EPA’s recently proposed wetlands rule has taken a lot heat from special interests such as American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Association of Home Builders. They claim that the rule represents “federal overreach” and is a “land grab.” Some members of Congress are piling on too. The truth is that this rule simply restores the original interpretation of the Clean Water Act that stood for over 30 years, before a muddled 3-way Supreme Court ruling in 2006 created massive confusion and has contributed to an accelerated rate of wetland loss. The important thing for conservatives to understand is that wetland loss in this country has become a fiscal nightmare that imposes huge costs on the American taxpayer. CRS and Taxpayers for Common Sense wrote a joint op-ed on this topic that explains why fiscal conservatives must work hard to protect wetlands. It earlier this week in The Hill and is linked below. Please check it out. Fiscal Conservatives Should Love...
Republican leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives is planning a vote this week on H.R. 1459, a bill sponsored by Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT) and six other Western anti-public land zealots that chips away at the Antiquities Act signed into law by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. The Antiquities Act–which was introduced by a Republican, passed by a Republican Congress and signed into law by a Republican President–gives the President authority to protect iconic historical, cultural, and natural sites as National Monuments. The law has served our nation well for over 100 years and been used by 16 Presidents (8 Republican and 8 Democrat). The sponsors of H.R. 1459 are promoting their bill as a way to undermine the authority of the current President. By making this about President Obama, they are banking on partisanship to deliver the needed number of Republican votes for passage. This is short-sighted in the extreme. A National Monument proclaimed by the President under the Antiquities Act can already be abolished by an act of Congress if it is unpopular. By limiting presidential authority on the front end, H.R. 1489 would equally hamper a future Republican President. The Antiquities Act was enacted at a time of mounting concern over loss of priceless natural and historic treasures in the West to uncontrolled looting and vandalism. By authorizing the President to protect nationally important resources, the Antiquities Act facilitates a swift response to threats. In its absence, these assets were often irreparably damaged before Congress could act. The Antiquities Act is a prudent and conservative law that ensures protection for those special places that are irreplaceable features...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just announced (02/28/14) its initiation of a process to decide whether to use its veto authority under the Clean Water Act to block construction of the proposed Pebble copper and gold mining project in southeastern Alaska. Although only the first step in the veto process, it shows EPA’s concern about the potential impacts of such a large-scale mine on our nation’s most productive fishery. That concern stems in part from EPA’s recently released Bristol Bay Assessment, which examined the potential impacts of the Pebble Mine on the area’s salmon fishery and determined that the massive mine would have devastating impacts. EPA estimates that constructing the mine and its surrounding infrastructure would destroy 24 to 94 miles of salmon-supporting streams and 1,300 to 5,350 acres of wetlands, ponds, and lakes. EPA also projects that under routine operations, polluted water from the mine site would adversely impact fish in an additional 13 to 51 miles of streams. The agency also concludes that a major spill would have catastrophic impacts on the fishery. Back in 2010, CRS and its sister organization (known at the time as Republicans for Environmental Protection) requested that EPA use its authority under section 404 of the Clean Water Act to veto the Pebble Mine. We noted that Bristol Bay, both as an economic engine and a vital natural resource, is a national treasure deserving of our most diligent stewardship. We believe that building the largest open-pit mine in North America (two miles wide and one-third mile deep), along with giant earthen dams that would hold an estimated 2.5 billion tons of sulfide waste rock and...
The big push by liberals and libertarians to legalize marijuana is troubling to many conservatives. Their concerns center on the anticipated social impacts of making a mind-altering drug more accessible–and its use more socially acceptable. Now there is another reason for concern. The burgeoning marijuana growing business in Northern California is becoming a serious threat to rivers and streams in the area—and a struggling salmon population that depends on them. Marijuana plantations are drawing enormous amounts of water from nearby waterways—up to 6 gallons per plant per growing day. With as many as 40,000 plants already being grown in some watersheds, it can really add up. These plantations, which are not well-regulated, have also been accused of polluting streams with pesticides, fertilizers and sediment. Marijuana growing is also very energy intensive, according to a 2012 report in the journal Energy Policy, each dining-table-size hydroponic growing unit consumes as much electricity as the average US home. With the Obama Administration, pot-friendly states, and liberal (or libertarian) lawmakers unlikely to target pot growers with new regulations or adequate enforcement of existing laws, protecting the waters and fisheries of states that have legalized marijuana will likely depend on how willing conservatives are to press the issue. Here is a recent article from NPR on this growing problem: California’s Pot Farms Could Leave Salmon Runs Truly...
Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship (CRS) is the new name for ConservAmerica EF (the charitable arm of ConservAmerica). Welcome to our new home on the web! As you will soon discover, we have changed more than just our name and website. We also updated and broadened the organization's mission, positioning it better to tackle today's biggest environmental challenges and respond to a widespread misunderstanding about what is, and is not, genuinely conservative. Our new mission statement is: To safeguard the air, water, land, wildlife and natural systems that sustain and enhance life on earth by promoting responsible stewardship and conservation, empowering fellow conservatives, and advancing the original conservative philosophy that compels us to be good stewards of our natural heritage Whether it is through fiscal stewardship or environmental stewardship, real conservatism is about taking the long view, prudently solving problems, and looking out for the interests of future generations. The fact that some have lost sight of this does not make it any less true. That genuine conservatism instructs us to safeguard the air we breathe, the water we drink and the special places that refresh and inspire us. It strengthens our society by encouraging balance between freedom and responsibility. It strengthens our nation by promoting sustainable economic growth and helping ensure that we do not squander our natural wealth. Please join with us as we work to put the "conserve" back in conservative. David Jenkins President P.S. For those of you considering year-end giving, please note that Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship (CRS) is a charitable organization under Section 501(c)3 of the U.S. tax code, and as such, donations to it are tax-deductible...
President Reagan’s EPA Chief Lee Terry has written a very powerful op-ed recalling how Reagan responded when climate scientists discovered that compounds used in aerosol sprays and refrigeration equipment (chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs) were destroying the earth’s protective ozone layer. He recalls that then, like now with climate change, skeptics and special interests opposed action. They wanted Reagan to ignore the problem, but he didn’t. He did what a true conservative is supposed to do, he listened carefully to the experts, weighed all the facts, and took prudent action to safeguard our atmosphere. It is a great lesson in conservative leadership as told by someone who was there. Read it here: Lee Thomas: Climate change, a present...
