<[link removed]> Summer is in full swing, and many Americans are trying to put two years of pandemic shutdowns and shut-ins behind us by getting out and enjoying the great outdoors. A couple of us certainly did last week, visiting Arches National Park in Utah and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado (see some great photos below). At the same time, high energy prices are dampening many families’ summer travel plans, though. The shock we feel at the nearly $5 average price per gallon of regular unleaded is compounded by inflationary pressure on prices for everything from milk to mobile phones. It’s a painful reminder that energy prices affect the cost of everything and reinforces the need for a balanced approach to energy policy. America is a nation blessed with incredible natural resources. Those resources have allowed us to prosper as a nation and to resist interference from others. We’ve taken that blessing for granted for way too long. Energy is the foundational building block of our economy. It powers everything we do. It is in our national interest to pursue an all-of-the-above energy policy capable of delivering abundant, affordable, reliable, clean, and secure energy. We should undoubtedly pursue new technologies that reduce the environmental impact of the energy we depend upon, but we must be honest about the time and investment required to transition to a zero or even low-carbon economy. Despite the need to increase global energy supplies, the Biden administration’s efforts to limit domestic oil and natural gas production continued in June. ConservAmerica commented on the Security and Exchange Commission’s proposed rule on climate risk disclosures. We are concerned <[link removed]> that the rule’s prescriptive regime for public companies is unnecessarily costly, will weaken our country’s energy security, and ultimately undermine our climate goals by making the development of new energy supplies more expensive. On the good news side of the ledger, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA). While the bill remains a work in progress, it deserves support in the Senate. The intent of RAWA is to address a real crisis of endangered species and to do so in a way that encourages more cooperation between federal and local and private land managers. We believe the Senate should strengthen the legislation and then send it back to the House for approval. House Republicans also rolled out their “Six Pillars” platform for tackling climate change and the ongoing energy crisis. ConservAmerica President Jeff Kupfer noted that the platform would help tackle our nation’s energy and conservation challenges from a position of strength, leveraging our technological know-how and innovative capacity to reduce emissions and bolster energy security. As part of the Six Pillars plan, Republican leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and House Natural Resources Committee introduced the American Energy Independence from Russia Act <[link removed]> to increase LNG exports to our European allies, restart oil and gas leasing in federal areas, and advance energy infrastructure projects like the Keystone XL pipeline project between Canada and the U.S. Gulf Coast. The legislation includes a requirement for the current and future presidents to submit an energy security plan. Now is an excellent time to remember that royalty and leasing payments from federal lands and waters not only deliver affordable energy but are also a source of funding for conservation and maintaining our national parks. One of the biggest conservation successes of the previous administration was the Great American Outdoors Act <[link removed]> . The legislation secured permanent funding for the existing Land and Water Conservation Fund, which has been a historically important program to conserving public lands and improving outdoor recreation opportunities. The damage from the recent flooding in Yellowstone National Park <[link removed]> illustrates the need for a steady funding source for maintaining our nation’s special places. ConservAmerica joined dozens of other organizations last month in supporting the introduction of the bipartisan Save Our Sequoias Act <[link removed]> in the House. The bill has 30 bipartisan cosponsors, including House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). The legislation seeks to improve Giant Sequoia resiliency to wildfires, insects, and drought through scientific forest management practices. Lastly, the U.S. Supreme Court closed out the month with a 6-3 decision in West Virginia v. EPA that is likely the first of many salvos pushing back on the trend of administration’s expanding executive power over the lives of Americans. It also reinforces the need for organizations like ConservAmerica, which focus on using conservative principles to achieve bipartisan, durable results. “Today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in West Virginia v. EPA rightly puts the question of our national policy response to the serious issue of climate change squarely in the hands of Congress. Only bipartisan, Congressional action can yield policy that is both durable and capable of addressing the global nature of the problem. Congress never intended for the Clean Air Act to be used to address climate change, notwithstanding the EPA’s attempts to do so. The solutions to climate change ultimately lie in policies that spur collaboration and technological innovation and are in harmony with our energy and economic needs. The regulatory toolbox of the past is simply not up to the task” – Todd Johnston, ConservAmerica. We hope you had an enjoyable Fourth of July weekend. We’ll leave you with a few photos from our recent trips. Despite the high price of gas, it’s always a good time to visit our National Parks. June Highlights <[link removed]> ConservAmerica Responds to SEC's Proposed Rule on Climate Disclosures <[link removed]> ConservAmerica wrote to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler concerning the Commission’s proposed rule on climate disclosures. The proposed rule’s prescriptive regime for emissions disclosures for public companies is unnecessary, will weaken our country’s energy security, and undermine our climate goals. As prices rise across energy categories that consumers rely on, the SEC, in its role as a financial regulator, cannot and should not move forward with a major environmental initiative without the direction of elected policymakers and agencies with environmental and energy expertise. Read More <[link removed]> <[link removed]> Opinion: The Conservative Case for RAWA <[link removed]> ConservAmerica President Jeff Kupfer and board member Andy Sabin published the following opinion piece in InsideSources <[link removed]> June 16. The bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) passed the House this week with the support of 16 Republicans. Like any bipartisan legislation, it isn’t perfect and could be improved with some targeted changes, especially on the revenue side. Still, it deserves support in the Senate because it addresses a real and immediate problem and does so in a way that upholds and promotes traditional conservative principles of federalism, fiscal responsibility, and respect for private property rights. The legislation removes the one-size-fits-all federal approach to wildlife conservation and creates a more sustainable funding model. Wildlife is best protected when federal, state, and local governments work with private landowners. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act applies conservative principles, including respect for private property rights, to advance a bipartisan solution. This collaborative and sustainable approach to conservation will help create resilient communities, support thriving wildlife populations, and reduce the need for costlier solutions down the road. Read More <[link removed]> <[link removed]> Anti-Automation Rail Policy Runs Counter to Commitment to Protecting the Environmental <[link removed]> As we all know, the U.S. transportation system is essential to moving people and goods. When it comes to lessening the environmental impact of this system, the discussion often focuses on the sector as a whole or solely on passenger vehicles. This is understandable, because transportation has been the largest source of U.S. emissions since 2016 and because automobiles and light trucks make up the predominant mode of travel. Yet one sub-sector of the overall transportation system – the freight networks that move cargo – deserves their own focus, particularly for those interested in economic growth, conserving natural resources, and protecting the environment. In 2018, the U.S. freight system moved more than 18.6 billion tons of goods valued at $18.9 trillion, or an average of 56.9 tons of freight per person in the United States, a 4 percent increase from 2016. Estimates also show that freight demand will rise by 50% over the next 30 years. Read More <[link removed]> <[link removed]> House Republicans Release Policy Pillars For Addressing Climate Change <[link removed]> As part of House Republican Leaders Commitment with America, U.S. House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), House Select Committee on Climate GOP Leader Garret Graves (R-LA), and others from the Energy, Climate, and Conservation (ECC) Task Force <[link removed]> announced a six-part plan to tackle the ongoing energy crisis and the global climate challenge. The plan includes the following policy pillars: Unlock American Resources Let America Build American Innovation Beat China and Russia Conservation with a Purpose Build Resilient Communities “The pillars that make up House Republicans’ six-part energy, climate, and conservation plan embrace a fundamental reality that is necessary to achieve an effective and durable policy – namely, our approach must balance our environment, energy, and economic needs. Policies that fail to achieve this balance will fail,” said ConservAmerica President Jeff Kupfer. “By putting forward a platform that seeks to unlock American resources, the plan would allow us to tackle our energy and conservation challenges from a position of strength, where we can fully leverage our technological know-how and innovative capacity to drive emissions reductions, fortify our economy and bolster our energy security.” Read More <[link removed]> <[link removed]> U.S. Supreme Court Rules 6-3 Against EPA Authority to Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions <[link removed]> ConservAmerica Vice President of Government Relations Todd Johnston issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling <[link removed]> that the Environmental Protection Agency lacked the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Obama-era Clean Power Plan. The ruling firmly shifts responsibility for setting national climate policy back to Congress. “Today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in West Virginia v. EPA rightly puts the question of our national policy response to the serious issue of climate change squarely in the hands of Congress. Only bipartisan, Congressional action can yield a policy that is both durable and capable of addressing the global nature of the problem,” said ConservAmerica’s Todd Johnston. “Congress never intended for the Clean Air Act to be used to address climate change, notwithstanding the EPA’s attempts to do so. The solutions to climate change ultimately lie in policies that spur collaboration and technological innovation and are in harmony with our energy and economic needs. The regulatory toolbox of the past is simply not up to the task.” Read More <[link removed]> Please consider supporting our work with a tax-deductible donation. With your help, we can continue to provide leadership on environmental and conservation issues based on the principles of respect for free markets, property rights, and personal responsibility. Donate <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]> <[link removed]> Follow us! ConservAmerica, 1455 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington DC, United States Unsubscribe <[link removed]>