05/03/21 NACD Government Affairs Update: Climate Action and Legislation 05/03/2021
By Coleman Garrison Even though Congressional buildings are still closed to the public due to COVID 19, this hasn't slowed down Congress’s focus on climate change and the role the agricultural and forestry industry can to do reduce emissions or sequester carbon. In addition to President Biden’s Executive Order and the subsequent public comment period…… Continue reading →
NACD Government Affairs Update on the 2021 Appropriations Bill 11/19/2020
By Eric Hansen Even though Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) began on October 1, Congress has not yet passed a full year federal funding bill or appropriations bill. Currently, the federal government is operating under a short-term extension, or continuing resolution (CR), that is set to expire on December 11. Without additional action by Congress, the…… Continue reading →
NACD Government Affairs update on emergency wildfire legislation 10/06/2020
By Mary Scott The 2020 wildfire season has already inflicted severe economic, health and natural resources challenges across the country. More than 8,100 wildfires have been recorded since the beginning of the year in California alone, with over 4 million acres destroyed, more than any previous year on record. More than 7,000 structures have been…… Continue reading →
Great American Outdoors Act Signed into Law 08/04/2020
By Mary Scott On Tuesday, Aug. 4, President Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) into law. GAOA received bipartisan support and passed the Senate on June 17 with a 73-25 vote, followed by the House approving it 310-107 on July 22. Momentum for the bill comes on the heels of President Trump’s request…… Continue reading →
NEPA Update: Final Rule Released 07/27/2020
By Mary Scott On Wednesday, July 15, President Trump announced the final rule implementing changes to the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). For the first time in over 40 years, NEPA has undergone a comprehensive update covering concerns with the implementation of the statute. NACD addressed our concerns with the way NEPA was implemented previously…… Continue reading →
House Climate Report Calls for Investments in Agricultural Conservation 07/01/2020
By Eric Hansen On June 30, the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis released “Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America.” Written entirely by the Democratic staff on the Committee, the report fulfills the Committee’s mandate to craft policy recommendations…… Continue reading →
NACD Examines Executive Order on Bolstering Economic Recovery in the COVID-19 Era 06/22/2020
By Mary Scott On June 4, President Trump signed a Presidential Executive Order (EO), titled “Accelerating the Nation’s Economic Recovery from the COVID-19 Emergency by Expediting Infrastructure Investments and Other Activities.” The EO streamlines infrastructure investments by instructing agencies, including executive departments, to use “emergency authorities” for swift implementation of projects. According to the EO,…… Continue reading →
Committee holds hearing on agriculture’s role in climate change 11/18/2019
By Lea Mayer On Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis held a hearing on agriculture’s ability to positively impact and mitigate the effects of climate change. Entitled, "Solving the Climate Crisis: Opportunities in Agriculture," the hearing introduced key components in Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) that would help reduce greenhouse gas…… Continue reading →
ESA Update: Recent News on the Endangered Species Act 10/02/2019
By Adam Pugh With the ongoing efforts to modernize the Endangered Species Act (ESA) fully under way, August in Washington, D.C., was quite busy this year despite the Congressional recess. On August 27, 2019, the Departments of the Interior and Commerce (known as the “Services”) moved forward as they published final versions of the proposed…… Continue reading →
NACD Government Affairs’ update on FY2020 appropriations 09/20/2019
By Coleman Garrison As the days grow shorter, we draw closer to the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, when Congress is once again pressed into action to ensure that the federal government remains funded. New appropriations bills are needed to set spending for Fiscal Year 2020, which begins Oct. 1, 2019. Although the process…… Continue reading →