Category: Legislative Updates

Administration Initiates WOTUS Definition Reform

Posted on
by LICA-National

The seemingly never ending battle to bring reasonable rules to the definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) took a positive turn when EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that the agency had worked with the Army Corps of Engineers on new guidance clarifying the WOTUS definition to comport with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Sackett decision. In 2023 the court voted 5-4 that not all wetlands should be considered a water of the United States and therefore subject to the regulations implementing the Clean Water Act. Zeldin also announced a comment period to solicit input for developing a final rule.


View More →

FHWA Administrator Nominated

Posted on
by LICA-National

The Trump administration has nominated Sean McMaster – an executive with the Boeing aerospace company and a former vice president with infrastructure consulting firm HNTB – to be the next administrator of the Federal Highway Administration.

McMaster previously served as deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Transportation as well as deputy assistant secretary for Congressional affairs from 2017 to 2019.

Prior to joining USDOT, McMaster served with the professional staff for the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure from 2011 to 2017.

He also worked as deputy chief of staff for former Rep. John Mica (R-FL), a longtime congressional leader in transportation policy and infrastructure development, including as chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

AASHTO Suggests Green Funding for Transportation

Posted on
by LICA-National

One of President Trump’s first Executive Orders directed that funds from the Inflation Reduction Act earmarked for climate change projects be clawed back. Roll Call news reports that state transportation officials are calling for these funds to be directed to vital road and bridge repairs instead. Republicans negotiating the nation’s next big infrastructure bill seem amenable to the idea, as long as it means they can move funding away from green projects and toward “traditional” ones.


View More →

NACD Report Highlights Impacts of Funding Cuts

Posted on
by LICA-National

The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) has released a report about the impacts of recent Executive Orders and funding freezes on America’s locally led conservation delivery system, including conservation districts and the producers and communities they serve. The report was informed by a survey the association distributed to conservation districts last month, which received over 350 responses from across 45 states and territories.


View More →

NACD Requests Exception to Funding Cuts

Posted on
by LICA-National

In a letter to Congress, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) stated it’s appreciation of President Trump’s comprehensive review of federal finances, including financial assistance vehicles such as grants, cooperative agreements, and contribution agreements. However, the subject Executive Order (EO) and recently rescinded OMB Memorandum M-25-13 have the potential to adversely affect thousands of conservation districts across the country, as well as the producers and communities they serve. NACD respectfully requests that conservation districts and their associations be granted a waiver to the pause on Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) disbursements and receive express authorization to continue efforts under their current grants or agreements with USDA.


View More →