Pass the American Public Lands and Waters Climate Solution Act
Pass the American Public Lands and Waters Climate Solution Act (H.R. 5435) to offer solutions to reduce emissions from public lands and oceans to zero by 2040 while transitioning to renewable energy and enhancing natural carbon sequestration.
Surfrider is supporting the American Public Lands and Waters Climate Solution Act (H.R. 5435) which directs the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from public lands and waters by 2040.
The bill pauses new fossil fuel leases while the agencies develop a plan to reach the 2040 goal. DOI and USFS must meet climate pollution reduction targets at specific intervals starting in 2025 and publish strategic plans every four years that detail how the agencies will meet the pollution reduction targets established by the legislation. The bill also increases royalties on fossil fuel extraction by oil, gas, and coal corporations and uses the proceeds to support workers and communities impacted by a transition away from dirty energy development.
The full text of H.R. 5435 is available here. To access a fact sheet explaining the bill’s major provisions click here.