SPEED Act Needed for Efficient Conservation

The Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery Act, known as the SPEED Act, is a National Environmental Policy Act reform measure that has recently passed out of the house and now is headed to the Senate. The legislation aims to cut the red tape and streamline permitting, a move supporters say could benefit producers. Of those supporters is the National cattleman's Beef Association, Vice President of Government Affairs, Garrett Edmonds, with NCBA, has more on what the bill could mean for agriculture.

“Livestock producers rely on federal permitting under NEPA to make range improvements, carry out other voluntary conservation work, to maintain their working lands and prevent degradation. Unfortunately, NEPA has a lot of red tape, and the outdated processes have made permitting for livestock grazing much more difficult and costly. We're really excited to see this legislation move out of the house. Chairman Westerman of the house Natural Resources Committee has been a huge champion of this legislation to get it over that over that hurdle, you know, I think there's going to be some good conversations around this in the Senate, and we look forward to engaging on those and building out the coalition's necessary to see NEPA reform take place.”

Furthermore, NCBA says outdated NEPA processes have made permitting for livestock grazing much more difficult and costly, which limits the amount of conservation work that can be done, and leaves working lands in much worse condition.