{"id":19273,"date":"2023-01-09T21:11:56","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T21:11:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/?p=19273"},"modified":"2023-01-09T21:11:56","modified_gmt":"2023-01-09T21:11:56","slug":"esa-policy-news-january-9-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/2023\/01\/09\/esa-policy-news-january-9-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"ESA Policy News: January 9, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

White House Seeks Comments About the Scope of the National Nature Assessment, ESA Seeks Member Input for Comments<\/a><\/strong>
\nJoin ESA today at 12 noon eastern for a water cooler chat about the National Nature Assessment. <\/span>Register here<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fiscal Year 2023 Spending Bill Increases Funding for Environmental and Scientific Programs<\/a><\/strong>
\nBill includes a 12% increase for the National Science Foundation.<\/p>\n

Biden Finalizes \u201cWaters of US\u201d Rule<\/a><\/strong>
\nBill includes a 12% increase for the National Science Foundation.<\/p>\n

Comments about the draft Fifth National Climate Assessment Due Jan. 27<\/a><\/strong>
\nESA webinar recording is available.<\/p>\n

Congress<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) named the ranking member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee in the 118th Congress.<\/p>\n

Executive Branch<\/strong><\/a>
\nBiden administration releases fall 2022 Unified Agenda, previewing regulations to come.<\/p>\n

States<\/strong><\/a>
\nMassachusetts Governor-elect names state climate chief.<\/p>\n

International<\/strong><\/a>
\nBrazilian President Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva announces cabinet.<\/p>\n

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

<\/a>White House Seeks Comments About the Scope of the National Nature Assessment, ESA Seeks Member Input for Comment<\/h2>\n

Today, Monday, Jan. 9 at 12:00 ET, come to the Water Cooler Chat<\/strong>\u00a0to discuss options for contributing to the National Nature Assessment (NNA) framework. This is an informal Zoom meeting to hear thoughts from the ecological community. Register\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ESA is seeking feedback from the ecological community to inform its response to the White House Office of Science Technology and Policy (OSTP) recent Request for Information (RFI), entitled\u00a0Framing the National Nature Assessment<\/a>\u00a0published in the Federal Register.<\/p>\n

As a member of the ecological community, your feedback is essential to shape the NNA.\u00a0 We encourage everyone to participate by providing feedback to ESA to inform its comments. Additionally, we strongly encourage all ecologists to submit individual responses to the NNA RFI.<\/p>\n

OSTP requests a limit of 3500 words and\/or seven pages for each RFI submission. The formal deadline to\u00a0submit comments about shaping the NNA to OSTP<\/a>\u00a0is March 31, 2023.<\/p>\n

The opportunity to help inform ESA comments closes\u00a0Jan. 23, 2023. Use this link to provide input into ESA comments. You may choose to answer all or just one of the questions and replies can be anonymous,\u00a0https:\/\/forms.gle\/9eexaeLKkJaov57bA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Fiscal Year 2023 Spending Bill Increases Funding for Environmental and Scientific Programs<\/h2>\n

President Joe Biden signed a $1.7 trillion government spending bill for fiscal year (FY) 2023 Dec. 29, keeping the government funded through the end of September 2023 and providing increases to most ecologically relevant science agencies.<\/p>\n

The bill includes $9.9 billion total for the National Science Foundation, an 12% increase. This includes $1.04 billion in supplemental funding for NSF, including $335 million for implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act. The Senate bill summary notes that this is the largest dollar increase for NSF of all time and the largest percentage increase for the agency in more than two decades. The increase will allow NSF to support approximately 2,300 additional research and education grants and 35,000 more scientists, technicians, teachers and students, compared to FY 2022. NSF\u2019s Research and Related Activities account, which funds most NSF grants, receives $7.8 billion, a 9.5% increase.<\/p>\n

In the Interior Department, the US Geological Survey receives $1.497 billion, a 7.7% increase. This includes $307 million for the Ecosystems Mission Area, a 10.5% increase. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is funded at $1.8 million, sees an increase of almost 7.5%. Lawmakers allocated $3.475 billion to the National Park Service, a 6.44% increase. The Bureau of Land Management receives $1.493 billion, a 5.89% increase.<\/p>\n

In the Agriculture Department, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture receives a nearly 4% increase to $1.7 billion. The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative receives $455 million, a 2.25% increase. The Agricultural Research Service is funded at $1.818 billion, a 3.27% increase. ARS\u2019 salaries and expenses account receives $1.744 billion, a 6.78% increase. The US Forest Service\u2019s budget for activities other than wildfire management is increased by $222 million. This includes $307.2 million for Forest and Rangeland Research, a 3.59% increase and $32.2 million for Forest Inventory and Analysis, a 45% increase.<\/p>\n

The Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s topline budget is $10.13 billion, a 6% increase over FY 2022 levels. The EPA\u2019s Science and Technology budget increases to $802.27 million, a nearly 7% increase. The EPA\u2019s Geographic Programs budget, which funds the restoration of nationally significant bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay, is increased to $681.7 million, a $94.5 million increase.<\/p>\n

Appropriators increase the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\u2019s budget $6.2 billion, a nearly 5.5% increase. This includes a $761 million for NOAA research, a 17.5% increase and $80 million for the National Sea Grant College program, a 5% increase.<\/p>\n

The Department of Energy Office of Science receives $8.1 billion, an 8% increase. This is in addition to $1.55 billion that the Office of Science received through the Inflation Reduction Act. Overall, the Department of Energy receives $46.1 billion, including a $260 million increase for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers allocate $7.8 billion to NASA\u2019s Science Mission Directorate. This includes $2.2 billion for the Earth Science Directorate, a 6% increase, which will allow the agency to address climate research priorities and launch new observations of earth, as recommended in the Earth Science decadal survey.<\/p>\n

See also:<\/u><\/p>\n