{"id":19374,"date":"2023-03-20T17:03:14","date_gmt":"2023-03-20T17:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/?p=19374"},"modified":"2023-03-20T17:19:47","modified_gmt":"2023-03-20T17:19:47","slug":"esa-policy-news-march-20-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/2023\/03\/20\/esa-policy-news-march-20-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"ESA Policy News: March 20, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

President\u2019s Budget Request Includes Increases for Science Funding<\/a><\/strong>
\nRequest represents \u201cwishlist\u201d for the administration and includes increases for scientific programs.<\/p>\n

ESA Selects 2023 Graduate Student Policy Award<\/a><\/strong>
\nFifteen ESA members will travel to DC to receive policy and communications training and meet with policymakers on Capitol Hill.<\/p>\n

Comment Period for the National Nature Assessment Closes March 31, 2023<\/a>
\n<\/strong>White House Office of Science and Technology Policy leaders appeal for input from ecologists in a Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment editorial.<\/p>\n

Call for Nominations for 2023 ESA Regional Policy Award<\/a><\/strong>
\nESA seeks nominations for its annual Regional Policy Award to recognize a local or regional policymaker who has integrated environmental science and policy in initiatives that foster more sustainable communities.<\/p>\n

Congress<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Senate Commerce Committee to consider ocean debris legislation.<\/p>\n

Courts<\/a><\/strong>
\nFederal judge blocks news Clean Water Act rule in Texas and Idaho.<\/p>\n

Executive Branch<\/strong><\/a>
\nWhite House approves Willow oil project in Alaska.<\/p>\n

States<\/strong><\/a>
\nTexas State Board of Education issues guidance encouraging schools to emphasize the \u201cpositive\u201d aspects of climate change in textbooks.<\/p>\n

International<\/strong><\/a>
\nIPCC issues sixth assessment report.<\/p>\n

Scientific Community<\/a>
\n<\/strong>National Audubon Society opts to keep name.<\/p>\n

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

<\/a>President\u2019s Budget Request Includes Increases for Science Funding<\/h2>\n

President Joe Biden released his President\u2019s Budget Request March 9. This request marks the start of the appropriations process for fiscal year 2024 (FY24), which starts Oct. 1, 2023. The House and Senate will begin drafting spending bills in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

Across administrations, the President\u2019s Budget Request is typically viewed as a \u201cwishlist\u201d and allows the administration to demonstrate its priorities and vision for the federal government.<\/p>\n

Overall, the request provides significant increases to most agencies and programs relevant to ecological science, although the request falls about $5 billion short of the amount authorized in the CHIPS and Science Act, passed by Congress this past fall.<\/p>\n

Biden\u2019s request includes a 5.2% cost of living increase for federal employees. This would be the largest raise for federal employees since the Carter Administration but falls short of the 8.7% increase supported by federal employee unions and some Congressional Democrats.<\/p>\n

Select agency requested funding levels are outlined in the paragraphs below.<\/p>\n

National Science Foundation<\/u><\/p>\n

The President\u2019s FY24 budget request to Congress includes $11.314 billion for NSF, an increase of 18.6% from FY23 levels. This includes increases for programs intended to diversify the STEM workforce. The administration includes funding to support no more than 2,500 new Graduate Research Fellowship Program fellows.<\/p>\n

This number is less than the $15.7 billion for the agency authorized in FY 2024 the CHIPS Act and Science Act. The Coalition for National Science Funding, a coalition of scientific societies and universities, is requesting $11.9 billion for NSF in FY 2024.<\/p>\n

Department of Agriculture<\/u><\/p>\n

Citing competition with China, the administration includes over $4 billion for agricultural research, a $299 million increase. This incorporates funding for climate research and increasing research capacity among historically underserved populations. The Agricultural Research Service receives just over $2 billion in total, a proposed 10.5% increase. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture receives $1.868 billion, a nearly 10% increase, while the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, the USDA\u2019s primary competitive research grants program, receives $550 million, an over 20% increase.<\/p>\n

The budget request increases funding for the Forest Service\u2019s Research and Development programs to $349 million, a 13.6% increase. In the agency\u2019s budget justification, the Forest Service says that this budget increase will be used to increase climate research and research related to reforestation, carbon sequestration and carbon accounting. The agency sets a goal of 1,100 peer-reviewed scientific publications during FY 2024.<\/p>\n

EPA<\/u><\/p>\n

The Biden administration proposes $12 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, around a 19% increase over FY 2023 levels. This includes $5 billion for climate programs and $1.8 billion for environmental justice. The request notes that this funding level will allow the agency to add more than 2,400 employees, restoring its capacity to carry out its mission.<\/p>\n

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a hearing to consider the EPA\u2019s proposed FY2024 budget with EPA Administrator Michael Regan March 22.<\/p>\n

Interior Department<\/u><\/p>\n

Overall, Biden seeks a 9% raise for the Department of the Interior. This includes $5.7 billion for climate adaptation and resilience and $366 million for climate science research.<\/p>\n

The request includes $3.8 billion for the National Park Service, a $289 million increase over the previous year.<\/p>\n

The Bureau of Land Management receives $1.669 billion, a $140 million increase, in the request. This includes funding to support the America the Beautiful initiative, which seeks to protect 30% of public lands and water by 2030 and $12 million for youth corps programs.<\/p>\n

Biden allocates $1.786 billion for the U.S. Geological Survey, an increase of $288.3 million over FY2023 levels. This includes $395 million for the Ecosystems Mission Area, a $87.8 million increase. The Climate Adaptation Science Center and Land Change Science programs are funded at $128.0 million, $44.8 million above FY 2023 enacted levels.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service receives $4.1 billion, a $314.9 million increase, in Biden\u2019s proposal.<\/p>\n

NASA<\/u><\/p>\n

The Earth Science Directorate receives $2.5 billion, a 14% increase.<\/p>\n

Department of Energy<\/u><\/p>\n

Biden seeks to increase the budget of the Office of Science by 9% to 8.8 billion. Within the Office of Science, Biological and Environment Research receives a 2.5% increase. The budget request vows to enhance the Department of Energy\u2019s climate science work by expanding the Urban Integrated Field Laboratories and the network of climate resilience centers, affiliated with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The Energy Department will also continue investments in AI approaches for improving Earth and environmental system predictability.<\/p>\n

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration<\/u><\/p>\n

The request includes $231 million for NOAA\u2019s climate research programs, a $7 million increase above FY 2023 levels. The budget also includes $87 million for marine sanctuaries and protected areas, contributing to the Biden administration\u2019s goal to protect 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.<\/p>\n

<\/a>ESA Selects 2023 Graduate Student Policy Award Recipients<\/h2>\n

The request includes $231 million for NOAA\u2019s climate research programs, a $7 million increase above FY 2023 levels. The budget also includes $87 million for marine sanctuaries and protected areas, contributing to the Biden administration\u2019s goal to protect 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.<\/p>\n

The Ecological Society of America is honored to announce the Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award (GSPA) 2023 cohort. ESA\u2019s Graduate Student Policy Award (GSPA) provides graduate students with science policy training and the opportunity to meet with congressional policymakers on Capitol Hill.<\/p>\n

Award recipients receive communications training and learn about the federal budget and appropriations process, then meet with congressional decision-makers to discuss federal support of research and education in the biological sciences.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdvocating for sustained science funding and establishing connections with legislators is an invaluable experience when laying the groundwork for a meaningful career at the science\u2013policy interface,\u201d said ESA President Sharon Collinge. \u201cMany of our former award recipients have launched impressive careers in public policy, and it will be exciting to see what this year\u2019s cohort sets out to accomplish after their experience on the Hill.\u201d<\/p>\n

ESA selected 15 students to receive the award:\u00a0Alicia L. Arrington-Thomas<\/strong>\u00a0(University of Mississippi),\u00a0Tira L. Beckham<\/strong>\u00a0(North Carolina State University),\u00a0Jonathan Behrens<\/strong>\u00a0(Duke University),\u00a0Elijah Catalan<\/strong>\u00a0(University of California, Los Angeles),\u00a0Scott M. Carpenter\u00a0<\/strong>(Yale University),\u00a0Chloe Y. Cho<\/strong>\u00a0(Cornell University),\u00a0Gina L. Errico<\/strong>\u00a0(Oklahoma State University),\u00a0Vanessa M. Lau<\/strong>\u00a0(Columbia University),\u00a0Shalimar G. Moreno<\/strong>\u00a0(East Carolina University),\u00a0Maria H. Park<\/strong>\u00a0(University of Minnesota),\u00a0Brandon A. Quintana<\/strong>\u00a0(California State University, Fullerton),\u00a0Sarah E. Rothman<\/strong>\u00a0(University of Maryland),\u00a0Veronica Manka\u2019a Tangiri\u00a0<\/strong>(Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District, Lund University),\u00a0Aubrey Tingler<\/strong>\u00a0(University of Maryland) and\u00a0Tatjana Washington<\/strong>\u00a0(University of Chicago).<\/p>\n

Visit the ESA website for more information about the 2023 GSPA cohort<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Click here to see a Flickr album with photos of this year\u2019s award winners<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a>Comment Period for the National Nature Assessment Closes March 31, 2023<\/h2>\n

In April 2022, the Biden administration announced the launch of the first-ever U.S. National Nature Assessment (NNA). Led by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, this report will assess the state of the U.S.\u2019s lands, waters and wildlife and the specific benefits that they provide. The assessment will also allow the country to look ahead at how nature might change in the future and identify opportunities for investments in nature to help achieve climate, health, environmental justice and economic goals.<\/p>\n

In October 2023, the White House Office of Science Technology and Policy (OSTP) issued a Request for Information (RFI), entitled Framing the National Nature Assessment, to inform the development of the NNA. The comment period ends March 31, 2023.<\/p>\n

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for ecologists to provide input to the US government on how nature, biodiversity and ecosystems will be measured to provide the information needed to manage ecosystems and biodiversity within the United States.<\/p>\n

In an editorial<\/a> in ESA journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Heather Tallis, Allison Crimmins and Jane Lubchenco write: \u201cWe invite you to help shape it and ensure strong, diverse, relevant content. You can start by telling us: What questions should the NNA answer? What needs should it fill? How can we ensure strong collaboration with users and incorporate diverse ways of knowing nature? What form should the final product(s) take to be most accessible and useful to you, your community, and the government?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tallis is the acting director of the National Nature Assessment and the assistant director for biodiversity and conservation sciences in the White House OSTP. Crimmins is the director of the National Climate Assessment and Lubchenco is the OSTP deputy director for climate and the environment.<\/p>\n

OSTP requests a limit of 3500 words and\/or seven pages for each RFI submission. Submit a comment here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Call for Nominations for 2023 ESA Regional Policy Award<\/h2>\n

Do you know someone who has made positive efforts toward environmental sustainability in Portland, Oregon?\u00a0 ESA seeks nominations for its annual Regional Policy Award to recognize a local or regional policymaker who has integrated environmental science and policy in initiatives that foster more sustainable communities.<\/p>\n

ESA has honored past award recipients for policy work that included:<\/p>\n