights in your state at Rock the Vote<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ESA In the News<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

View an up-to-date list of ESA\u2019s media coverage<\/p>\n

ESA Correspondence to Policymakers<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

<\/a>UN-administered IPBES Identifies Impact of Land Degradation on Climate Change<\/h2>\n

Land degradation caused by human activities, is a significant driver of climate change and biodiversity loss according to a series of major reports approved at the sixth session of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Plenary in Medellin, Columbia, March 17-24. The reports provide assessments of biodiversity and ecosystem services in four regions-the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Africa, as well as Europe and Central Asia-encompassing the entire planet, except the poles and oceans. A fifth report addresses global land degradation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough this report, the global community of experts has delivered a frank and urgent warning, with clear options to address dire environmental damage,\u201d said Sir Robert Watson\u00a0(United Kingdom), of the University of East Anglia and IPBES chair, in a statement accompanying the land degradation report.\u201d Land degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change are three different faces of the same central challenge: the increasingly dangerous impact of our choices on the health of our natural environment. We cannot afford to tackle any one of these three threats in\u00a0isolation-they\u00a0each deserve the highest policy priority and must be addressed together,\u201d he continued. The report estimates that loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services through land degradation cost 10 percent of world gross domestic product in 2010.<\/p>\n

\u201cHigh-consumption lifestyles in the most developed economies, combined with rising consumption in developing and emerging economies\u201d are underlying drivers of land degradation, says the report. By 2050, it is estimated that less than 10 percent of Earth\u2019s land surface will have \u201cescaped substantial impacts of human activity\u201d say IPBES experts. These impacts are \u201camplified by continued population growth in many parts of the world,\u201d the experts note, driving increased and unstainable expansion of agriculture, natural resource extraction and urbanization. The report points with particular concern to increasing alteration and destruction of habitats\u00a0concentrated in \u201csome of the most species-rich ecosystems on the planet,\u201d due to the expansion of crop and grazing lands that consume one-third of the Earth\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n

Findings in the report note that increasing demands for food and biofuels are likely to contribute to increased use of nutrient and chemical inputs, and pesticides. The report estimates that deforestation alone accounts for 10 percent of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions with soil and land disruption and degradation contributing up to the release of 4.4 billion tonnes of previously stored CO2 annually between 2000 and 2009.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith negative impacts on the well-being of at least 3.2 billion people, the degradation of the Earth\u2019s land surface through human activities is pushing the planet towards a sixth mass species extinction,\u201d said\u00a0Professor Robert Scholes (South Africa), of the University of Witwatersrand and an IPBES contributing expert.<\/p>\n

\u201cWetlands have been particularly hard hit,\u201d said Dr.\u00a0Luca Montanarella (Italy), of the European Soil Data Center and an IPBES contributing expert. \u201cWe have seen losses of 87 percent in wetland areas since the start of the modern era- with 54 percent lost since 1900,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn just over three decades from now, an estimated 4 billion people will live in drylands,\u201d said Professor Scholes. \u201cBy then it is likely that land degradation, together with the closely related problems of climate change, will have forced 50-700 million people to migrate. Decreasing land productivity also makes societies more vulnerable to social instability \u2013 particularly in dryland areas, where years with extremely low rainfall have been associated with an increase of up to 45\u00a0percent in violent conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe greatest value of the assessment is the evidence that it provides to decision makers in Government, business, academia and even at the level of local communities,\u201d said Dr. Anne Larigauderie\u00a0(France), IPBES executive\u00a0secretary. \u201cWith better information, backed by the consensus of the world\u2019s leading experts, we can all make better choices for more effective action.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report recommends concrete actions to avoid further agricultural expansion into critical habitats and ecosystems, such as optimizing use of existing farmlands, shifting to more plant-based diets, and reducing food loss and waste. They note examples of successful land restoration including use of salt tolerant crops; maintenance of appropriate fire regimes; restoration of traditional livestock management practices; reflooding of previously drained wetlands and river restoration; and integrated crop, livestock and forestry systems.<\/p>\n

The report also gives particular importance to \u201cavoidance, reduction and reversal of land degradation\u201d in greenhouse gas mitigation. Soil\u2019s carbon absorption and storage functions, the reports suggest, \u201ccould provide more than a third of the most cost-effective greenhouse gas mitigation activities needed by 2030,\u201d significantly helping to keep global warming below the 2\u00b0C target threshold established in the Paris Accords on climate change.<\/p>\n

The benefits of land restoration often exceed their costs, by far, the report finds-sometimes by a factor of 10-while in regions such as Asia and Africa, inaction is \u201cat least three times higher than the cost of action.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFully deploying the toolbox of proven ways to stop and reverse land degradation is not only vital to ensure food security, reduce climate change and protect biodiversity,\u201d said Montanarella, \u201cIt\u2019s also economically prudent and increasingly urgent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watson added, \u201cOf the many valuable messages in the report, this ranks among the most important: implementing the right actions to combat land degradation can transform the lives of millions of people across the planet, but this will become more difficult and more costly the longer we take to act.\u201d<\/p>\n

IPBES is an independent intergovernmental body of 129 member states administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It was established in 2012 under the auspices of the UNEP, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).<\/p>\n

The mission of IPBES is\u00a0to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being and sustainable development.\u00a0IPBES assesses the state of biodiversity and of the ecosystem services it provides to society, in response to requests from decision makers. One thousand scientists, nominated by governments and organization from all over the world, contribute to the work of IPBES on a voluntary basis. Peer review of the work of IPBES helps\u00a0ensure that a range of views is reflected in its work, and that the work is complete to the highest scientific standards.The Plenary is the governing body of IPBES and usually meets once a year, next scheduled for May 13-18, 2019.<\/p>\n

The final reports of the sixth IPBES Plenary are not yet available as of this writing and will be published later this year.\u00a0Unedited advance Summaries for Policymakers<\/a>\u00a0presenting key messages and policy options for each of the four regional reports and the land degradation report, however, are available. Attribution of content, findings\u00a0and\u00a0recommendations presented above are based on advance summaries, press releases and public statements by the Plenary\u2019s leading participants.<\/p>\n

***\u00a0Supported by the National Science Foundation, ESA\u2019s Science Office works to increase engagement of our members with IPBES panels and task forces. To learn more, visit\u00a0esa.org\/ipbes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>EPA Talking Points Memo to Staff Downplays Climate Change<\/h2>\n

An internal memo of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) codifies talking points used for months by EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, confirming a coordinated strategy to discredit climate change science. Circulated in a leaked March 27 EPA email, entitled \u201cConsistent Messages on Climate Adaptation,\u201d by Joel Scheraga, senior advisor for climate adaptation, EPA Office of Policy, the memo highlights talking points \u201crelating specifically to our adaptation work.\u201d The memo was first publicly\u00a0disclosed and reprinted by Huffington Post the next day, in \u201cLeaked Memo: EPA Shows Workers How To Downplay Climate Change, Point 5: Suggest that humans are only responsible are in some manner<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The memo directs EPA communications and public affairs directors to emphasize that the EPA \u201cpromotes science that helps inform states, municipalities\u00a0and\u00a0tribes on how to plan for and respond to extreme events and environmental emergencies\u201d and \u201cworks with state, local, and tribal government to improve infrastructure to protect against the consequences of climate change and natural disasters.\u201d Following the platitudes, the memo proceeds to advance two key fallacious assertions;<\/p>\n

\u201cHuman activity impacts our changing climate in some manner. The ability to measure with precision the degree and extent of that impact, and what to do about it, are subject to continuing debate and dialogue.<\/p>\n

While there has been extensive research and a host of published reports on climate change, clear gaps remain including our understanding of the role of human activity and what we can do about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scheraga\u2019s email is \u201cliterally true but carefully crafted to mislead,\u201d\u00a0said Andrew Dessler, a Texas A&M University climate scientist, in comments to The Guardian.<\/p>\n

The Associated Press (AP) surveyed 15 leading climate scientists for comment on the key talking points.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo say that \u2018human activity impacts our changing climate \u2018in some manner,\u2019\u00a0is analogous to saying the Germans were involved in WW II \u2018in some manner,\u2019\u201d said David Titley, a professor of meteorology at Pennsylvania State University and retired U.S. Navy admiral, in an email to AP.<\/p>\n

Katharine Hayhoe of Texas Tech University, and a co-author of a November 2017 report,\u00a0Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4), Volume I<\/a>, from 13 federal agencies including the EPA, criticized the Scheraga email-noting that the report finds the Earth has warmed 1.2\u00b0 Fahrenheit since 1950 and that human activity accounts for between 92 and 123 percent of that change. It\u2019s more than 100 percent on one end, because some natural forces-such as volcanoes and orbital cycle-are working to cool Earth, but are being overwhelmed by the effects of greenhouse gases, she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuggesting that there are gaps that remain in our understanding of the role of human activity and possible solutions to the problem is false equivalence at its finest,\u201d said Kathie Dello, an Oregon State University climate scientist in the\u00a0AP article<\/a>. \u201cWe know it\u2019s us and we know what we have to do about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jonathan Overpeck, dean of environmental science at the University of Michigan, and Michael Oppenheimer, of Princeton University, each described the idea of gaps in scientific knowledge as \u201cflat out wrong\u201d in comments to AP.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf confronting serious risks depended on first converting risks to certainties, no one would get flu shots, there\u00a0would be no attempt to reduce stockpiles of nuclear weapons and businesses would fail at a high rate, having made no efforts to mitigate their risks. Mr. Pruitt is engaged in a disingenuous effort to stall measures to mitigate climate risk under the false pretext of concern about uncertainty,\u201d said Kerry Emanuel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology meteorologist and climate scientist, commenting on the memo in The Guardian.<\/p>\n

Administrator Pruitt has consistently, and falsely, denied the role of CO2 as a \u201cprimary contributor\u201d to climate change since joining EPA, noting\u00a0that\u201dhumans have most flourished during times of warming trends.\u201d<\/p>\n

The memo leak came a week after Pruitt announced his intention to adopt an anti \u201csecret science\u201d policy, similar to failed congressional legislation, in EPA decision-making\u00a0that would prohibit use of studies not providing online access to their underlying raw data (see \u201d\u00a0EPA Administrator Pruitt Raises HONEST Act as Agency Initiative,<\/a>\u201d ESA Policy News, March 26). It also comes when Pruitt is under fire from senior ethics officials, congressional leadership (both Democratic and Republican), and reportedly high-level White House staff over conflicts of interest and questionable ethical and administrative decisions, such as a sweet-heart housing deal from a Washington lobbyist, questionable pay raises for political staff, first-class travel and a 24-hour security detail, and isolation from senior career EPA staff, both physically and in\u00a0decision-making.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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

Senate Environment and Public Works Holds Hearing on Carbon Capture Bill<\/strong><\/p>\n

A\u00a0bipartisan bill<\/a>\u00a0to boost carbon capture projects won\u00a0broad praise<\/a>\u00a0from members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee April 11. The bill would require the Council on Environmental Quality to establish guidance on CO2 pipelines and carbon capture facilities and clarify that projects qualify under permitting reviews established by the 2015 Fixing America\u2019s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The legislation also would set up a direct air capture technology advisory board, would provide $50 million for research on utilizing captured CO2 and calls for a $25 million prize administrated by EPA to boost direct air capture technologies.<\/p>\n

Environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, the League of Conservation Voters, and Earthjustice slammed language that would add CO2 pipelines to a list of projects receiving limited permitting review under the FAST Act. A dozen groups including the Clean Air Task Force and Algae Biomass Organization submitted letters of support for the bill. These groups say CO2 capture technologies should have the same federal benefits as other energy sources.<\/p>\n

Lubchenco Wins National Science Board Public Service Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

ESA Past-president Dr. Jane Lubchenco will receive the National Science Board\u2019s\u00a02018 Vannever Bush Award\u00a0for her lifelong leadership and public service in science and technology. Lubchenco is a distinguished university professor and marine studies advisor to the president at Oregon State University and served as the U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 2009 to 2013.<\/p>\n

Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee Dominated by Industry Officials<\/strong><\/p>\n

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke\u2019s new Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee is largely composed of\u00a0outdoor recreation industry officials<\/a>, including officials from companies with National Park Service contracts. The outdoor recreation industry has lobbied for more input on public lands decision-making since the Obama administration. Suggested nominees from the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) were rejected. The OIA represents nonmotorized recreation interests and has been critical of the Trump administration<\/p>\n

Park Service Director Under Investigation for Misconduct<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Interior Department\u00a0opened an investigation<\/a>\u00a0into acting National Park Service Director P. Daniel\u00a0Smith\u00a0after an employee reported that Smith made a \u201ccrude\u00a0gesture\u201d earlier this year in the its headquarters building. Park Service employees have complained of a culture of sexual harassment and misconduct in the agency for years,\u00a0and\u00a0Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has pledged to curb misconduct in the agency. An internal survey conducted last fall found that one in 10 Park Service employees experienced harassment.<\/p>\n

BOEM Moves Toward Oil and Gas Leasing in Alaska\u2019s Beaufort Sea<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) opened a public comment period on proposed oil and gas leasing in the Beaufort Sea area in the Arctic Ocean March 30. The\u00a0Federal Register notice<\/a>\u00a0states that the BOEM hopes to identify environmentally sensitive areas and areas important for Native Alaskan subsidence needs. Environmental and Native Alaskan groups oppose drilling in the Beaufort Sea and have challenged the Trump administration\u2019s efforts to open the Arctic and Atlantic oceans to oil and gas development in court. The public comment period is open until April 30, 2018.<\/p>\n

Army Corps of Engineers Soliciting for Public Comment on the Pebble Mine Project in Alaska<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Army Corps of Engineers is\u00a0asking for public input<\/a>\u00a0on the planned Pebble Mine in southwestern Alaska. The agency is preparing to produce a draft environmental impact statement on the project. The fishing industry, Alaska Native groups,\u00a0and\u00a0environmentalists have fought the proposed\u00a0open-pit\u00a0copper and gold mine project since 2004, arguing that the project would devastate the area\u2019s salmon fishery. In January, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would maintain Obama-era restrictions on the proposed mine. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt later clarified that this announcement did not mean that EPA would block the mine project outright. The Army Corps of Engineers will hold seven public meetings about the project across Alaska,\u00a0and\u00a0interested parties can submit public comments\u00a0online<\/a>\u00a0through June 29, 2018.<\/p>\n

Forest Service Proposes 20-year Mining Ban near Yellowstone<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Forest Service released an\u00a0environmental assessment<\/a>\u00a0March 29 supporting a\u00a020-year\u00a0ban on new mining projects and mining exploration activities on 30,370 acres in the Custer Gallatin National Forest near Yellowstone National Park. The Forest Service noted that allowing mining in this area would impact recreation, water and wildlife habitat.\u00a0The decision would not impact existing mining activities in the area. The Department of the Interior will now review the environmental assessment. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who opposed mining in the area as the congressman from Montana, will have the final say the decision.<\/p>\n

Former Texas\u00a0State Official Named Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Susan Combs, a former Texas state senator\u00a0and\u00a0state\u00a0comptroller,\u00a0was named<\/a>\u00a0acting assistant secretary for fish, wildlife\u00a0and\u00a0parks in the Department of the Interior. This position oversees both the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. President Trump appointed Combs assistant secretary for policy, management,\u00a0and\u00a0budget at Interior last summer, but she has not\u00a0been confirmed\u00a0to the position. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) placed a hold on Combs\u2019 nomination over concerns about Interior\u2019s plan to expand offshore drilling. Combs has supported private property rights and called endangered species protections \u201cincoming Scud missiles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Biological Survey Unit Safe \u2013 For Now\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Biological Survey Unit, a division of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that maintains a large collection of animal specimens and field notes at the Smithsonian\u2019s National Museum of Natural History will\u00a0stay open until the end of September<\/a>. USGS previously planned to shutter the division this spring for budgetary reasons. Scientific organizations have criticized the move, stating that closing the office would threaten the public\u2019s access to valuable scientific information. The Biological Survey Unit\u2019s annual budget is $1.6 million. A USGS representative told The Washington Post that the agency is working with the Smithsonian to develop a transition plan for the Biological Survey\u2019s collections.<\/p>\n

National Park Service Will Not Double Park Entrance Fees<\/strong><\/p>\n

The National Park Service and the Department of the Interior are backing away from a plan to double park entrance fees at the most popular national parks after the agency received over 100,000 overwhelmingly negative public comments about the proposal. A\u00a0statement<\/a>\u00a0from the National Park Service said that the agency will instead increase entrance fees by five dollars at most parks that currently have fees.<\/p>\n

National Park Service Removes Mentions of Humans\u2019 Role in Climate Change from Report<\/strong><\/p>\n

An\u00a0analysis by the Center for Investigative Reporting<\/a>\u00a0found that the National Park Service removed all mention of humans\u2019 role in climate change from a scientific report on sea level rise and storm surge. The report, which still hasn\u2019t\u00a0been released\u00a0the public, details the risks that sea level rise poses to national parks in coastal areas and is intended to help park managers protect resources from climate change. A career Park Service employee made many of the modifications. This analysis contradicts Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke\u2019s claims that the Interior Department has not engaged in scientific censorship. House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and four other Democratic members of the committee sent\u00a0a letter<\/a>\u00a0to the Interior Inspector General requesting an investigation into the incident and the National Park Service\u2019s scientific integrity policies. A group of five Democratic senators also sent a\u00a0similar letter<\/a>\u00a0to the Interior Inspector General.<\/p>\n

Court Rejects Mexican Wolf Rule<\/strong><\/p>\n

The U.S. District Court in Arizona\u00a0struck down<\/a>\u00a0a 2015 Fish and Wildlife Service rule for managing Mexican gray wolves April 2, stating that the rule did not adequately ensure the species\u2019 persistence in the long term. The rule capped the population of red wolves in Arizona and New Mexico at 325 individuals and prohibited wolves from entering the northern portions of the states, including Grand Canyon National Park. Judge Jennifer Zipps noted that the Fish and Wildlife Service ignored the advice of scientists who expressed concerns over the population cap and misinterpreted these same scientists\u2019 findings to support their decision.<\/p>\n

Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Rolling Back Protections for Threatened Species<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Fish and Wildlife Service proposed\u00a0eliminating the blanket section 4(d) rule<\/a>\u00a0in a proposed rule submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for review. The full text of the rule has not\u00a0been released\u00a0to the public. The blanket section 4(d) rule prohibits the \u201ctake\u201d of species designated as threatened. Private property advocates have backed weakening the blanket 4(d) rule.<\/p>\n

Louisiana Pine Snake Listed as a Threatened Species<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Fish and Wildlife Service\u00a0listed<\/a>\u00a0the Louisiana\u00a0pine snake, a large snake associated with the longleaf pine ecosystem in Louisiana and Texas, as threatened April 6. The agency also\u00a0proposed a section 4(d) rule<\/a>. This rule would allow landowners to conduct forest management activities like forest thinning, prescribed fires and removal of invasive species without facing legal repercussions if snakes\u00a0are harmed\u00a0during habitat improvement activities. Comments on the proposed section 4(d) rule are due May 7, 2018.<\/p>\n

Interior Department Reinterprets the Migratory Bird Treaty Act<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Interior\u00a0Department\u00a0issued a legal opinion\u00a0<\/a>determining that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), a\u00a0100-year-old\u00a0law, only applies to intentional take \u2013\u00a0i.e.,\u00a0hunting and trapping \u2014 of migratory birds. Previous administrations have interpreted the MBTA as applying to incidental or accidental take of migratory birds. The federal\u00a0government\u00a0has prosecuted oil companies under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for incidental take of birds after major oil spills. All 10 Democratic members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee signed a\u00a0letter<\/a>\u00a0urging Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to reverse the administration\u2019s decision to reinterpret the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).<\/p>\n

Pruitt Consolidates Authority for Clean Water Act Designations<\/strong><\/p>\n

Environmental Protection Agency\u00a0Administrator\u00a0Scott Pruitt\u00a0signed a memo<\/a> March 30 that gives Pruitt the ultimate authority for determining whether wetlands and waterways\u00a0are protected\u00a0under the Clean Water Act. The Army Corps of Engineers typically makes these \u201cjurisdictional\u00a0determinations,\u201d but under\u00a0a Memorandum\u00a0of Understanding signed in 1989, the EPA can take responsibility for these determinations in special or particularly difficult cases. Before Pruitt\u2019s memo, the EPA\u2019s regional offices were responsible for taking over these cases and making final jurisdictional determinations. EPA officials downplayed the importance of the move, stating that the change was made to ensure consistency in agency decision-making. Advocacy groups like Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility warned that the move is part of Pruitt\u2019s \u201cPlan B\u201d if Pruitt\u2019s plan to\u00a0rewrite\u00a0the \u201cWaters of the United States\u201d rule falters in court.<\/p>\n

Judge Orders the Release of Wildlife Import Records<\/strong><\/p>\n

U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Macdonald\u00a0ordered<\/a>\u00a0the Fish and Wildlife Service to turn over data regarding the importation and exportation of wildlife under the Freedom of Information Act. Until 2014, data from the agency\u2019s Law Enforcement Management Information System (LEMIS) database had\u00a0been released.\u00a0Beginning in 2016, the agency began to withhold a\u00a0large\u00a0quantity of information from the database, including\u00a0the declared value, quantity, foreign importer\/exporter, bill of lading number, customs document number and permit number.<\/p>\n

Western Land Program Permanently Reauthorized<\/strong><\/p>\n

A measure to\u00a0permanently reauthorize the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act<\/a>\u00a0passed as part of the 2018 omnibus spending bill. The act\u00a0allows the Bureau of Land Management to sell unneeded, isolated or scattered public lands deemed appropriate for disposal and to use the funds from those sales to purchase lands adjacent to federal lands managed by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the BLM. The Federal Land Transaction Act was previously authorized by Congress in 2000 but expired in 2011.<\/p>\n

IPCC Authors Selected for Sixth Climate Report<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has invited 721 experts1\u00a0from 90 countries to participate in the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) as Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors and Review Editors.\u00a0Thisallows work to start on the next comprehensive assessment of the science related to climate change. Read the IPCC Press Release:\u00a0https:\/\/www.workingforest.com\/selection-authors-ipcc-sixth-assessment-report\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Agencies Sign Agreement on Infrastructure Permitting<\/strong><\/p>\n

A dozen federal agencies signed a\u00a0memorandum of understanding<\/a>\u00a0(MOU) to streamline the environmental permitting process April 9. Under the MOU, one federal agency will take the lead on permitting under the MOU, issuing a single environmental impact statement for the entire federal government. The lead agency will be able to set timetables for other agencies, with the goal of getting the entire process down to two years. However, critics argue the agreement creates more red tape because the administration is adding bureaucracy by forging ahead with its own initiatives, instead of using existing tools to cut down permitting time. Furthermore, some view the MOU as a diversion from the fact that the Trump administration momentum on infrastructure has slowed recently.<\/p>\n

USGS Director Confirmed<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Senate\u00a0voted to confirm<\/a>\u00a0James Reilly, a former astronaut and a geologist, to lead the U.S. Geological Survey April 9. Reilly vowed not to let partisanship interfere with the agency\u2019s scientific research during his confirmation hearing.<\/p>\n

Wheeler Confirmed as Deputy EPA Administrator<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Senate\u00a0voted to confirm<\/a>\u00a0Andrew Wheeler as deputy EPA administrator April 12.\u00a0Wheeler worked for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK).\u00a0Wheeler left the Senate in 2009 to work as a lobbyist for fossil fuel companies.<\/p>\n

Zinke Plans to Scale Back Offshore Drilling Plan<\/strong><\/p>\n

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke\u00a0assured<\/a>\u00a0the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday that he plans to scale back his plan to expand offshore leasing in nearly all federal waters, after massive local and state opposition. Members of both parties have criticized Zinke for his draft plan, and nearly all coastal governors, regardless of party, oppose it. Zinke responded, \u201cStates matter, local voices matter, you matter and governors matter\u2026 We are shaping our plan. This is not a rule.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawmakers Push Scientific Integrity Legislation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Seventy-six Democratic members of the House of Representatives, led by Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), sent a letter to Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) urging Ryan to bring the Scientific Integrity Act (H.R 1358<\/a>) to the house floor for a vote as soon as possible. The Scientific Integrity Act was originally introduced to the House in March 2017. The bill requires all federal agencies that conduct or fund scientific research to \u201ccreate and enforce clear scientific integrity standards.\u201d<\/p>\n

White House Releases President\u2019s Management Agenda<\/strong><\/p>\n

The White House Office of Management and Budget released the\u00a0President\u2019s Management Agenda<\/a>\u00a0March 20. The Agenda provides a framework to guide agency federal reorganization plans and empathizes information technology modernization, data accountability and transparency and developing a \u201921st century\u2019 federal workforce.<\/p>\n

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Get Involved<\/h2>\n

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\nRecommend Members\u00a0for\u00a0NSF Directorate and Office Advisory Committees<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The National Science Foundation is\u00a0requesting recommendations for membership<\/a>\u00a0on 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 Experts to EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee<\/strong><\/p>\n

The EPA is\u00a0requesting nominations<\/a>\u00a0of scientific experts to be considered for appointment to the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). The panel is charged with providing outside advice, information, and recommendations to the EPA on the scientific and technical aspects of air quality criteria and National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The CASAC is made up of seven members but currently has three vacancies. These vacancies resulted from the resignation of one member following the end of her second three-year term and the removal of two other members as a result of Pruitt\u2019s policy banning current recipients of EPA grants from serving on panels. Nominations should be submitted by April 20.<\/p>\n

Comment on Clean Power Plan Repeal and Replacement<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Dec. 18, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt signed an\u00a0advance notice of proposed rulemaking<\/a>\u00a0initiating the first step toward replacing the Obama-era Clean Power Plan (CPP). The document asks for public comment on what a replacement rule should look like. The Clean Power Plan sought to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, cutting them 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. In a separate but related action, the EPA had previously proposed to repeal the rule. The EPA is\u00a0accepting public comments on CPP repeal<\/a>\u00a0until April 26.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For more opportunities to get involved, go to the\u00a0Federal Register<\/a>\u00a0section.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/a>Legislative Updates<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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