{"id":18529,"date":"2021-12-06T17:27:53","date_gmt":"2021-12-06T17:27:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/?p=18529"},"modified":"2021-12-20T16:23:22","modified_gmt":"2021-12-20T16:23:22","slug":"policy-news-december-6-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/2021\/12\/06\/policy-news-december-6-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Policy News: December 6, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this issue:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Apply for the 2022 Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award<\/a><\/strong>
\nApplications are due Dec. 10, 2021.<\/p>\n

Congress<\/strong><\/a>
\nCongress passes stopgap measure to fund the government through Feb. 18.<\/p>\n

Executive Branch
\n<\/strong><\/a>USDA proposes reinstating roadless protections for Alaska\u2019s Tongass National Forest.<\/p>\n

States<\/strong><\/a>
\nMaryland Attorney General Sues Monsanto.<\/p>\n

Scientific Community
\n<\/strong><\/a>The National Academics issues a call for nomination for a workshop about public and ecosystem health. National Science Board to meet Dec. 8-9.<\/p>\n

Federal Register opportunities<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>Apply for the 2022 Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Are you a science graduate student interested in the intersection between policy and science? ESA invites you to apply for the virtual 2022 Graduate Student Policy Award (GSPA).<\/p>\n

Offered each year, this award gives graduate students hands-on training and science policy experience including interacting with congressional decision-makers, federal agency officials and ecologists who work in the science and public policy arena.<\/p>\n

Many past recipients are currently working in public policy crediting the ESA GSPA as a stepping-stone to policy fellowships such as the AAAS Fellowship or the NOAA Knauss Fellowship. Other past recipients pursue a research career, but they find the public policy knowledge gained from the experience provides a foundation for interacting with policymakers.<\/p>\n

Several 1-2 hour training and prep sessions will occur in late January and February 2022 over Zoom. Virtual Hill visits will be held Feb. 16-17. Participants are required to attend the trainings and must be available Feb. 16-17 for Hill meetings.<\/p>\n

For more information and to apply, visit this\u00a0page<\/a>. Applications are due Dec. 10, 2021.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Congress<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Nominations:<\/strong> The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted 11-9 to advance Christopher Frey\u2019s nomination to be the EPAs assistant administrator for research and development. Frey is a former chair of the EPAs Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and he was a member of the CASAC Particulate Matter Review Panel that former EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler dismissed in 2018. He was a prominent critic of the EPA during the Trump administration. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) voted with the Committees Democrats to support the nomination.<\/p>\n

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee advanced the nomination of Jainey Bavishi to be the assistant secretary of oceans and atmosphere at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the second-most senior position at NOAA. Bavishi most recently led the New York City Office of Resiliency.<\/p>\n

Appropriations:<\/strong> The House of Representatives and the Senate voted<\/a> to pass a stop-gap funding measure to keep the government funded through Feb. 18, 2022, averting a government shutdown. The measure, known as a continuing resolution, generally keeps funding at fiscal year 2021 levels.<\/p>\n

Legislative Updates:<\/strong><\/p>\n