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New Regulatory ‘Listening Sessions’ Scheduled
New locations have been added to a series of "listening sessions" with federal government officials this month intended to provide the home building industry and other interest groups with an opportunity to suggest improvements to environmental regulatory and enforcement programs.
The federal Cooperative Conservation program is encouraging the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce and Defense departments and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to work more collaboratively with state and local agencies, nonprofit groups and those who are regulated, including home builders. The sessions have featured senior-level Administration officials, including Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne and EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson.
NAHB Executive Vice President Jerry Howard has asked state and local leaders to make a point of attending a nearby session. "NAHB wants to tell top officials what is working and what is not and how to fix it," Howard said. "We must be active participants in these hearings. Your leadership and the involvement of our state and local associations in this effort are crucial."
Among the changes NAHB is advocating:
- ESA reform. Clear scientific and data-quality requirements should be a prerequisite for listing a species as endangered. "Too often, uneducated activists and other third parties petition the federal government to 'list' a species under the ESA, thereby halting both ongoing and future development. Our members won't stand for this any longer," Howard said.
The association also seeks firm limits on how and when the government can designate critical habitat. "The feds are not promoting effective conservation nor are they considering the economic impact of their decisions appropriately. And that doesn't even begin to address the effect of these designations on our members' ability to do business," he said.
- Stormwater permitting improvements. "Right now, we're dealing with a labyrinth of confusing, expensive, contradictory and duplicative rules and regulations. It needs to be fixed," Howard said.
"Developers and builders who thought they were complying with state and local storm water requirements find themselves subject to federal fines in the tens of thousand of dollars, often for recordkeeping or paperwork infractions that have no actual environmental impact at all," he added. "We must insist on a storm water program that yields superior environmental performance while eliminating the current disjointed enforcement and permitting process.”
Upcoming sessions include:
- Sept. 7: Honolulu, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m, Neal S. Blaisdell Center’s Pikake Room — Directions
- Sept. 12: Show Low, Ariz., 10 a.m., Northland Pioneer College, Silver Creek Campus (Snowflake), Performing Arts Center Theatre (PAC-103) — Directions
- Sept. 13: Redding, Calif., 1 p.m., Cascade Theatre — Directions
- Sept. 15: Colorado Springs, Colo., 11 a.m. University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, The Lodge — Directions
- Sept. 15: South Florida, 10:30 a.m., (place to be determined)
- Sept. 18: Pottstown, Pa., 10 a.m., Montgomery County Community College, Community Room, 101 College Drive — Directions
- Sept. 19: Pinedale, Wyo., 1 p.m., Sublette County Library, Lovatt Room, 156 S. Tyler — Directions
- Sept. 20: Brewer, Maine, 4 p.m., Jeff’s Catering Banquet and Convention Center — Directions
- Sept. 21: Brunswick, Ga., 1 p.m., Coastal Georgia Community College, Southeast Georgia Conference Center — Directions
- Sept. 25: Orlando, Fla., (time to be determined), Orange County Convention Center — Directions
- Sept. 27: Waco, Texas, 10 a.m., Waco Convention Center — Directions
- Sept. 28: Colton, Calif., 10 a.m., Colton High School Auditorium — Directions
There is no advance registration available for the sessions, and members planning to attend should arrive early to get on the speaking schedule. Written comments can also be submitted at the Cooperative Conservation Web site by clicking here.
For more information, e-mail Calli Schmidt at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8132.
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