Last week was rough. Between the multiple gag orders on agencies, EPA funding being frozen, then unfrozen (?), then told that all their peer-reviewed science will be reviewed by politicals, then told to take down their pages about climate science (still there for now), there’s a lot going on in the country with regards to science. But be careful to not just watch what Trump is doing – it’s the legislation that we need to worry about. Note: none of these bills have publicly-available text yet so we’re left to wonder true intent.

H.R.717 — To amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require review of the economic cost of adding a species to the list of endangered species or threatened species, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Olson, Pete [R-TX-22] 
–One of the major arguments against the ESA is that it costs a lot of money to list species, mainly because listings involve protecting ranges of animals and thus preventing development, oil & gas exploration, etc. 

H.R.698 — To require a land conveyance involving the Elkhorn Ranch and the White River National Forest in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Tipton, Scott R. [R-CO-3] 

H.R.694 — To repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s most recent rule for new residential wood heaters.
Sponsor: Rep. Rouzer, David [R-NC-7] 
–From the EPA website: “On February 3, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strengthened its clean air standards for residential wood heaters to make new heaters significantly cleaner and improve air quality in communities where people burn wood for heat.” This bill would likely diminish those standards. 

H.R.688 — To adjust the boundary of the Arapaho National Forest, Colorado, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2] 

H.R.673 — To prohibit United States contributions to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Green Climate Fund.
Sponsor: Rep. Luetkemeyer, Blaine [R-MO-3]
–Pretty self-explanatory, would take climate change discussions completely off the table. 

H.R.660 — To require the Secretary of the Interior to submit to Congress a report on the efforts of the Bureau of Reclamation to manage its infrastructure assets.
Sponsor: Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-4] 
–Taking stock of BoR.

H.R.654 — To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to carry out a plan for the purchase and installation of an earthquake early warning system for the Cascadia Subduction Zone…
Sponsor: Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4] 

H.R.650 — To provide for the development of a United States strategy for greater human space exploration, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Culberson, John Abney [R-TX-7] 

H.R.637 — To prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from exceeding its statutory authority in ways that were not contemplated by the Congress.
Sponsor: Rep. Palmer, Gary J. [R-AL-6] 
–I wonder if this is actual legislation to go along with the reports that peer-reviewed science at the EPA will be reviewed by politicals. 

H.R.622 — To terminate the law enforcement functions of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management and to provide block grants to States for the enforcement of Federal law on Federal land under the…
Sponsor: Rep. Chaffetz, Jason [R-UT-3] 
–This would make FS and BLM employees defenseless in situations like the Bundy showdown a couple years ago when the ranchers were breaking the law. 

H.R.621 — To direct the Secretary of the Interior to sell certain Federal lands in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming, previously identified as suitable…
Sponsor: Rep. Chaffetz, Jason [R-UT-3] 
–This is the first step of a likely long fight where republicans try to sell of public lands for oil and gas development instead of allowing them to be enjoyed by the American people. 

S.216 — A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to submit to Congress a report on the efforts of the Bureau of Reclamation to manage its infrastructure assets.
Sponsor: Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY] 
–Senate companion bill for H.R. 660.

S.203 — A bill to reaffirm that the Environmental Protection Agency may not regulate vehicles used solely for competition, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC] 
–Would life (keep lift in place?) regulations on racing vehicles. 

S.192 — A bill to withdraw certain land located in Curry County and Josephine County, Oregon, from all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws, location, entry, and patent under…
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]