EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 9/27/23
PIPELINE NEWS
Iowa Capital Dispatch: State regulators reject subpoena request for Rastetter testimony
OilPrice.com: Energy Transfer LP Shuts Ruptured Oil Pipeline In Permian
Michigan Advance: Nessel draws broad support from tribal nations, businesses and other states in Line 5 suit
Guardian: ‘We can’t drink oil’: how a 70-year-old pipeline imperils the Great Lakes
Canadian Press: Trans Mountain pipeline shift raising reconciliation questions
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Oil production is surging. How much is due to Biden?
The Hill: Biden axes GOP-led effort to undo endangered species protections for bat, chicken
STATE UPDATES
Cleveland.com: ODNR chief shrugs off claims of disputed pro-fracking comments as state weighs drilling parks
Casper Star-Tribune: Major carbon capture project to finish construction next month
EXTRACTION
The Hill: Global use of oil could peak this decade: IEA
Calgary Herald: 'Small price to pay' — Premier says CCUS incentives under development, could be worth nearly $2B for oilsands
Oregon Capital Chronicle: Green renewable hydrogen needed urgently, leaders say, but industry faces challenges
OPINION
Chicago Sun-Times: Climate crisis demands quick action to bring carbon capture technology to Illinois
Washington Times: Carbon capture and storage is a necessity
Washington Times: Hydrogen by wire: Reducing the pipeline conundrum
FOX News: Biden's Climate Corps, land grabs all part of promoting green tyranny at home and abroad
PIPELINE NEWS
Iowa Capital Dispatch: State regulators reject subpoena request for Rastetter testimony
JARED STRONG, 9/26/23
“An agriculture mogul who has a significant role in a pending carbon dioxide pipeline proposal will not be required to testify during its permit proceedings, the Iowa Utilities Board decided Tuesday,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “Several people sought a subpoena to compel the under-oath testimony of Bruce Rastetter, a co-founder of Summit Carbon Solutions. Pipeline opponents wanted him to elaborate on the company’s ownership and the potential conflicts the company might have with Rastetter’s other business ventures… “If called to testify, Rastetter might have also faced questions about his interactions with elected officials. Pipeline opponents have speculated that his wealth and political influence have accelerated Summit’s project toward approval. But in a unanimous decision on Tuesday, the IUB said: “Mr. Rastetter’s testimony does not appear relevant.” “There has been no showing as to why Mr. Rastetter, who is not an employee of Summit Carbon, is the best person to testify in this proceeding regarding the corporate structure of a non-party,” the board said. The IUB further noted that the subpoena request did not meet a deadline for such requests and that there was ample opportunity to seek Rastetter’s testimony earlier in the proceedings. Summit’s permit process has been ongoing for more than two years… “Taecker was among 17 landowners subject to eminent domain who were scheduled to testify on Tuesday, but only about half of those did testify. The hearing has seldom held to its schedule, and it appears the hearing will not conclude at the end of this week as the board had wanted.”
OilPrice.com: Energy Transfer LP Shuts Ruptured Oil Pipeline In Permian
Julianne Geiger, 9/26/23
“Energy Transfer LP shuttered its Centurion Pipeline on Monday after it was struck by a road worker, the pipeline company said in an email to Bloomberg,” OilPrice.com reports. “Energy Transfer LP acquired the pipeline earlier this year when it acquired the previous owner, Lotus Midstream for $1.4 billion… “As of Monday afternoon, Energy Transfer LP was working “as quickly as possible to stop” the oil leaking from the pipeline. “We have shut in the line, however, there is residual product coming out of the line. We are working quickly as possible to stop the leak. We have dispatched specialized crews to contain the product that is out of the line and begin the cleanup process. All regulatory notifications have been made. We will provide updates as information becomes available,” Energy Transfer said in a note. It was not clear when the pipeline repairs would be complete and when the pipeline would resume normal flows… “Some of the leaking oil managed to reach storm drains, the Oklahoma City Fire Department said in an email to Bloomberg, adding that no one had been injured during the incident, and no one was evacuated from the area.”
Michigan Advance: Nessel draws broad support from tribal nations, businesses and other states in Line 5 suit
KYLE DAVIDSON, 9/26/23
“A coalition of tribal nations from across the Midwest and Canada on Monday submitted a brief supporting Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s argument to move her lawsuit to shut down Enbridge’s Line 5 pipelines back to state court,” the Michigan Advance reports. “The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals will weigh arguments as to whether Nessel’s case should be heard in federal or state court, following a motion from Enbridge to have the suit moved to federal court. While Nessel’s initial request to remand the case back to state court was denied, Federal Judge Janet Neff granted Nessel’s appeal of her decision to keep the case in federal court. The coalition of 63 tribal nations, led by the Bay Mills Indian Community, are represented by Earthjustice and the Native American Rights Fund, with their brief arguing the pipelines pose an unacceptable risk of spill into the Great Lakes… “Five of the tribal organizations signed on to the brief hold treaty rights in the Straits of Mackinac… “All 12 of Michigan’s federally recognized Tribal Nations have passed resolutions calling for the decommissioning of Line 5. In addition to her support from the coalition of Tribal Nations, Nessel also received support in briefs filed by For Love of Water (FLOW), an environmental group focused on protecting the Great Lakes, and the Great Lakes Business Network, a group of more than 200 businesses that rely on the Great Lakes. Nessel’s appeal also received support from 12 states and the District of Columbia, including Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington. In their brief the states said the case presents legal issues related to when a defendant can remove a case filed by a state official to enforce state law to federal court… “Enbridge will have until Oct. 18 to file a response. Nessel then has 21 days to reply. Once briefing has concluded the Court of Appeals will either hold oral arguments or decide the case based on the submitted briefs.”
Guardian: ‘We can’t drink oil’: how a 70-year-old pipeline imperils the Great Lakes
Oliver Milman, 9/26/23
“It’s little known to the throngs of tourists who gawp at the wonder of the Great Lakes but at the meeting point of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, a combined system that forms the largest lake in the world, there is a 70-year-old pipeline, battered and dented by dropped boat anchors,” the Guardian reports. “The pipeline pushes a million gallons of oil each hour through the heart of this vast ecosystem. The operators of this pipeline, which is called Line 5, now wants to embark upon an enormous tunneling project to burrow the exposed section that lies on the lakebed underneath the Great Lakes and prolong its life for another century, starting a labyrinthine battle that has enmeshed the governments of the US and Canada, the state of Michigan and various industry and fishing interests. At the centre of this maelstrom are the native Great Lakes tribes that cherish the Straits of Mackinac, the four mile-wide stretch of water the ageing pipeline bisects, in creation stories as the birthplace of North America itself. They claim Line 5, which cuts through swathes of native land in its 645-mile route, is a “ticking time bomb” that imperils the Great Lakes, which contain a fifth of Earth’s entire surface fresh water, and risks severing deep, existential bonds of cultural connections that stretch back millennia. “An oil spill would be catastrophic for all of North America, this place would become a toxic wasteland that would be contaminated for years,” Whitney Gravelle, an Ojibwe person who is president of the Bay Mills Indian Community, told the Guardian. “People often can’t even believe there is a pipeline going through the Great Lakes. It seems crazy that we just have this heart attack waiting to happen. I am terrified every day about an oil spill and what that would mean for our ability to fish, to gather, to eat together. It would destroy our relationship with the land and the water. If that is destroyed, how can we continue to be Indigenous? It’s emotional to even think about it.” Last month, Gravelle spearheaded a delegation representing a dozen tribes whose ancestral lands surround the Great Lakes in a trip to Geneva, Switzerland, to address diplomats at the UN human rights council. The tribes’ official complaint alleges that Line 5 is a “current and foreseeable threat to a broad range of human rights” and that Canada has “repeatedly violated” its international obligations by intervening on behalf of the pipeline’s operator, Enbridge, a Canadian company.”
Canadian Press: Trans Mountain pipeline shift raising reconciliation questions
9/26/23
“The federal Crown corporation constructing the expansion to the Trans Mountain pipeline says it remains committed to “meaningful engagement” with Indigenous communities after being given the green light to move the pipeline route over the objection of a First Nation,” the Canadian Press reports. “The Canada Energy Regulator approved the route change Monday a week after Trans Mountain Corporation said the original route was going to take an extra nine months and cost $86 million more. The pipeline crosses the traditional territory of the Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation, and it opposes the change… “Greenpeace Canada is condemning the route change approval as a sign Canada is only committed to reconciliation when it is convenient.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Oil production is surging. How much is due to Biden?
Shelby Webb, 9/25/23
“As Republican presidential hopefuls slam President Joe Biden’s energy policy on the campaign trail, his administration seems to have an obvious political weapon: surging oil production,” E&E News reports. “Domestic production is projected to reach an all-time record high of 12.9 million barrels a day by the end of this year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. A data analysis by E&E News also shows that the Bureau of Land Management has approved more oil and gas leases on federal lands during Biden’s first two years and seven months as president than former President Trump did during the same amount of time at the beginning of his administration… “Many analysts and industry officials told E&E that the record production stems mostly from market forces and innovation in extracting more crude, which was driven by the Covid-19-induced oil bust, not Biden’s actions… “The number of barrels of oil produced per foot of drilling has increased 200 percent since 2014, with much of that progress coming in the last three years. Another factor in productivity has been wells that were drilled, but not completed, before the 2020 oil crash… “However, Biden administration policies are still important for the industry, observers tell E&E. They are not providing enough certainty for the industry to continue producing at high levels in the longer term, Meyer with API told E&E… “We need long-term certainty to make these investments,” he told E&E. “And right now, we just don’t have that.”
The Hill: Biden axes GOP-led effort to undo endangered species protections for bat, chicken
RACHEL FRAZIN, 9/26/23
“President Biden on Tuesday vetoed a Republican-led attempt to ax endangered species protections for the long-eared bat and the lesser prairie-chicken,” The Hill reports. “In two veto messages issued Tuesday, he said that each effort to undo the protections “would undermine America’s proud wildlife conservation traditions” and risk the species’ extinction… “The House and Senate earlier this year voted to cancel these rules and the protections that come with them. The votes were mostly partisan, though some members crossed the aisle. Biden in his veto messages noted that bats “are critical to healthy, functioning ecosystems“ and provide pest control and pollination. He said that the prairie-chicken serves as “an important measure of the overall health of America’s grasslands.”
STATE UPDATES
Cleveland.com: ODNR chief shrugs off claims of disputed pro-fracking comments as state weighs drilling parks
Jake Zuckerman, 9/25/23
“The head of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources defended the decision to neither independently investigate nor remove from the official record disputed, pro-fracking public comments after more than 150 people said their names were used on the letters without their knowing permission,” Cleveland.com reports. “ODNR Director Mary Mertz told Cleveland.com she was first made aware via grassroots activists in mid-July of Ohioans saying they didn’t knowingly allow anyone to attach their names to comments urging the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission to open two state parks and two protected wildlife areas to oil and gas exploration. Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer have previously identified more than 64 people who say their names were used without their knowing permission on the letters. Save Ohio Parks, a grassroots advocacy organization organized to oppose fracking in state parks, has identified an additional 84 names. The Dayton Daily News reported it identified 10 Dayton-area people who say their names were used in public comments without permission… “ODNR itself has received at least 10 emails from people whose names appeared on public comments asking that they be taken down. Mertz downplayed the accusations as “handfuls” and minimized their relevance as to the state’s decision on whether to lease mineral rights to the parks… “So far we have heard from not huge numbers of people. At this point, it seems like it’s more handfuls of folks this has happened to. We take that into account and we’re happy to take their names off the rolls. But no, no further investigation at this point.” Mertz told Cleveland.com the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission, which is part of ODNR, promptly notified the attorney general’s office when it learned of the allegedly misattributed identities. However, its own staff will not investigate independently of the attorney general. Mertz and staff also brushed aside requests from Save Ohio Parks that they strip from the record the identical copies of letters whose provenance has been challenged… “Save Ohio Parks has argued that charging ahead with nominations without an investigation and with the comments remaining in the public record leaves the commissioners with a distorted view of public opinion… “When asked what happens if Yost finds a violation of criminal or civil law, which presumably would not occur until after the agency has entered into a contract with a natural gas driller, Mertz told Cleveland.com it’s hard to predict what happens from there. “I don’t know that it will necessarily do anything,” she told Cleveland.com. “It depends what they find out.”
Casper Star-Tribune: Major carbon capture project to finish construction next month
Maya Shimizu Harris, 9/25/23
“Carbon capture’s hoped-for leap from the lab to the market will take a step forward next month,” the Casper Star-Tribune reports. “After almost five months, Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki Heavy Industries and their partner, Japan Carbon Frontier Organization, will officially complete construction on their carbon capture testing system at the Wyoming Integrated Test Center (ITC) in Gillette on Oct. 9… “Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ project is a solid sorbent carbon capture system, which uses physical or chemical absorption to capture carbon dioxide. The project aims to show that this technology is viable for commercial deployment to large-scale power plants. The demonstration is one of two major carbon capture projects in Wyoming that broke ground at the ITC in May. The other, headed by California-based gas separation developer Membrane Technology and Research, is still under construction… “Many Wyoming leaders have touted carbon capture as a key technology that could save the state’s struggling coal industry as it competes with lower-emitting and increasingly affordable alternatives on the electricity market. But the technology isn’t yet available on a wide scale because of its costs — a challenge that the projects aim to overcome… “On Thursday, the governor and other state and federal officials gathered at Gillette Community College for a conference about the future of the technology. The conference, organized by the Western Governors' Association, which Gordon chairs, is taking a look at decarbonization strategies as part of Gordon's "Decarbonizing the West" initiative… “The initiative won’t solely focus on carbon capture, Gordon told the Star-Tribune. It will also look at what can be done to reduce carbon in agriculture and through forestry management, to name a couple examples.
EXTRACTION
The Hill: Global use of oil could peak this decade: IEA
NICK ROBERTSON, 9/26/23
“Greenhouse gas emissions and the global demand for fossil fuels could peak this decade, according to an updated analysis from the International Energy Agency (IEA) that emphasized more must be done to prevent devastating climate change,” The Hill reports. “The agency said that the case for limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is “stronger than ever,” citing a rapidly growing green energy industry and electric vehicle sales. The new projections are an update to the agency’s 2021 plan to get to net zero global greenhouse emissions by 2050. “The speed of the roll-out of key clean energy technologies means that the IEA now projects that demand for coal, oil and natural gas will all peak this decade even without any new climate policies,” according to the report. “This is encouraging, but not nearly enough for the 1.5 degree Celsius goal.” “...The IEA projects global renewable energy capacity will nearly triple to 11,000 gigawatts by 2030 and methane emissions will fall to a quarter of current levels in the same period — to about 30 megatons per year. The new plan also relies less on technologies that have not yet been developed. While about half of the reductions in the 2021 report necessitated future tech, the 2023 update reduces that to about 35 percent. The technologies that have shown the most promise in the last two years have been new battery processes and the hydrogen electrolysis method of removing carbon dioxide from the air, according to the report.”
Calgary Herald: 'Small price to pay' — Premier says CCUS incentives under development, could be worth nearly $2B for oilsands
Chris Varcoe, 9/26/23
“Premier Danielle Smith says the province should have an incentive package ready to unveil later this year for carbon capture projects — one that could have a price tag approaching $2 billion over a decade for the country’s largest oilsands producers,” the Calgary Herald reports. “The initiative, which could be structured as an investment tax credit, would be well worth the expense if it triggers new investment — the project by the Pathways Alliance group is expected to cost $16.5 billion to build — and helps decarbonize the province’s largest sector, Smith told the Herald in an interview. While exact terms of the initiative haven’t been finalized, Smith noted the province’s existing Alberta Petrochemicals Incentive Program (APIP) provides grants worth 12 per cent of a project’s eligible capital costs… “If it is $16 billion (to build the CCUS project) and it’s 12 per cent … that’s $1.92 billion over potentially 10 years, which is perhaps $200 million, $192 million a year — of them being able to keep more of what they earn…Let’s be clear that it would be structured that way — that it would be just a reduction in their taxes and they’re going to be able to increase production … People need to be looking at this (as) how do we keep this industry thriving and growing over the next number of decades.” “...The Trudeau government has previously announced it will provide a federal investment tax credit for CCUS projects worth up to 50 per cent for capital spending on equipment to capture CO2… “Smith noted the oilsands sector will contribute $20 billion to $30 billion in combined royalty payments and corporate income taxes annually to provincial coffers, according to some projections. “We need to make sure that we are the best barrel in the market … We do not want to have our industry having to gear down. We want our industry to be able to continue growing and it’s through that growth that we’ll continue to get the revenues,” the premier told the Herald. “Allowing them to keep a little bit of that over a 25-year time horizon, as they build out this carbon capture utilization and storage pipeline, that seems like a small price to pay.”
Oregon Capital Chronicle: Green renewable hydrogen needed urgently, leaders say, but industry faces challenges
ALEX BAUMHARDT, 9/25/23
“To meet emissions reduction targets and tackle climate change, Oregon will need to build a clean and renewable hydrogen industry as fast as possible, according to state leaders. But they face challenges that could take years to overcome,” the Oregon Capital Chronicle reports. “That was one of the takeaways from an industry conference last week in Portland that was sponsored by the nonprofit trade association Renewable Hydrogen Alliance and brought together state officials and industry experts from the Northwest… “But the industry needs to ensure it has access to enough water, builds needed infrastructure, attracts a large and well trained labor force and has community support… “Oregon joined a public and private partnership in 2022 called the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association. It includes the director of Washington’s Department of Commerce, the chief operating officer of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Amazon’s leading global hydrogen strategist, a government affairs official at oil company BP America, three labor unions and the Sierra Club. The association aims to win billions of federal dollars to make the Northwest a hub of green hydrogen energy… “What’s unclear is how much hydrogen production would be truly “green” and “clean,” produced from water or captured waste.” “...But perhaps the biggest challenge facing the industry is getting community buy-in from a public that knows little about the technology and is skeptical of hydrogen, experts said. “They google hydrogen and they get Hindenburg stories,” Nicholas Mirra, a spokesperson at the Portland-based environmental engineering and consulting firm Maul Foster & Alongi, Inc., told the conference… “The first green hydrogen project in Oregon was shelved last year after public pushback over potential environmental and health impacts… “But environmental and social justice groups objected, saying the project had little emissions-reduction benefit.”
OPINION
Chicago Sun-Times: Climate crisis demands quick action to bring carbon capture technology to Illinois
Mark Denzler, president & CEO, Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, 9/26/23
“The recent Sun-Times editorial, “Gov. Pritzker’s pro-environment vetoes help Illinois, but climate crisis demands more,” points out that the administration and Legislature must put more emphasis on solutions to climate change and should act imminently to take advantage of federal incentives. We couldn’t agree more,” Mark Denzler writes for the Chicago Sun-Times. “There are tools readily available to make an impact on climate while creating thousands of jobs for Illinois. The upcoming veto session provides an opportunity to implement an essential solution: carbon capture and storage, or “CCS.” This technology filters CO2 emissions from the source and safely stores them deep underground, far away from air and water. Fortunately, Illinois has some of the best geology in the U.S. to store carbon… “We must therefore consider a yes-or-no question: Over the period of transition, do we want these millions of tons of CO2 to enter the atmosphere and contribute to climate change? Illinois manufacturers say no, and CCS provides the means to avoid it. Congress and the Biden administration agree this tried-and-true technology is needed to combat climate change, which is why they’ve provided billions of dollars for states that take advantage… “This fall, our elected leaders must pass legislation establishing a legal and regulatory framework that allows CCS projects to move forward at scale, embeds safety protections and respects landowner rights.”
Washington Times: Carbon capture and storage is a necessity
John A. Rupp is clinical associate professor emeritus at the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, 9/26/23
“In the past year, investment in carbon capture and storage has increased significantly in the United States, underscoring the value of this technology in the suite of approaches being employed to move toward a more efficient energy future,” John A. Rupp writes for the Washington Times. “...Over the past decade, there have been several prominent efforts to utilize CCS at power generation facilities in the United States… “As with other energy technologies, policies and financial structures are evolving to enhance the applicability of this technology as a carbon management tool… “Thanks to this federal policy support, CCS is now a practical solution to manage carbon emissions in states that have a fossil fuel-dominated power generation portfolio as well as industrial sources, including fertilizer, ethanol, cement and steel… “But mischaracterizing CCS as uneconomical would create the risk of overlooking the role that this technology can play in the overall effort to manage emissions, including significant investments in our workforce and communities. It is estimated that CCS deployment could create nearly 64,000 high-wage project jobs over a 15-year period and 43,000 ongoing operations jobs. The success of CCS will be contingent on the industry’s commitment to effectively manage safety and environmental risks and to address community concerns… “The United States has a competitive advantage with carbon management technologies such as CCS, which are necessary to meet midcentury climate goals. Climate change is too complex of a problem for any option to be taken off the table, including the strategy of carbon capture and storage.”
Washington Times: Hydrogen by wire: Reducing the pipeline conundrum
Richard Campbell is Vice President of Policy and Research for Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) Forum, 9/26/23
“Hydrogen has been discussed for decades as a possible fuel source to produce cleaner, American-made energy. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) designated approximately $8 billion for the development of at least four regional clean hydrogen hubs, positioning the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to notify hub applicants of awards by fall 2023. This funding and recent emphasis on hydrogen presents an exciting opportunity for electricity production, but we must go about this the right way,” Richard Campbell writes for the Washington Times. “...To be eligible for DOE funding, the hydrogen must come from low-emission sources such as nuclear or renewables using electrolyzers, or from fossil fuels utilizing carbon capture. Today, about 20 hydrogen hubs are reported to be in the final phase of consideration. Once the hydrogen is produced, transporting it does not come without challenges. Given its smaller molecular size, hydrogen gas is more difficult to contain, and concerns have been raised that existing pipelines, such as those used for natural gas, are not well suited for its transportation, because hydrogen can interact with pipeline steel, causing embrittlement and cracking. So, is an entirely new U.S. hydrogen pipeline transportation system needed? While that may not always be the case, conversion of natural gas pipelines could come with a high price tag. A recent study in Germany testing the use of hydrogen in pipelines estimated the cost to convert its existing 342,000-mile natural gas grid would cost approximately 30 billion euros. While there are differences with the design, ages, and tolerances of the U.S.’ natural gas transportation system, there are approximately three million miles of U.S. pipelines that, if all were converted for transporting hydrogen, could translate to an equivalent upgrade cost of $290 billion. But a possible, less costly alternative to deliver electricity generated by hydrogen may exist. If new, hydrogen-powered electric power plants can be built centrally (or conversions of existing plants made) either at or within the hydrogen hub systems, then it may be possible to produce “hydrogenby wire” to transport this electricity to the end consumer, as opposed to delivering it in pipelines over a long distance. An overlay of the proposed locations of hubs and major transmission lines shows a favorable correlation, which could minimize any need for building new transmission infrastructure.”
FOX News: Biden's Climate Corps, land grabs all part of promoting green tyranny at home and abroad
Rep. Mike Flood, a Republican, represents Nebraska's 1st Congressional District, 9/26/23
“Four years ago, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., introduced a resolution promising a "Green New Deal." At the time, it seemed more like a fringe dream from a far-left socialist than something that would ever happen. But that dream is quickly becoming a reality,” Mike Flood writes for FOX News. “...Since then, President Biden’s team has done everything from re-writing federal regulations to using America’s position as a leader on the global stage to push radical climate policy. Last year, Biden’s so-called Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) enacted several Green New Deal policies. The law was pitched to combat inflation – but it was never about that. It poured billions of dollars into government programs to restructure America’s energy and automotive industries… “Biden is also using the power of executive order and the Antiquities Act. Last week, the president announced the launch of a "Climate Corps" styled after a New Deal-era program. Over the last year, he’s designated five new national monuments, placing restrictions on vast swaths of land in Arizona, Colorado, Mississippi, Nevada and Texas. Such designations block the possibility of making land more productive in the future. Federal designations like these are key to achieving the 30x30 goal of environmental activists – conserving or permanently protecting 30% of the nation’s land and water by 2030… “The fight against Biden’s 30x30 land grab started here in Nebraska. Early opposition raised awareness about the consequences of federal land controls… “Farmers and ranchers are our country’s best conservationists – they’ve been caring for our land and natural resources for generations. We are at a crossroads right now: Will America allow the federal government to step in to do the bidding of environmental extremists? Or will we support the farm families that have helped our country feed the world?”