New Senate legislation points country in the right direction on climate

by
July 28, 2022

Proposal would invest $369 billion in clean energy and ecosystem resiliency, reform oil & gas leasing on public lands

Contacts:

ARLINGTON, Va.—New Senate legislation would point the country in the right direction on climate change, taking important steps to address warming that is already having impacts on our waters and trout and salmon fisheries.

The proposal, announced Wednesday by U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) would invest $369 billion in programs to address climate change, including billions in tax incentives to encourage clean energy development and energy efficiency, as well as funding to restore fish and wildlife habitat and build ecosystem resiliency in the face of climate change.

“We appreciate the leadership of Senators Schumer and Manchin in developing this important proposal,” said Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited. “Anglers are already seeing the effects of climate change on rivers and streams. Destructive wildfires, more frequent floods, and punishing drought are pushing native and wild trout and salmon to the brink and putting our communities at risk. It’s time for Congress to step up on this pressing issue and advance this legislation into law.”

TU supports policies that reduce the U.S. carbon footprint, conserve land and water to promote natural storage of carbon, and invest in climate mitigation to help fisheries and communities survive a hotter, more turbulent future.

The new legislation provides billions of dollars in additional funding in support of climate resiliency projects, including:

  • $2.15 billion to support healthy forests on National Forest lands, including dedicated funding to implement collaborative watershed protection and restoration plans for municipal watersheds, as well as restoration plans for up to five priority watersheds in each National Forest.
  • $500 million for conservation, protection and ecosystem restoration on National Parks and Bureau of Land Management lands.
  • $125 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to implement recovery plans for threatened and endangered species, and $121 million to rebuild the National Wildlife Refuge System, including addressing invasive species, increasing the capacity to withstand climate-induced weather events, and reducing damage caused by those events.
  • $20 billion to support climate-smart agricultural practices.
  • $2.6 billion for conservation and restoration of coastal and marine habitats and fisheries to prepare for climate impacts.

The legislation also includes reforms TU is advocating for related to oil and gas leasing on public lands. The bill would eliminate non-competitive leasing, curtail speculative leasing, increase royalty rates, raise or establish new fees, and set up minimum bonding requirements to ensure that oil and gas sites on public lands are restored after production ends.

Learn more about TU’s work on climate at www.tu.org/climate and on public lands oil & gas policy at www.tu.org/oilandgasreform.

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Trout Unlimited is the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization dedicated to caring for and recovering America’s rivers and streams so our children can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon. Across the country, TU brings to bear local, regional and national grassroots organizing, durable partnerships, science-backed policy muscle, and legal firepower on behalf of trout and salmon fisheries, healthy waters and vibrant communities.