EPIC in Review
- Aug 5, 2014
- 3 min read
As the summer heats up, so have some of EPIC’s ongoing projects. This past week, EPIC along with other environmental organizations, wrote letters opposing H.R 1363 and H.R. 4742, two bills that seek to circumvent the National Environmental Policy Act process and threaten fisheries. Additionally, H.R. bills 5021 and 2363 attempt to open loopholes in the environmental review process and public involvement that undermine our checks and balances. The EPIC team is hard at work trying to ensure that the appropriate avenues continue to exist so that we can fight for the wild. The importance of protecting a legal framework cannot be understated when saving our ecosystems, and our natural resources. The input, concern, and passion from the community help drive the campaigns we fight for. For more on the projects we’ve been up to lately, check out the links below.
Comments have been submitted fighting for the abandonment of the Bay Delta Conservation Project. An antiquated, disingenuous, and grossly expensive project that’s based on over-allocated water rights and serves only to benefit large industrial agriculture. The 67 billion dollar, Bay Delta Conservation Project, a grand misnomer, severely threatens the habitat of a number of threatened and endangered species from the salmon runs of Northern California to the Delta Smelt in San Francisco Bay.
Letter to California Senator Noreen Evans and Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro requesting assurance that the Scott River will be removed from the list of basins exempted from groundwater planning and regulations.
EPIC and other environmental organizations, have sent a letter opposing section two of H.R. 1363 for blatantly violating the processes in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that fully disclose the impacts of an action.
In this letter, we urged a no vote on H.R. 4742. The bill strives to weaken the Magnuson-Stevens Act and halt the rebounding of many fisheries that have benefited from recent conservation efforts.
The potential for expansion of the National Wildlife Refuge system is coming under fire in the form of a 2015 appropriations bill. The rider would require congressional approval for new refuges when congress already controls the financial backbone. This shift goes against the spirit of the original bill and could open the door up to refuges being used in political horse-trading.
The Toomey Amendment to H.R. 5021 seeks to avoid any environmental review or consideration for reconstruction efforts in areas after a disaster. Currently, there are already proven avenues for post disaster construction that are more environmentally friendly, transparent, and flexible.
This letter also opposes the Senate Bill 2363 and represents the option of a large coalition of 105 groups from around the country. The so-called “Bi-partisan Sportsmen’s Act” seeks to roll back various environmental laws including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Wilderness Act, and the National Forest Management Act. In addition, the bill removes the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to control toxic substances in ammunition or fishing equipment.
Representative Moran of Virginia is seeking to prevent a delay in protection for declining Sage Grouse populations. Next year’s appropriations bill, in its current form, includes a rider that would postpone U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s inclusion of Sage-Grouse in a final Endangered Species Act listing.
EPIC has submitted comments regarding the “Slider” Timber Harvest Plan (THP) that underlines the inadequacies in CAL FIRE’s assessment of significant impacts. Additionally CAL FIRE fails to disclose the correct information pertaining to the pre and post harvest stock levels required for demonstration of Maximum Sustained Production (MSP).
Comments have been submitted regarding rules for the notice of harvesting in Native American archeological sites. EPIC is calling for rules to be amended so that seven business days or ten total days of notice are given before timber harvesting commences.
In conjunction with 136 organizations, EPIC is urging President Obama to issue a proclamation recognizing the centennial of Martha, the last Carrier Pigeons’, death. The overall goal is to raise awareness of the cost of our environmental actions and to remind Americans of their civil duty to be good stewards of wildlife and nature.
Along with a number of organizations, EPIC submitted comments to the National Forest Service regarding proposed rules for over-snow vehicles (OSV). Regulating OSVs on Forest Service land itself isn’t called into question but rather, the scale, types of impacts and violations of a number of executive orders resulting in unenforceable policies.
Thanks to EPIC Interns Nathan Fisch and Taylor Morrison for developing content for this page.
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