Environment (Conservation)

This bill designates new wilderness areas and wildlife conservation areas across Colorado's national forests, protecting approximately 24,400 acres of land. It creates three Wildlife Conservation Areas (Porcupine Gulch, Williams Fork Mountains, and Spraddle Creek) totaling about 14,500 acres to conserve wildlife corridors while allowing limited recreational use and maintaining existing grazing rights. The bill also establishes the Thompson Divide Withdrawal and Protection Area to protect agricultural and ecological values, with a pilot program to capture methane emissions from coal mines. Additionally, it creates the Curecanti National Recreation Area (approximately 50,300 acres) to protect scenic and recreational resources along the Gunnison River, while maintaining existing management frameworks.

This bill amends the Endangered Species Act to prevent federal protection for nonnative species and restrict conservation funding. Specifically, it blocks the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from listing nonnative species as endangered or threatened under Section 4(a), and prohibits using federal funds to acquire land in foreign countries for conservation under Section 8(a). It directly affects the administration of the Endangered Species Act and conservation organizations working with nonnative species or international land acquisitions. The key changes are a categorical exclusion of nonnative species from protection and a ban on foreign land purchases using federal conservation funds.

HJRES 30 is a congressional resolution seeking to block an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that implements the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act of 2020. The resolution targets the EPA's specific rule (published in the Federal Register on October 11, 2024) which establishes a phasedown schedule for hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) used in refrigeration, air conditioning, and other applications. If approved, this resolution would formally disapprove the EPA rule under the Congressional Review Act, preventing it from taking effect and halting the agency's implementation of the HFC phase-down. The resolution directly affects the EPA’s regulatory authority and the timeline for reducing HFC use, which impacts industries relying on these chemicals.

H.J.Res. 24, enacted May 9, 2025, disapproves a Department of Energy (DOE) rule establishing energy efficiency standards for walk-in coolers and freezers. This resolution, passed under the Congressional Review Act, blocks the rule (published December 23, 2024) from taking effect, meaning the DOE’s proposed standards will have no legal force. The action directly affects commercial food equipment manufacturers and businesses using such cooling systems by preventing the implementation of new energy conservation requirements.

This resolution (SRES 248) calls on the federal government to create a national biodiversity strategy to address accelerating biodiversity loss. It specifically urges the establishment of a coordinated strategy with key goals, including protecting at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 (the "30x30" target), protecting endangered species, integrating climate action, and incorporating Indigenous knowledge. The strategy would require federal agencies to coordinate conservation efforts, collaborate with states, tribes, and communities, and ensure equitable access to nature for historically impacted groups like Tribal communities and communities of color. As a non-binding resolution, it directs agencies to develop this strategy but does not create new laws or funding.