CONSERVATION

Nebraska’s fertile soil and vast farmlands feed the world. Our state’s uniquely diverse ecosystem, on the edge of the Great Plains, includes the Rainwater Basin, the Sandhills, and rich, planted forests. Countless migratory birds depend on our water and land for sustenance along their intercontinental journeys. We are the home of Arbor Day. Nebraskans intuitively understand the importance of environmental stewardship and conservation. Innovative thinking and proactive policy sustain diversity of habitat, increase recreation and hunting, and enhance a deeper value of environmental security. Nebraska is a leader in this field.

GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOORS ACT

This year we witnessed the passing of what might be the most important conservation legislation in the past century. On Tuesday, August 4th, President Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act, an initiative I helped

Signing of the Great American Outdoors Act – the most important conservation legislation in the past century.

lead with other members. The core of this legislation is our national park system and the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Our national parks, precious ecosystems, public lands and monuments represent the majestic serenity, vastness, and openness of America. They reflect who we are as a people and our longing to protect what is beautiful and memorable. The upkeep of these special sites and facilities, however, has not kept pace with their popularity. The Great American Outdoors Act enhances our inspiring national parks and other public lands, allowing us to preserve this natural heritage for generations to come.

The Great American Outdoors Act also makes permanent the funding of the LWCF, which plays a critical role in maintaining city parks, baseball fields, wetlands, and hundreds of other projects. It helps protect national wildlife refuges, national forests, wild and scenic river corridors, scenic and historic trails, Civil War battlefields, and other federal and local areas. The LWCF has enjoyed more than a half-

At the signing with Ivanka Trump. century of bipartisan support and has been used in every state and county to create outdoor recreational opportunities.

As a perennial reminder of the bill’s significance, the Interior Secretary has designated August 4th as Great American Outdoors Day. On this day, every year, entrance fees for all national parks and public lands will be waived which is a beautiful reminder to reconnect with America’s beautiful outdoors.

Hanging in the East Room of the White House is a portrait of Teddy Roosevelt, our 26th President, who once said: “There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy, and its charm. The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value.”

RECOVERING AMERICA’S WILDLIFE ACT

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) is a creative initiative that is designed to protect ecosystems across our nation through constructive partnerships with states. The bipartisan measure provides smart upstream policy to avoid triggering the “emergency room procedures” of the Endangered Species Act. By ensuring that states effectively engage in proactive habitat restoration projects, we can prevent wildlife from declining or becoming endangered in the first place. This also avoids the need for burdensome regulations or, worse, litigation. Such an approach will benefit farmers, hunters, anglers, boaters, birders, hikers and other wildlife enthusiasts. I’ve championed this major piece of environmental legislation for a number of years.

WIND FOR SCHOOLS: SUPPORTING ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES FOR SCHOOLS

I secured $1,000,000 for the Wind for Schools energy program. These funds provide hands-on educational experiences by installing small wind turbines at various rural schools across the country. This allows teachers and students to physically engage with energy-related curricula.

SUPPORT OF THE TRILLION TREES INITIATIVE

We have had a decades-old stalemate here in America over environmental security. Differences in rhetoric, framing, and tone engendered explosive disagreements between friends, families, and policymakers. Whether we call the problem “climate change,” “global warming,” or my preference of “climate volatility,” the bottom line is that Congress has finally stopped talking about how to define the problem and more about how to solve it.

One area of potential consensus—trees. While expanded carbon capture technology, conservation, mass transit, bikes, scooters, electric cars, wind, solar, biofuels, and even nuclear energy will play significant roles in reducing carbon emissions, trees are nature’s best way of cleaning out excess carbon pollution from the atmosphere. Trees can capture a metric ton of carbon at $20 or less a ton. Existing carbon capture technology captures at best $250 a ton. Trees create jobs, water quality, and improved soil.

Imagine this: A trillion-tree initiative led by Congress. Through reduced emissions and tree-planting, we can help solve the problem of excess atmospheric carbon without throwing the world into another Great Depression or massively expanding state power.

TOWARD A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Nebraska is well-positioned to lead a renewable energy future. Our natural resource base, the advanced research capabilities of our university system, and the drive and ingenuity of our renewable energy entrepreneurs are already transitioning our state to a more sustainable future.

I continue to work toward protecting the important use of ethanol and biodiesel throughout the U.S. I am cosponsoring and actively supporting several measures in the House designed to promote sustainable energy.

Global reforestation is the fastest, cheapest, most scalable way to lower atmospheric carbon. Great to be in Nebraska City at the home of Arbor Day whose foundation aids communities in planting trees.