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W E E K L Y  U P D A T E      August 14, 2018
 
In This Issue
Senate Names Farm Bill Conferees and Approves "Minibus"


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Upcoming Briefing on September 5th to Address Great Lakes Regional Green Infrastructure
Please join the Great Lakes Commission and Northeast-Midwest Institute for a briefing and report launch for:

Great Lakes Regional Green Infrastructure Policy Analysis:
Addressing Barriers to Implementation

Wednesday, September 5, 2018 
2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. EDT

Cannon House Office Building
Room 122
27 Independence Avenue Southeast
Washington, D.C. 20003

Please RSVP by August 31.
 
 
 
Throughout the Great Lakes basin, communities are faced with growing stormwater management challenges.  Green infrastructure (GI) can serve as a key aspect of local stormwater solutions by decreasing the volume of water running into sewers and streams and improving water quality by trapping sediment and nutrients. GI includes a broad variety of stormwater management tactics like natural features and rain gardens, green roofs, and porous pavement, that mimic nature and increase infiltration of stormwater. 
Local communities are generally at the forefront of stormwater management, challenges, and innovation, but municipalities' capacity to develop GI is heavily influenced by federal, state, and provincial policy. Many policies and funding programs can foster GI implementation, while others either do little to incentivize GI or amplify unnecessary barriers. This report is targeted to federal, state, and provincial policymakers that can help create enabling conditions for local GI progress. The key policy recommendations identified are designed to reduce barriers and provide a stronger foundation for communities to advance GI.
USDA Raises Corn and Soybean Stockpile Forecasts

This week, the USDA revised the outlook for yield and production of both corn and soybeans.  In the monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, the USDA attributed the higher-than-anticipated results in part to ideal weather conditions.

In regards to soybeans, the report noted that "Soybean production is forecast at 4,586 million bushels, up 276 million on higher yields."  It also noted that "[a]s higher production more than offsets lower beginning stocks, soybean supplies for 2018/19 are projected at a record 5,040 million bushels, 5 percent above last month. With larger supplies, crush and exports are raised 15 and 20 million bushels . . . . Ending stocks are projected at 785 million bushels, up 205 million from last month. The U.S. season-average soybean price for 2018/19 is forecast at $8.90 per bushel at the midpoint, down 35 cents from last month."  

For corn, "production is forecast at 14.6 billion bushels, up 356 million from the July projection. . . . The season-average corn price received by producers is down 20 cents at the midpoint at a range of $3.10 to $4.10 per bushel."

These increases in yield and capacity come at a tumultuous time for the U.S. agriculture sector as the U.S. continues to exchange volley after retaliatory volley of tariffs with China as well as other major trading partners.  U.S. exporters are already facing difficulties from the tariffs.  The ship Peak Pegasus, which somewhat-famously  attempted and failed to make port in Dalian before the 25% Chinese tariff on U.S. soybeans was imposed, is currently sailing aimlessly in the Yellow Sea with around $20 million worth of soybeans in tow.   

Now that the the soybean yield will be even higher than anticipated, these problems will only get worse.  In July, U.S. agriculture export prices had their biggest drop since 2011, tumbling by 5.3 percent.

For more information, please contact Eric Heath, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee Website Update

AsianCarp.us has a fresh look and feel!
 
We invite you to explore the updated website, which can now be accessed via phones, tablets, and other mobile devices. With more intuitive navigation and organization, learning about the fight against invasive Asian carp is easier than ever.

This Week in Washington
 

The House is not in session this week.  The following are Senate hearings and markups of interest to the region.

Wednesday

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks will hold a legislative hearing on Wednesday, August 15th, at 4:00 p.m. EDT in Room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.  During the hearing, the Subcommittee will receive testimony on a number of bills, which are listed here.

Thursday

The Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a hearing to  Examine Implementation of Clean Water Act Section 401 and S. 3303, the Water Quality Certification Improvement Act of 2018  at 10:30 a.m. on August 16th in 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Next Week

Monday

At 10 a.m. on August 20th, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation will hold a field hearing on Pipeline Safety in the Great Lakes: Incident Prevention and Response Efforts at the Straits of Mackinac in Traverse City, Michigan. The hearing will focus on  federal oil spill prevention efforts, preparedness and response capability in the event of an oil pipeline break in the Straits of Mackinac. 



NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation