Senate Western Caucus

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The Senate Western Caucus, under the leadership of Senator Cynthia Lummis, is focused on three areas critical to western states: natural resources and energy independence; smart public land management; and rural economic development.

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Natural Resources and Energy Independence

Energy
Promote an all-of-the-above energy mix that prioritizes innovation, including clean energy technologies. Defend reliable, affordable, traditional forms of energy such as coal, oil and gas, and hydropower, but also focus heavily on unleashing emissions-free nuclear energy.
Water
Develop creative, lasting solutions to western drought, including through participation in the renegotiation of the Colorado River Basin State Compact. Push back against the Administration’s heavy-handed approach to water rights, including the new proposed WOTUS rule. Support efforts to build out water infrastructure across the west.
Mining & Critical Minerals

Support legislation that recognizes the need for domestic mining and critical mineral development, both for national security but economic security purposes.

Permitting Reform

Champion comprehensive permitting reform to streamline the agency review process, modernize current laws while maintaining environmental safeguards and implement time limits to stop endless legal challenges.

Abandoned Mine and Orphan Well Reclamation
Support efforts that can restore the estimated half a million abandoned mines by removing regulator and liability burdens.

Public Land Management

Multiple Use
Reinforce and remind the current Administration that multiple-use is currently law of the land under FLPMA, and defend against a one-sided conservation status push.
Federal Land Management
Ensure resource management plans and forest plans are balanced, and respect multiple-use, local involvement, and private property rights. Reduce the size of the federal estate.
Checkerboard and Landlocked Management
Find solutions to improve the management of isolated and scattered federal lands and enhance public access while protecting private property rights.
Property Rights
Educate Washington and non-westerners on the impacts of federal land designations on private property rights.
Healthy Forests

Promote legislation that would reduce the likelihood of fires on the 63 million acres of the National Forest System and 54 million acres of Department of Interior lands in high or very high hazard and strengthen the domestic forestry industry.

Wildlife and Endangered Species Act

Introduce commonsense changes to the Endangered Species Act that promote recovery, delisting and downlisting.

Advance conservation efforts that include plans to control, prevent, and eradicate harmful invasive species.

Economic Development

Rural Broadband
Encourage the development of rural broadband to enhance economic development in the rural west.
Rural Air Service
Advocate for short and long term solutions to support more frequent, affordable and reliable air service to rural areas, a critical component to economic development in western communities.
Rural Health
Help promote policies that recognize the challenges of maintaining a healthy population in the rural west, including telemedicine.
Indian Affairs
Support legislation that promotes autonomy and economic development on Indian reservations, including Bureau of Indian Affairs hiring practice reform.
Public Land Visitation
Generate creative solutions to address the record levels of visitation to our parks and public lands with limited resources for deferred maintenance.
Support Agricultural Producers
Support small farmers and producers, protect grazing rights, resist environmental attacks on agriculture practices and grazing, and promote American trade exports.
Promote Outdoor Recreation
Push policies that boost the travel, tourism, and recreation economies in western states to create jobs and generate tax revenues.
Advocate for Sportsmen Issues
Support policies that increase hunting and wildlife, which fund conservation efforts for wildlife and public land initiatives.