Dan Sealy, NEC Legislative Analyst
Return of an Omnibus Bill and Earmarks
As the reality of 2022 elections for all members of the House of Representatives and a large number of US Senators kicks in, the legislative gears begin to move, and the rhetoric tends to the dramatic. President Biden signed the large appropriations bill that, in the end, got little press coverage due to other world events and the return to collaborative and sometimes backroom politics. Earmarks, popularly known as “pork barrel”, which give members of Congress the ability to crow about success in an election year without typically getting into national news, allowed for Congress to settle back into a decades-old routine of wheeling and dealing. Whether that is good or bad depends on whether your project was funded. Most Americans have no idea what was included in the budget package.
Here are a few take-home notes:
Certainly noteworthy to residents close to Humboldt Bay is earmarked funding for the Hammond Trail bridge which will make the Mad River crossing safer and assure a commuter and recreational connection between McKinleyville and the Humboldt Bay communities.
With the media spotlight shining elsewhere, the Senate actually pushed for more funding and the House had to compromise on department and agency budgets that overall were unexpectedly generous to conservation efforts. A few highlights:
- The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy received a record $3.2 billion.
- National Park Service received a budget increase of $142 million which is greatly needed as parks have seen large increases in visitation in the wake of the COVID pandemic.
- The US Fish and Wildlife Service received a $62 million increase.
- The Bureau of Land Management received $78 million for sage grouse conservation and $31 million for the threatened and endangered species program.
- The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Renewable Energy Program will receive $37 million to help with Biden’s promised offshore wind development.
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) received significant funds for climate change including an $18 million increase for climate research; $10 million of that goes for the climate change adaptation programs.
- NOAA Fisheries received an increase of $51 million. The marine species and anadromous fisheries endangered species category are in their portfolio and the increase also includes $6 million to help support wind farm development.
- The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) received just over $1 billion for conservation programs, including $7 million for the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP). The HFRP “helps landowners restore, enhance and protect forestland resources on private lands through easements and financial assistance. HFRP aids the recovery of endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, improves plant and animal biodiversity and enhances carbon sequestration,” according to the USDA website.
All was not good news, however. A last-minute amendment was attached to the bill prohibiting new regulations on lead ammunition and fish tackle. The NEC signed on to a letter to enact a law to prohibit lead ammo and tackle. Conservation groups will continue to push for this nationwide. California phased in such a law in 2013 in response to research showing harmful effects on wildlife, especially carrion-feeding animals such as eagles and condors. In the final version Congress booted spending for the United Nations’ Green Climate Fund. In addition, they did not fund the much-touted education and training for a new Civilian Climate Corps that has no specific funding. Such is the impact of a closely divided and highly partisan congress.
And Next Up: 2023 Budget
Biden has submitted his budget already and it is, once again, generous for conservation and its response to the Climate Crisis. Although jobs and the overall economy are doing well, inflation, including gas prices, is taking a bite out of American’s wallets and the election-year fight has begun on Build Back Better or Slimmer or maybe hardly at all. Progressive members of Congress are concerned about specifics and are fearful the midterms will bring a wall of opposition for programs included in the Green New Deal, climate change research, and implementation of reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Enjoy 2022 because 2023 could be a wipe-out except, of course, for those new earmarks.