{
"type": "rich",
"version": "1.0",
"provider_name": "Action Network",
"provider_url": "https://actionnetwork.org",
"html": "",
"author_name": "Animal Commons",
"author_url": "https://actionnetwork.org/groups/animal-commons",
"title": " Stop Environmental Rollbacks in the Senate Permitting Bill ",
"thumbnail_url": "https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/letters/photos/000/459/371/normal/Monarch-Butterfly-Indiana-Dunes.jpg",
"description": "Animals on the brink of extinction cannot afford weaker protections, rushed decisions, or a patchwork of safeguards that changes from state to state. Yet a sweeping new Senate “permitting reform” bill would make major changes not only to the Endangered Species Act, but also to the Clean Water Act and National Environmental Policy Act — bedrock laws protecting wildlife, clean water, habitat, and communities affected by major projects. The American Affordability and Jobs Act would restrict aspects of state and Tribal authority over water-quality certifications, narrow which projects are subject to federal environmental review, and make it harder in some circumstances for communities and conservation groups to challenge government decisions in court. And some of the bill's most consequential changes involve the Endangered Species Act — the law that helps protect America's most vulnerable wildlife. The bill would allow qualifying states to take over federal consultations meant to ensure that federal actions do not jeopardize endangered species. That matters because wild animals do not recognize state lines. Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles. Salmon travel through rivers that cross multiple jurisdictions. Whooping cranes move across state after state. Wolves can roam enormous distances. Yet states differ widely in their wildlife laws, resources, and expertise. Protecting animals that move across state lines requires consistent, science-based safeguards across their ranges. The bill would also shorten Endangered Species Act consultation timelines and write a new definition into law for the Act's crucial “best scientific and commercial data available” standard. Conservation organizations warn that this could make it harder for federal wildlife agencies to protect animals when scientists are dealing with incomplete information, uncertain threats, or risks that may become clearer only after serious harm has occurred. And if those decisions are challenged, the bill would change the rules there too. Challenges to certain Endangered Species Act biological opinions would go directly to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, with just 150 days to bring a case. These are not obscure legal details. They affect who makes life-or-death decisions for endangered animals, what science those decisions rely on, and how easily bad decisions can be challenged. Grizzly bears, monarch butterflies, manatees, North Atlantic right whales, polar bears, and countless other imperiled animals should not have to pay the price for permitting reform. Nor should communities have to sacrifice clean water, meaningful environmental review, or their ability to hold government agencies accountable. Congress can make clean-energy and infrastructure permitting more efficient without weakening environmental safeguards. Please urge your senators to reject the American Affordability and Jobs Act and defend the Endangered Species Act and other environmental safeguards the “permitting reform” bill would weaken.",
"url": "https://actionnetwork.org/letters/stop-environmental-rollbacks-in-the-senate-permitting-bill"
}