Legislation

Clean Water Act Permitting Faces Pending Rules and 55 Bills

The Trump administration has proposed three separate rules that would narrow the scope of Clean Water Act (CWA) permitting, but none has been finalized,...

Politics

Aging Water Systems Face Federal Uncertainty Over Repair Mandates

Aging water systems across the country require repair or replacement, and communities often struggle to identify which federal program applies to their...

Legislation

Good Neighbor Law Runs Into Legal Questions On Timber Program

The Good Neighbor Authority (GNA), which lets the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior authorize states, counties, and Tribes conduct land management...

Congress

Unresolved PFAS Liabilities Surface With Pace Of Military Cleanup

Congress faces a core tradeoff on PFAS remediation: whether to shield water utilities, farms, and other entities that never manufactured or used these...

Government Operations

Federal Drought Policy Fragmented Across Agencies

The federal government generally defers to state primacy in surface and groundwater allocation, so states and local entities typically lead drought...

Public Lands

Colorado River Framework Faces Gap Between Law and Water Supply

Colorado River water supplies nearly 40 million people and irrigates approximately 5.5 million acres across a basin spanning more than 246,000 square miles,...

Politics

Supreme Court Considers Climate Lawsuits Against Energy Companies

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on Oct. 5 in Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc. v. County Commissioners of Boulder County, a case that could...

Politics

Trump Budget Proposes Deep Cuts to Global Conservation Programs

The administration's fiscal 2027 budget request proposes eliminating funding for a range of international conservation programs and does not specify funding...

Politics

EPA Has Not Finalized Key PFAS Water Pollution Regulations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has broad authority under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in...

Government Operations

Federal Agencies Split On E-Bike Rules For Public Lands

Congress is addressing inconsistent regulations surrounding e-bikes and their use on nonmotorized trails, and the stakes are substantial. Interior...

Environment

House Examines Nuclear Waste Plan as States Line Up

The Trump administration is betting that the nuclear waste problem can solve itself. On September 15, a House subcommittee heard testimony on the Department...

Congress

Senate Considers Wildfire Emissions Act

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a business meeting Sept. 16, considering three bills and 21 General Services Administration...

Congress

Congressional Report Examines Federal Land Ownership and Management

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) report “Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data,” updated September 14, estimates that the federal government...

Legislation

House Passes Resolution to Nullify EPA Authorization for California Harbor-Craft Emissions Rules

The House passed H.J. Res. 213 on final passage on September 16, voting 214 yeas to 208 nays on a resolution disapproving an Environmental Protection Agency...

Environment

Water Authority Expands Lobbying on Central Valley Water Policy

The registration identifies Natural Resources and Environmental/Superfund as lobbying issues for the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority. Invariant LLC...

Environment

House Passes Bill to Codify Wildlife Refuge Invasive Species Strike Teams

The House passed the National Wildlife Refuge System Invasive Species Strike Team Act of 2025, designated H.R. 4219, on Sept. 14, advancing legislation that...

Congress

House Votes to Revoke California Vessel Emissions Waiver

The House passed H.J. Res. 210 on a 216-211 vote on Sept. 15, approving a Congressional Review Act resolution targeting an Environmental Protection Agency...