Conservation
At the current pace, it would take the Forest Service more than 50 years to treat the 19 most at-risk sequoia groves in the country, a timeline the species cannot afford. With faster treatment efforts, more groves will be safeguarded from out-of-control wildfires.
Energy
In its most recent foray against offshore wind, the administration announced it would appeal court rulings that allowed five offshore wind projects to proceed despite last December’s blanket construction halt on national security grounds. Yet the Administration’s ongoing actions risk derailing the possibility of reforming our broken permitting system—a downside far greater than allowing five fully permitted wind projects to go forward.
Energy
In a welcoming milestone, TerraPower received approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a construction permit for its advanced nuclear power plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The review, completed ahead of schedule, provides a hopeful signal that the United States is finally turning the corner on one of the biggest barriers to clean energy innovation: an outdated, slow, and unpredictable licensing and permitting system.
Environment
These days, the role of Chicken Little is filled by reporters and environmental extremists. Every time a conservative administration somewhere in the world proposes to roll back an expensive environmental regulation, rest assured, we’ll hear that the sky is falling in on us.
Infrastructure
The Trump administration recently announced it would appeal court rulings that allowed offshore wind projects to proceed with construction. This follows the administration’s halt to construction on five projects last December for national security reasons, even though those projects had already received permits and are nearly complete. If the goal is true American energy dominance, the bigger task is fixing the broken permitting system that slows every form of American energy infrastructure.
Conservation
The Great Salt Lake is drying up. Since the mid-1980s, the lake has dropped 22 feet, and its surface area is 60 percent smaller than it once was. If that doesn’t sound like a lot, consider this: it takes 12 minutes and 13 seconds to walk from where the lake’s shoreline once was to where it is today.
Conservation
Last month, Utah and the U.S. Forest Service announced a new partnership to accelerate forest restoration, reduce wildfire risk, and improve forest management across the state. Known as a shared stewardship agreement, the partnership establishes a long-term cooperative framework through which the state and federal government jointly set restoration priorities and coordinate the use of existing authorities to carry them out.
Conservation
Washington, D.C., may long be tired of the frigid temps, above-average snowfall, and icy roads. But out West, signs reading “Pray for snow” are everywhere. Utah Governor Spencer Cox even encouraged Utahns to join together in prayer for snow.
Energy
The Department of Energy recently announced that certain advanced nuclear reactor projects can qualify for a categorical exclusion from the National Environmental Policy Act’s (NEPA) full review process. The move is a practical step forward to accelerate innovation, reduce unnecessary cost and delay, and strengthen U.S. competitiveness in nuclear energy.
Conservation
A recent report from ConservAmerica analyzed two decades of energy and infrastructure projects to quantify the ESA’s effects. What it found is that the United States regularly spends billions of dollars fighting over endangered species in court when it should prioritize preventative conservation and economic incentives.
