| Northeast-Midwest Institute Weekly Update |
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Senate EPW Committee to Hold Markup on Delaware Basin, Chesapeake Bay Bills
| On Thursday, December 8, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a business meeting during which Senators will consider the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act (S. 1266) and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Water Trails Network Reauthorization Act (S. 1740). The Delaware Basin bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to create a Delaware River Basin Program within the US Fish & Wildlife Service to increase voluntary collaboration and resources for on-the-ground and community-based conservation and restoration projects. The Northeast-Midwest Institute has assisted the House Delaware River Basin Task Force and Delaware Basin members of the Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition with the research and development of this legislative effort. The Chesapeake Gateways bill would reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network within the National Park Service. The Network connects more than 160 "special places" in the watershed.
For more information, contact Rachel Dawson, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Institute Takes On Farm Bill Coalition Coordination Role
| The Northeast-Midwest Institute over the next year will be coordinating the work of a Farm Bill Conservation Coalition comprising over 60 national conservation organizations. The McKnight, Turner Family, and Keith Campbell Foundations will fund NEMWI's coordinating role. The Conservation Coalition organizations individually and the Coalition as a whole have been working for many years to advance a variety of conservation provisions in federal agriculture legislation and related appropriations. The Institute will assist the Coalition in reaching maximum effectiveness during its 2012 Farm Bill campaign. As the Coalition tracks, evaluates and responds to proposals regarding Farm Bill conservation provisions, the Institute will help assure Coalition member efforts are coordinated and effective by: advising them on those issues; preventing and resolving conflict; and scheduling and facilitating internal meetings, Congressional and agency meetings, and other activities.
For more information, contact Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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NEMWI Briefing on Combined Heat and Power as an Effective Economic Development Tool: December 13
| The Northeast-Midwest Institute and its partners, Redevelopment Economics, Pace Energy & Climate Center, and Future Energy Development, will host an informational briefing on combined heat and power as an effective and sustainable economic development tool. Presenters will discuss the role of combined heat and power technologies in brownfield and economic development strategies, share case studies in the NEMW region that successfully employ on-site energy as integral elements of redevelopment projects, and explore policy issues and opportunities to connect energy incentives with community development strategies. The briefing will take place on Tuesday, December 13 from 2-3:30pm in the Capitol Visitor Center, Room SVC 201. Panelists include:
- William Pentland, Senior Energy Systems Analyst, Pace Energy and Climate Center
- Neeharika Naik-Dhungel, Program Manager, U.S. EPA Combined Heat and Power Partnership Program
- Pat Mahoney, President and CEO, Energy Answers
- Evans Paull, Principal, Redevelopment Economics
For more information or to RSVP, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Fifth National Partnership Conference and Other Mississippi River Basin Updates
| The Fifth National Partnership Conference among The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, the Army Corps of Engineers and others was held from November 15-18 in Memphis, Tennessee. The Conference, Explorations of Economic and Environmental Sustainability, brought together Federal, State, and NGO conservation partners to discuss water resources sustainability. The Northeast-Midwest Policy Analyst on Mississippi River Basin issues, Mark Gorman, spoke to the group on two occasions, once to explore the meaning of sustainability, as it relates to the country's economy and environment and to the attending organizations, and a second time to challenge the outdated road map that many tend to follow while seeking a sustainable future. View photos of the conference on the NEMW Upper Mississippi Flickr Page. Read about this and other Mississippi River Basin issues in NEMWI's November Update. The November Update also covers:
- New Online Tool for Accessing Information on USDA Conservation Programs
- NRCS Special Wetlands Reserve Program 20th Anniversary Publication
- Mississippi River Water Quality Monitoring Framework Announced
- River-Related Employment Opportunities
- Upcoming Conferences, Events and Workshops
- Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act
- Congress approves spending minibus and continuing resolution; falters on debt-reduction
- Farm Bill Ramifications
For more information, contact Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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House Puts Off Transportation Reauthorization Until 2012
| At a University of Virginia speech last week, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. John Mica (R-FL) said there would be no movement on surface transportation reauthorization until next year. After markup on MAP-21 in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and after Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA) introduced a funding proposal that would use oil drilling revenue, some movement was expected on the law, which has been authorized through continuing resolutions since October 2009.
For more information or to RSVP, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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