Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Funding Opportunities: Hazard Mitigation and Resilience 02/03/2022
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act recently passed both chambers of Congress and was signed into law by President Biden. The infrastructure package includes billions of dollars in investments for resilience of natural systems. NACD’s Government Affairs Team will be releasing a series of blog posts to break down funding opportunities for districts through the…… Continue reading →
Conserving and Restoring “America the Beautiful” Memo 05/11/2021
By Mary Scott On January 27, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order (EO) 14008, Tacking the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. EO 14008 calls for the conservation of at least 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030 and is also referred to as the 30x30 program. The below is language from EO…… Continue reading →
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 →