Oregon Department of Justice’s Post

🌱 Exciting news out of Michigan! The state is making significant strides in environmental justice by applying for federal funding aimed at tackling health and environmental disparities in underrepresented communities. Here's a closer look at what this means and why it's essential. Michigan is competing for valuable grants from the EPA's Environmental Justice Small Grants program and the Brownfields Program. These initiatives are crucial as they specifically target communities in Detroit, Flint, Muskegon, Grand Rapids, and Saginaw—areas that have long faced the brunt of pollution and health issues. 🔍 The Environmental Justice Small Grants seek to empower communities with up to $200,000 for local projects. These projects focus on addressing dire public health and environmental challenges that disproportionately impact low-income and minority groups. 🏗️ Likewise, the Brownfields Program is about transformation—revitalizing contaminated lands into productive properties, with Michigan aiming for up to $600,000 in grants. Both programs aim not just at cleanup but also at fostering education, outreach, and community planning to ensure sustainable futures. 🤔 Have you witnessed similar initiatives in your area? How effective do you think these programs are in addressing environmental justice? 💬 Let's discuss how strategic funding and community involvement can turn the tides toward healthier and more equitable environments. #EnvironmentalJustice #CommunityDevelopment #Sustainability #EPA #Michigan 📢 Share your thoughts and experiences! Let’s learn from each other on how best to advocate for and implement these crucial environmental justice initiatives. https://lnkd.in/gMgTPVc8

🌟 As a real estate and marketing professional, how do legal battles impacting wetlands permitting authority affect our industry and environment? 🌿 - Florida's motion for a stay highlights the significant effects on water resources, wildlife, and land use, emphasizing the state's sovereign interests. - Moss' denial of the stay request underscores the need for a balance between efficiency and sovereignty in regulatory administration. - The case's outcome has far-reaching implications for businesses, environmental groups, and regulatory frameworks, with diverse stakeholders taking positions on the matter. Let's reflect on how this legal dispute may shape the future of wetlands permitting and environmental conservation in Florida. #RealEstate #EnvironmentalImpact #LegalBattle #FloridaRegulations #WetlandsConservation #RegulatoryFramework

🎉 The Piedmont Environmental Council reports that in 2023, 6,315 acres of land in Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties were permanently protected with 52 new conservation easements. The new easements bring the total acres conserved within this region to 446,096. While these nine counties represent PEC’s primary service area, the easements reflect the partnership of landowners in this region with not only PEC, but also the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, Albemarle Conservation Easement Authority, Clarke County Conservation Easement Authority, Land Trust of Virginia and other land trusts and conservation agencies. Find county-by-county totals: https://lnkd.in/edAbVWn5

The first Annual Report from California’s Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program came out this week and it’s exciting to see growing capacity and collaboration to support water sustainability in California. MLRP brings needed funds to high-priority and critically overdrafted basins, enhancing resilience by repurposing the least-viable agricultural lands in ways that support local needs including protecting communities and the environment.

NAWM Members - have you registered for the July Members' webinar? How to Develop a State Wetland Permitting Program Wednesday, July 24, 2024 - 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. EDT PRESENTERS Denise Clearwater, Maryland Department of the Environment Dana Hicks, Oregon Department of State Lands Crystal vonHoldt, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Roy "JR" Jacobson, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation States are increasingly interested in running their own wetland permitting programs. However, the process of developing and implementing such a program may seem daunting. This webinar will highlight examples of four states that already have wetland permitting programs and share their perspectives and lessons learned. FMI/NAWM Member Registration: https://lnkd.in/e3NR7u-H NAWM membership includes this special webinar series. If you are not an NAWM Member - you may Join here: https://nawm.org/join-nawm. #wetland #wetlands #wetlandpermitting #permittingprograms #nontidal #stakeholderinvolvement #legislation #regulations #waters #zeronetloss #protection #freshwater

State lawmakers and environmental groups are teaming up to plug a funding gap and save Rhode Island’s land conservation programs. A bill introduced by Rep. Megan Cotter, D-Exeter, would inject $16 million into this year’s Green Economy Bond to fund four separate programs to protect land from development and provide a healthy boost for the state’s environment. The programs, which include money for state and local open space acquisition, farmland preservation, forest management, and habitat restoration, are usually included in a single bond question to be approved by voters every two years. But the state budget proposal announced last month by Gov. Dan McKee included no money for these programs in this year’s $50 million environmental bond question and, if passed, it would be the first time in nearly 40 years funding for the state’s conservation programs did not appear on the ballot. For the full story: https://bit.ly/43kUHQQ #environmentallaw #environmentallawyer #newportri

Please contact your lawmakers. These are the men responsible for ruining key environmental features that are essential for quality of life in our state. Find Your Legislator: https://lnkd.in/gbqXthHy House Bill 1383 (https://lnkd.in/gQR3gGWB) Wetlands. Enrolled House Bill (H) Authored by: Rep. Alan Morrison. Co-Authored by: Rep. Doug Miller, Rep. Timothy Wesco, Rep. J.D. Prescott. Sponsored by: Sen. Rick Niemeyer, Sen. Chris Garten, Sen. Blake Doriot. Digest Clarifies various wetland definitions. Eliminates certain wetland rulemaking requirements. Provides that certain wetland activity requires state authorization. Clarifies the compensatory mitigation that must be offered to offset certain wetland activity. Makes conforming changes and technical corrections.

"Some arguments also point out that the Chevron doctrine lets Congress purposely pass ambiguous laws and kick the details to the agencies." It's important to recall that in the original 1984 case, the environmentalist argument was AGAINST giving federal agencies more power. Congress has been derelict in its duty to pass truly well-crafted legislation for a long time, and the abrogation of the Chevron deference is a wake-up call for the legislative branch to prioritize technical expertise to pass the most effective laws in the areas it seeks to govern. This can be a WIN for clean energy and environmental policy, and elevating the significance of legislative actions is the best defense against deregulatory judicial activism. Socially responsible companies and advocates for effective democratic governance alike should see this as an opportunity.

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the 31st Maryland Environmental Summit held in Annapolis. It was inspiring to see so many passionate individuals and organizations gathered together to promote and share progress, challenges, and opportunities for progress for people, the environment, and our local economy.   Insightful keynote speakers such as Meghan Conklin, Serena McILWAIN, Kevin Atticks, Josh Kurtz, Marc Korman, Brian Feldman, US Senator, Ben Cardin and many more environmental leaders were there to express their dedication and encouragement for sustainable change within our beautiful state. The biggest takeaways from the summit: - 🏞 🌱 Our stance should not be agriculture vs. the environment, Farmers in Maryland have always cared about the soil, the land, and water resources.  Let's work together and not against each other to address environmental challenges. - 📢 🤝 Change is dependent on us, let's do what we need to do to make a difference, and to use your voice and your vote to speak up! - 🎣 🍽 Do your part - Eat more catfish! Not only they are invasive to Maryland and destroying water ecosystems but, according to Ben Cardin, they are delicious as well! - 🐚 ✅ There is Hope! More Maryland juvenile oysters have been counted at key bars (sampling sites) this fall than in the past 39 years! Check it out- https://lnkd.in/eV-6u8un More stakeholders gave a brief breakdown of three key bills that are being presented to the Maryland General Assembly in the 2024 Regular Session: 💧 🔎 The Clean Water Justice Act - SB0653 💡 💲 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plans - HB0864 🛥 🛶 🌊 The Whole Watershed Act. - SB0969   Thank you to the organizers and speakers for your insights into the landscape of environmental policy in Maryland!  #maryland #environmentaleducation #chesapeakebay #oysters #envrionmentalpolicy #sustainabledevelopment #sustainablecities #sustainabilitystrategy

Registration is Open for the 2024 Martz Symposium on Public Lands! Join Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment and Colorado Environmental Law Journal: The Future of Public Lands – People, Place, and Power Fri, Oct 4 and Sat, Oct 5 In person or virtual University of Colorado Law School Public lands across the United States provide us with clean water, energy and food production, world-class recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat, and many other important values. Indigenous peoples have deep ties to the land informed by their traditional ecological knowledge. And public lands drive economic opportunities and job creation for rural communities. For all these reasons, the American public broadly supports the protection and sustainable use of public lands, yet they are facing unprecedented threats from resource degradation, climate change, the demands of multiple uses, and challenges in agency funding levels. The 2024 Martz Symposium will take a deep dive into these rapid changes that are unfolding in real time and how they impact our relationship to the land. The Conference will consider the latest developments and proposed reforms to the laws and policies that govern our management of public lands, including a look at those laws that are standing in the way of progress and others that have helped to pave the way for innovation. And the Conference will convene a diverse and inclusive set of stakeholders, policymakers, academics, and advocates to share ideas on how best we can steward and care for America’s public lands for current and future generations. More information can be found on the GWC website: https://lnkd.in/gDu4qVEp