Mere hours after Inauguration Day, the new administration began slashing hard-fought environmental wins: #
rolling back protections from fossil-fuel development, withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord, and freezing spending for critical climate resilience projects. At first, in the name of “efficiency,” many of the talented and passionate people tasked with protecting our land, air, and water at the federal level — the park rangers, wildlife biologists, and environmental protection experts — saw their jobs and their livelihoods vanish overnight. Attempts to sell off America’s most treasured asset — our public lands — were next on the Administration’s wish list. Over the last weeks the Trump Administration has continued on the path that will end up forcing Americans to pay more for energy, to bear the high financial and human costs of air pollution, to face the prospect of accelerated impacts from climate change and a weaker, less competitive place for the United States in the world economy. The speed and scale of this dismantling of American leadership on climate and conservation, as much as it existed, has been staggering. It has left many reeling and asking what can be done to meet the climate goals science demands, for the sake of our ecosystems, public health, and quality of life.
Unquestionably, aggressive defense of the nation’s bedrock environmental laws and protection must be a priority. And WRA will continue to support our many federal partners and state leaders as they fight to preserve the environmental protections that make us safer, healthier and that preserves our connection to the western landscapes, habitat and wildlife that make this region what it is
At the same time, we know that climate and conservation progress is both still possible and is critical in this moment. #
At Western Resource Advocates, we’ve spent more than three decades advancing critical climate, environmental and conservation policies in the decision-making forums where most conservation policy is made, at the state level.
As we face federal antipathy to climate protections and environmental responsibility, we remain steadfast – we know the power of state-level advocacy. While addressing the climate crisis requires action at all levels, we know that critical progress can continue on the ground — in state capitols, at regulatory commissions, and in council chambers throughout the west.
When it comes to energy and transportation, state governments wield significant authority to advance clean energy, to regulate polluting fossil fuel sources, and to protect people in our communities. Cities and counties can adopt sustainable and efficient building codes, smart land use plans and invest in clean infrastructure that can power our homes and our transportation systems. These decisions add up to major reductions in emissions. In fact, a study from the University of Maryland released earlier this year found that even if the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, and recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations were rolled back, ambitious state and local action could still lead the U.S. to a 54% to 62% reduction in emissions by 2035.
And it’s not just advancements in clean energy that can move forward at the state level. #
We can make progress protecting rivers, habitat and landscapes, too. When federal decisions like the EPA vs. Sackett stripped wetlands of protection, WRA stepped helping to advance state legislation to permanently restore protections, as we have done in Colorado and in New Mexico. We’re working to extend these permanent protections to Western lands as well. Through programs like New Mexico’s Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund and Colorado’s oil and gas production fee, we’re ensuring that habitat is protected and conserved for future generations and that conservation and outdoor opportunities have the funding they need to serve people in states across the west.
There is hard work to do. #
And with the path to climate and conservation progress and protection of our communities closed, for now, at the federal level, the way forward runs through advancement of protective state and local policy. This is WRA’s strength. It’s how we’ve secured more than 91 million tons of emissions reductions annually. It’s how we’ve protected more than two thousand miles of rivers. And how we have added new protections to more than 8.75 million acres of Western habitat. WRA will continue to lead in this fight. We’ve built the expertise, infrastructure, and relationships to drive progress — regardless of these dire federal setbacks. Our reputation as trusted policy and analytical experts across the Interior West empowers us to advance climate solutions where we can secure the biggest, and most durable conservation, climate and public health victories.
History has shown that we cannot wait for the federal government to solve these challenges.#
And we are both determined and not deterred by the obstacles we face. Our path to limiting the most severe impacts of climate change is still within reach, and it runs through the states. This moment demands bold state-level action, and state leadership. WRA is ready for the fight.
