It’s a sign of how crazy the presidential campaign has been that, on the first night of their Chicago convention last week, Democrats approved a party platform whose preamble declares that “President Biden . . . [is] running to finish the job” he started in his first term.
Of course, President Biden is no longer running. It’s his Veep, Kamala Harris, who is now the party’s 2024 nominee, along with her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Soon after the platform was adopted by the convention, Biden delivered his valedictory address and left Chicago, clearing the way for Harris and Walz to take center-stage.
Despite the outdated reference to the top of the ticket, the platform remains a pretty good indicator of how a President Harris would govern. And on most major issues, it draws a sharp contrast to the platform that the Republican Party approved a month earlier at their convention in Milwaukee.
But in the case of at least one issue – permitting reform – the platforms sound noticeably similar.
Whereas the GOP platform promises to “increase Energy Production across the board [and] streamline permitting,” the Democratic plan vows to “improve and speed up the processes of environmental review and clean-energy permitting.”
Major differences exist between the parties: for one thing, Republicans generally are looking to reform permitting to increase traditional (read: fossil fuel) energy production, while Democrats pitch “clean energy,” meaning renewables. And on Capitol Hill, the parties diverge on precisely how to accelerate permitting, with Republicans more enthusiastic about excluding certain projects from reviews and Democrats more inclined to require agencies to do a better job of coordination among themselves and state and local governments.
It’s also worth noting a few caveats. First, when policymakers decry permitting delays, the culprit in their eyes is usually environmental laws, like NEPA, as opposed to Section 106 of NHPA (although the two are closely linked). And second, turning campaign promises into actual legislation will not be easy, especially if the election results in divided government.
Nonetheless, there is growing consensus that the permitting process takes too long; that documents like environmental impact statements and environmental assessments need to be shorter, and that certain kinds of smaller projects shouldn’t go through a review process at all.
That’s why it is as important as ever that policymakers understand and recognize the value of cultural resources management and the Section 106 process, and that the CRM industry continue to advocate for solutions that make the process work better – from increased funding for SHPOs to the digitization of records – without sacrificing our shared national heritage.
Although nobody can predict the outcome of the election, one thing is for certain: permitting reform will be ion the table in 2025. Our task is to make sure smart policies are adopted.
Reminder: Q&A with National NAGPRA Program Manager Melanie O’Brien
How do the new NAGPRA regulations impact CRM firms? Do these rules change the obligations that firms face under this important federal law?
To help answer these questions, ACRA is holding a virtual Q&A Session with Melanie O’Brien, the Manager of the National NAGPRA Program at the U.S. National Park Service on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, from 12:00pm – 1:00pm EDT. In order to ensure we get to as many questions as possible, attendees will be asked to submit questions in writing before or during the Session.
To RSVP, click here. To submit questions in advance, please use this form.
Get in the Know at the 2024 ACRA Conference
As election season heats up and the policy debate intensifies, attending the ACRA 2024 Annual Conference in Albuquerque Sept. 26-29 is a great way to get the latest scoop.
In addition to updates on what’s happening in Washington, the conference will feature sessions on a wide range of topics that impact CRM and the chance to interact and network with fellow CRMers.
Don’t miss out on the premier cultural resource management event of the year – register now!