WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sen. Maria Cantwell today introduced the Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2018. The Act would permanently codify the Roadless Rule, which safeguards 58.5 million acres of pristine National Forest System lands across 39 states from logging and road building. Despite the Roadless Rule’s many successes and the millions of taxpayer dollars it saves, there have been multiple Congressional attempts to strip Roadless Rule protections from millions of acres of public lands.
PHOENIX -- Rep. Gosar (R-AZ) has introduced an amendment to an Interior Department funding bill that would withhold funding to manage Ironwood Forest National Monument, de-facto stripping the area and its resources of protections afforded by the monument.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Rep. Lujan Grisham introduced legislation to safeguard and enhance national monuments. The America’s Natural Treasures of Immeasurable Quality Unite, Inspire, and Together Improve the Economies of States (ANTIQUITIES) Act is the House companion to Sen. Udall’s bill already introduced in the Senate.
WASHINGTON, D.C -- Sen. Barrasso today introduced a bill that would unravel the Endangered Species Act by weakening the reliance on sound science, giving authority over wildlife decisions to often hostile state management, and stripping the ability of the public to hold agencies accountable when they fail to act.
In response, Jordan Giaconia, Sierra Club federal policy associate, issued the following statement.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Senate today passed a bi-partisan Farm Bill. Despite attempts to attach unpopular anti-environmental riders, the final bill remains focused on widely-supported food and farm policies.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- This week, the US Senate approved its first funding package of the year, a package of 3 funding bills that includes Energy and Water Appropriations bill. Compared to the House passed 3-funding bill minibus last week, the Senate package is largely free from new anti-environmental poison pill riders.
WASHINGTON, D.C.-- The Senate today introduced a bipartisan Farm Bill. In stark contrast to the version introduced in the House, the Senate version eschews toxic, anti-environmental provisions in favor of widely-supported measures focused on food and farm policy.
The House today failed to pass the 2018 farm bill, though Republicans are vowing to pick the highly partisan legislation up again next week under a motion to reconsider. The bill includes a host of troubling provisions, including weakening the SNAP anti-hunger program, and undermining bedrock environmental safeguards for clean water, wildlife and forests. More than a half dozen measures target millions of acres of pristine national forests for logging. There is also yet another attempt to repeal the Clean Water Rule, which provides certainty and protects waterways feeding the drinking water of 117 million people.
The House today is expected to take up the Salmon Extinction Act, HR 3144. The bill will roll back critical protections for endangered salmon, derail salmon recovery alternatives, and undermine bedrock environmental laws like the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act. Thirteen wild salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia and Snake River Basin are currently at risk of extinction, none of which have recovered under the inadequate plans the Salmon Extinction Act would continue.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- House Republicans today released the FY2019 farm bill. The bill weakens the SNAP anti-hunger program and includes provisions undermining bedrock environmental safeguards for clean water, wildlife and forests.
Interior Secretary Zinke was on Capitol Hill again today testifying before the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee defending the proposed budget for the Department of the Interior. Sec. Zinke’s answers to Congressional questions largely mirrored those he gave earlier in the week when he blamed the elderly, disabled, veterans, and children for failing to pay for the National Park maintenance backlog, changed his story on opening the country’s coasts to offshore drilling, lectured members he disagreed with, and made clear nothing will be allowed to get in the way of the Trump administration’s vision for the country’s public lands - fossil fuel profits above all else.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on his agency’s proposed budget. Sec. Zinke was visibly angered by Congressional questioning of agency decisions, including rollbacks of national monument protections and expensive private flights, even going so far as to challenge Senators to call his bluffs.