The Office of Management and Budget has completed its review of the Interior Department's proposed reversal of the Biden Administration's Conservation and Landscape Health Rule. The Biden rule elevated conservation and land restoration of public lands above all other uses, thereby obstructing mining and other natural resource extraction. The Interior Department moved to withdraw the rule earlier this year and this step forward is sure to be welcomed by industry and those seeking fair, lawful multiple use of our public lands.
It looks like permitting is back on the agenda in Congress this week. In the House, a number of hearings will examine legislation including Bruce Westerman's "Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development – or SPEED Act, the "Studying NEPA's Impact on Projects Act," and the "ePermit Act."
Representative Westerman said last week, "We're going to be pushing [permitting] hard in the Resources committee."
We've seen flurries of activity around permitting in the past so we'll be watching closely to see if this push results in tangible change that will benefit all Americans.
And the House and Senate are moving their versions of the annual defense policy bill this week, and there is a lot attached to each. Members have reportedly submitted more than 1,100 proposals covering everything from nuclear energy to NEPA and critical mineral production.
The House and Senate will have to negotiate a compromise on the NDAA before voting on a final version.
