<[link removed]> Summer may be coming to a close, but the heat is still on Capitol Hill. With the House and Senate coming back into session in the coming weeks, it's a race to the finish as the November mid-term elections loom large on the calendar. Before the Senate broke for recess, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) struck a deal with Democratic leadership to take up permitting reform in exchange for his support of the Inflation Reduction Act under the budget reconciliation process. The agreement to take up "comprehensive permitting reform legislation" remains undefined in both substance and timing. Sen. Manchin might get Democrats to consider a separate bill to support more efficient and expedited permitting for energy and other infrastructure projects before the end of the year, or he might not. The Democratic majority in the House remains the biggest obstacle for permitting reform, but the Senate is no cakewalk. Passing legislation in the Senate requires 60 votes. Any bill will need bipartisan support to get it across the finish line by October 1, which is the end of the fiscal year and the time when members’ attention will shift to the upcoming elections - not legislating. Right now, it's unclear whether Sen. Manchin has enough support within his own party's ranks to build a bipartisan coalition of support. We will closely watch Sen. Manchin's efforts as they develop. In other Hill news, congratulations to Congresswoman Mary Peltola, who came out on top in the special election to fill the legendary Congressman for All Alaska Don Young's House seat. Congressman Young passed in March, after holding Alaska's House seat for 49 years. Congresswoman Peltola, the first Alaska Native woman elected to Congress, will hold the seat until January while also running in the general election to be Alaska' next Congressperson for the full two-year term. Congressman Young, a member of the Roosevelt Conservation Caucus, was a staunch supporter of common-sense conservation efforts and responsible resource development. We hope to see the same passion in his successor. On a more personal level, we are pleased to welcome new Executive Board member Scott Segal <[link removed]> to the ConservAmerica team. Scott, a partner at the DC-based law firm Bracewell and an expert in the legislative and regulatory processes, has more than two decades of experience across a broad range of issues; he holds particular expertise in energy and the environment and natural resources. Scott has repeatedly testified before Congress and administrative agencies on energy and environmental policy matters. Welcome, Scott! We wish everyone a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend and hope you all enjoy these last few beautiful days of summer. Until next time! August Highlights <[link removed]> Fri, Aug 26 ConservAmerica Joins Coalition in Supporting House Climate Task Force <[link removed]> ConservAmerica joined more than two dozen other clean energy and conservation organizations in supporting the House Republicans’ Energy, Climate and Conservation (ECC) Task Force's six-point policy framework as part of their Commitment with America. In a letter to Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and ECC Lead Garret Graves (R-LA) the organizations stated: “The climate is changing. Understanding the challenge is key, and it is encouraging to see you coming together to develop real solutions. As you know, efforts should not damage America’s economy especially during this period of high inflation and geopolitical instability. Your policy framework recognizes these realities, and is good for the environment, American workers and families, and global competitiveness.” Read More <[link removed]> <[link removed]> Tue, Aug 23 ConservAmerica Files Public Comments on Ocean Wind 1 Environmental Impact Statement <[link removed]> ConservAmerica submitted public comments at the end of August to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in support of the Ocean Wind 1 <[link removed]> offshore wind farm off the coast of New Jersey. If permitted, the Ocean Wind 1 will provide the region with a reliable supply of clean energy. In the letter, ConservAmerica President Jeff Kupfer points out that BOEM’s environmental impact review found the offshore project would have negligible adverse impacts on the region’s resources. Read More <[link removed]> <[link removed]> Thu, Aug 04 Sullivan's Disapproval Resolution Would Reinstate NEPA Permitting Reforms <[link removed]> The Senate passed Senator Dan Sullivan’s joint resolution of disapproval (SJ Res. 55 <[link removed]> ) at the beginning of August. The Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution would restore reforms to the federal permitting process implemented under the previous administration and promptly reversed by President Biden when he entered the White House. The previous administration adopted new guidelines to streamline the review process while maintaining core NEPA environmental protections. The changes, while minor, were long overdue. The Biden administration's NEPA revisions represent a substantial rollback of President Trump's 2020 reforms – the first major modernization of federal environmental reviews since 1978. In a statement after the resolution passed, Sullivan said, “the Biden NEPA regulations are nothing more than a delay bomb for building infrastructure in this country.” ConservAmerica supports Sen. Sullivan's disapproval resolution as the quickest way to start rebuilding America. As the country teeters on the verge of another recession, a quick vote for Sen. Sullivan's disapproval resolution in the House is the only reasonable action to move our country forward. Read More <[link removed]> <[link removed]> Mon, Aug 01 Commentary: The answer to high energy prices isn’t new taxes, but new supplies <[link removed]> In an op-ed published in The Hill, ConservAmerica President Jeff Kupfer argued that while there are no easy fixes or short-term answers to global supply and demand imbalances within oil and natural gas markets, solving the problem often starts with figuring out what not to do. In this case, Kupfer says, that means not walking down the path blazed by Jimmy Carter. Read More <[link removed]> Commentary The following commentary by Brian Yablonski, CEO of PERC, the Property and Environment Research Center <[link removed]> , originally ran in The Hill <[link removed]> on Aug. 19 Permitting reform push should include forest restoration With President Biden’s signing <[link removed]> Tuesday of the Inflation Reduction Act, attention will quickly turn to an energy permitting reform bill requested by Sen. Joe Manchin <[link removed]> (D-W.Va.) as a condition for his support of the climate, health care and tax bill’s passage. Rather than treating permitting reform as a “hold your nose” trade-off to attain sweeping spending intended to address climate change, environmentalists and climate advocates should embrace this opportunity to secure urgently needed permitting relief for conservation projects that help the environment. Take the wildfire crisis, which poses enormous threats to wildlife habitat, air and water quality, and our climate. California’s wildfires released <[link removed]> 112 million metric tons of carbon in a single year alone, the equivalent of adding 25.4 million cars to our roads. They also have decimated <[link removed]> forest carbon offset projects, choked <[link removed]> the air with smoke, scorched endangered species habitat and national parks <[link removed]> , and killed <[link removed]> 19 percent of all remaining giant sequoias <[link removed]> . Despite this impact, a clunky permitting process hamstrings our ability to mitigate these megafires and protect our forests. Enacting reasonable, bipartisan reforms is essential to tackling this crisis and should be part of any conservation-minded permitting reform bill. There are things we can do today to mitigate these harms going forward. Proactive forest restoration, including ecologically responsible prescribed burns and mechanical thinning of brush and other excess fuels, can make fires less catastrophic when they occur. Read the full commentary in The Hill <[link removed]> . Parting Shot We’ll leave you with a few shots from our August on the water, including fishing in Alaska at the Kenai River Sportsmen’s Association annual Ted Stevens Kenai Classic <[link removed]> conservation fundraiser with friends old and new. Flying over Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. And exploring the Elk River in British Columbia to look at cross-border water quality and fish mortality. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference,” – Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken <[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! 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