Public Land Accessibility, Tribal Climate Resilience, and Washington’s Building Standards

Hello and welcome to Climate Change Solutions!

In this issue, we’re excited to bring you new legislative side-by-sides highlighting changes to climate and energy programs within the Farm Bill. EESI’s latest batch compares new House Farm Bill text with current law for the Wood Innovations Grants Program; Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program; and Healthy Forests Reserve Program; following our Rural Energy Savings Program side-by-side. Keep an eye out for more side-by-sides coming soon.

We’re also featuring stories about the bipartisan EXPLORE Act, the Tribal Climate Resilience Annual Awards Program, and Washington state’s work to support clean building standards.

As summer heats up, EESI continues to bring climate, energy, and environment programming to Congress. Be sure to RSVP for our June 11 briefing, Maximizing the Impact of Natural Climate Solutions, to discover how these bipartisan solutions can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and benefit communities.

Plus, it’s never too early to start planning for EESI’s 2024 Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum on July 30. The EXPO will be a full day of Congressional speakers, panels, and exhibitors on all things clean energy and energy efficiency—don’t forget to RSVP!

The Latest Solutions

How the EXPLORE Act Is Promoting Accessibility on Public Lands

America’s public lands, including national parks, are considered one of the nation’s treasures. But navigating federal public lands is not always an easy task. Many trails and activities are entirely inaccessible to those with disabilities. Meanwhile, the communities surrounding public lands struggle to manage their role as gateways. The bipartisan Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act (H.R. 6492) aims to change that. The bill, which would make outdoor recreation more accessible, passed the House of Representatives in April 2024 and is working its way through the Senate. [click for more]

Federal Resilience Programs: Tribal Climate Resilience Annual Awards Program

The Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Climate Resilience Annual Awards Program supports a range of adaptation initiatives while keeping focus on Indigenous knowledge and languages. In 2023 alone, 146 grants worth $121 million were awarded. The program supported 17 projects focused specifically on relocation, managed retreat, or protect-in-place coordination—a recognition that tribes are on the frontlines of climate impacts. [click for more]

Washington State’s Blueprint for Building Performance Standards

Washington became the first state to adopt a building performance standard (BPS) in May 2019, creating a model for other states to follow. BPS policies work alongside building codes by allowing state and local governments to establish progressively stricter performance targets focused on decarbonization. Seattle also recently adopted its own BPS policy with a trajectory-based approach. [click for more]

On the Hill

Farm Bill Taking Root in the House: House Committee on Agriculture Chair Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) introduced the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 (H.R.8467), or the 2024 Farm Bill, which the Committee subsequently marked up. EESI’s latest legislative side-by-sides compare the House Farm Bill text with the current authorization of the Wood Innovations Grants Program; Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program; Healthy Forests Reserve Program, and Rural Energy Savings Program.

A Wave of Bipartisan Water Conservation: Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Chair Tom Carper (D-Del.), alongside Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and other bipartisan cosponsors, advanced the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (S.4367) to the Senate floor. Every two years, the bill, named after retiring chair Carper, reauthorizes water conservation and development initiatives, such as flood control and ecosystem restoration.

Senate to Vote on a “Dam” Safe Program: Also moving to the Senate floor from the Committee on Environment and Public Works is the National Dam Safety Program Reauthorization Act (S.4359). Penned by Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), the bill reauthorizes the National Dam Safety Program, which supports states with training, emergency planning, inspection, and monitoring for the country’s nearly 92,000 dams on the national inventory. EESI’s briefing, Dams in Every District, explores the opportunities and challenges surrounding the nation’s dams.

House Weighing Bill with Concrete Solutions: The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology unanimously passed the Innovative Mitigation Partnerships for Asphalt and Concrete Technologies (IMPACT) Act (H.R.7685). Reps. Max Miller (R-Ohio) and Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.) introduced the original bill, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cement, concrete, and asphalt production. Check out EESI’s explainer on these emissions and how policies can boost climate mitigation within the building materials industry.

We track all environmental, energy, and climate legislation and hearings happening on Capitol Hill. See the full legislative trackers for May 20-24 and May 27-31.

Implementation Updates

EESI is tracking recent announcements and updates about the implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the recipients of almost $900 million in funding for the transition from diesel school buses to cleaner alternatives, via the Clean School Bus Program.
• The Department of Transportation announced $343 million in funding for eight states to upgrade and improve the accessibility of busy rail transit systems.
• The Department of the Interior (DOI) announced $242 million for four Western states to improve water storage and drought resilience.

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)

• DOI also announced $81 million in IRA funding for water conservation and resilience in California’s San Joaquin Valley.
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced $20 million in funding for regional fishery management council projects, which would help councils incorporate climate resilience in their fishery management work.
• EPA announced the recipients of $15 million in grant funding for projects that destroy hydrofluorocarbons, greenhouse gases that the U.S. has pledged to phase down.

Upcoming Events

Maximizing the Impact of Natural Climate Solutions

Tuesday, June 11

1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. EDT

South Congressional Meeting Room (CVC 217) and online

• Around 92% of people across the political spectrum support implementing natural climate solutions to address climate change. In collaboration with U.S. Nature4Climate and the Bipartisan Policy Center, this briefing will foster discussion on natural climate solutions, which leverage natural processes to reduce carbon emissions, sequester carbon, and bring new income and employment opportunities to rural America. RSVP here.

2024 Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum

Tuesday, July 30

10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EDT

Rayburn House Office Building Foyer, Gold Room (Room 2168), and online

• EESI and the House and Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucuses invite you to join us for the 27th Annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum (EXPO 2024). Top-level speakers will showcase technologies and solutions that reduce carbon emissions, save households money, improve the economy, build resilience, and protect our security interests. RSVP here.

4th Annual Sustainability Week U.S.

Wednesday, June 12 - Thursday, June 13?

Online (Wednesday) and in person in New York (Thursday)

• Hosted by Economist Impact with EESI as a media sponsor, Sustainability Week U.S. will deliver vital information that stakeholders can use to move faster on reducing emissions and improving environmental impacts in 2024. With new how-to workshops, the Chief Sustainability Officer Leaders’ Club, and unique action hour sessions, alongside extensive networking opportunities and an exhibition, this event is not to be missed. Register here (Climate Change Solutions readers benefit from a 15% discount code, EESI/MP15).

In Case You Missed It

Briefing Video Now Available │ Cities Leading the Way on Nature-Based Solutions

The full video recording for EESI's briefing on climate solutions from small- and medium-sized cities is online. Speakers focused on nature-based solutions in cities—from parks that help manage stormwater to urban trees that can reduce summer temperatures across entire neighborhoods—and described the intersection points with federal policy and programs. You can watch the video or download presentation materials here.

Briefing Highlight Notes Now Available │ Demystifying Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal

EESI partnered with the World Resources Institute to host a briefing about ocean carbon dioxide removal (CDR), or the practice of removing and storing carbon from the ocean. The ocean covers 70% of the Earth and serves as its largest carbon sink, holding 42 times the carbon in the atmosphere. Experts discussed the current state of ocean CDR, the policy and regulatory landscape, research gaps, and the importance of responsible scaling. Click here to view detailed highlight notes, along with the briefing video and speaker presentation materials.

Latest Media Coverage

• EESI's fact sheet on fossil fuel externalities was cited by Yahoo News in an article about global clean energy investments.
• The Nation, a Nigerian newspaper, cited EESI’s energy efficiency topic page in an article about industrial manufacturing in Nigeria.