It’s widely known that the current administration is doing everything possible to change existing laws, regulations and past presidential orders that offer environmental protection. Changes have been made to the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act and other regulatory methods. More oil well development is now allowed on protected lands in western states and Alaska. National Monuments have been reduced in size with much land turned over to ranchers. Some designated National Marine Refuges have been opened to fishing, and auto manufacturers have been told they do not need to reduce carbon emissions by 2025. All these actions and several more are increasing threats to climate change and the world’s environment.
In general contrast to the current Administration, Congress is pushing forward with several bills to help our birds and all wildlife, reduce pollution, increase national park funding, protect coastlines and more. It may be eye-opening to many citizens that virtually all these bills have relatively good bi-partisan support. An act described below has now actually passed and will be signed by the President. Other bills moving through Congress at this time are: Recovering America's Wildlife Act, Growing Climate Solutions Act, Shovel-Ready Restoration Grants for Coastline and Fisheries, Bird-Safe Building Act, and Migratory Bird Protection Act.
A bill recently passed by House and Senate is the Great American Outdoors Act, and it has even been signed by the President. This is a bill that has struggled for nearly two decades but the official act now will perpetually fund protection of federal public lands, and for the next five years it will also provide extra funding for National Parks, to help overcome large-scale lack of maintenance. Funds will not come from US taxpayers, but from other federal income sources. Now we must only wait to see how many of the other bills may be passed by Congress and signed into law.