Policy News
The Tax Cut and Jobs Act passed by the House of Representatives on November 16, 2017 includes language that would repeal a provision in the Tax Code that currently excludes tuition waivers from gross income for qualifying students. The Senate bill, passed on December 2, does not have a corresponding tuition waiver provision. Members of... Read More
AFS is joining with other science societies to oppose the EPA’s most recent proposal to add an “effective date” to the 2015 rule. We believe that this action is an attempt to amend the Clean Water Rule. AFS believes that any agency action concerning WOTUS—including the effective suspension of the Clean Water Rule—must be supported... Read More
On Tuesday, December 12, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee’s Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard will hold a hearing titled “National Ocean Policy: Stakeholder Perspectives.” The hearing will examine the state of the National Ocean Policy and the program’s interaction with existing laws and regulations for ocean management. In 2010, the Obama... Read More
Federal appropriators are once again seeking to address the escalating costs of wildfire suppression on public lands. This year, wildfires have ravaged states in the west, Pacific Northwest, and Northern Rockies regions of the United States. By September, wildland fire suppression costs for the fiscal year had already exceeded $2 billion, making 2017 the most expensive... Read More
Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah) introduced H.R. 4465, the “Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Extension Act of 2017” on November 28, 2017. The bill would help to conserve four key species in the Upper Colorado and San Juan Rivers by re-authorizing an existing recovery programs through 2023. The programs are designed to assist species recovery and facilitate... Read More
The House Science, Space and Technology’s Subcommittee on the Environment held a hearing to discuss the future of the Waters of the U.S. Rule or “WOTUS” rule on Wednesday, November 29, 2017. The Trump Administration is seeking to repeal the rule that clarifies which wetlands and small waterways are protected by the Clean Water Act. ... Read More
In recent months, talk of offshore aquaculture has been buzzing in the news and in Washington. While finfish and shellfish culture has flourished in state waters for more than a century, offshore finfish aquaculture has not kept pace. There are currently no large-scale commercial finfish net-pen aquaculture operations in federal waters. Congress and federal agencies... Read More
The House Science, Space and Technology’s Subcommittee on the Environment is scheduled to discuss the future of the Waters of the U.S. Rule or “WOTUS” rule on Wednesday, November 29, 2017. The regulation determines which wetlands and small waterways are protected by the Clean Water Act. The subcommittee will also examine state participation in administering... Read More
In June, the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the proposed repeal of the 2015 Clean Water Rule in anticipation of replacing it with a narrower definition of “Waters of the U.S.” or “WOTUS.” The EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers are currently soliciting recommendations for this new definition, the second... Read More
On November 15, the USDA Forest Service released Rise to the Future: National Fish and Aquatic Strategy. In the 30 years since the inception of Rise to the Future, the Forest Service’s and the conservation community’s understanding of the threats and stressors that need to be addressed to achieve successful fish conservation outcomes have changed.... Read More
