Environment

States serve as environmental stewards through their roles in managing state parks and forests, outdoor recreation facilities, energy production and distribution, water resources, waste management, and the elimination of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other forever chemicals. States also directly affect natural resources through their preservation and conservation strategies. To be effective environmental stewards, states must seek to balance efforts to maintain a healthy environment with efforts to develop and utilize natural resources.

Latest

Ensuring Clarity and Transparency in Radioactive Waste Definitions

Ensuring Clarity and Transparency in Radioactive Waste Definitions

The purpose of this document is to help states impacted by cleanup at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear weapons cleanup sites clarify the radioactive waste classifications that underpin cleanup ...
Congressional Briefing on Environmental Protection

Congressional Briefing on Environmental Protection

On April 10, 2024, NGA’s Economic Development and Revitalization Task Force and the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) hosted a Congressional briefing to educate Congressional staff, Administration officials, and ...
Leveraging Outdoor Assets in the Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Sectors

Leveraging Outdoor Assets in the Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Sectors

On Wednesday, December 13th NGA hosted its fourth and final webinar in a four-part series highlighting innovative and replicable projects that are funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Travel, ...
Advancing Equity in the Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Sectors

Advancing Equity in the Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Sectors

On Wednesday, September 27th NGA hosted its third webinar in a four-part series highlighting innovative and replicable projects that are funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Travel, Tourism and ...
Governors Urge Congress to Address Water Infrastructure Funding Cuts

Governors Urge Congress to Address Water Infrastructure Funding Cuts

The Co-Chairs of the National Governors Association's Economic Development and Revitalization Task Force wrote a letter to Congressional leaders urging them to mitigate further funding cuts to water infrastructure projects ...
Innovative Workforce Development Programs for the Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Sectors

Innovative Workforce Development Programs for the Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Sectors

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices held a webinar on Thursday, June 22, 1:00-2:00 EST for members of our Economic Development and Outdoor Recreation Networks to learn about ...

Meet the Team

Projects

Outdoor Recreation Learning Network

The NGA Outdoor Recreation Learning Network and Economic Policy teams are working with state recreation and economic policy networks and the Oregon State University’s Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy (CORE) to gather and analyze data in order to study the effectiveness of Economic Development Administration Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation (TTOR) grants.


Travel, Tourism And Outdoor Recreation

The NGA Outdoor Recreation Learning Network and Economic Policy teams are working with state recreation and economic policy networks and the Oregon State University’s Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy (CORE) to gather and analyze data in order to study the effectiveness of Economic Development Administration Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation (TTOR) grants.


State Energy Toolkit

The toolkit offers ideas to help governors respond to trends as they take action in their states in four areas — energy efficiency, clean energy, transportation electrification, and cyber and physical protection.


Federal Facilities Task Force

The mission of the FFTF is to bring together governor-designated representatives with U.S. Department of Energy officials to examine critical technical, policy and budget issues and improve coordination of major program decisions on a range of issues related to radioactive material and waste.


Related


NGA Resources

States serve as environmental stewards through their roles in managing state parks and forests, energy production and distribution, wildlife protection, land use and waste management. States also directly affect natural resources through their preservation and conservation strategies. To be effective environmental stewards, states must seek to balance efforts to maintain a healthy environment with efforts to develop and utilize natural resources.

Examining the Science and Policies to Protect Human Health and Water Quality from Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Examining the Science and Policies to Protect Human Health and Water Quality from Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

NGA and the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues (AAAS EPI Center) hosted two free virtual sessions examining Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances ...
Stormwater Funding Equity Roundtable

Stormwater Funding Equity Roundtable

This expert's roundtable brought together state officials from the Delaware River Basin states and national and regional policy experts to examine the equity implications of stormwater funding. Discussion focused on ...
State Strategies to Increase Land Conservation and Recreational Access

State Strategies to Increase Land Conservation and Recreational Access

A discussion of the 30x30 goal and detail how states can partner with non-profits to enhance land conservation and stewardship efforts that also provide recreational, economic and equity benefits. The ...
State Insights on the Water-Energy Nexus and Policy Ideas to Achieve Greater Savings

State Insights on the Water-Energy Nexus and Policy Ideas to Achieve Greater Savings

This paper provides an overview of challenges that states are facing in developing integrated water and energy conservation policies; provides background on Arizona and Wisconsin’s innovative water-energy policies and programs; ...
2021 Winter Meeting of the Federal Facilities Task Force

2021 Winter Meeting of the Federal Facilities Task Force

Virtual Meeting | January 13 – 14, 2021 The National Governors Association hosted the Federal Facilities Task Force (FFTF) Winter Meeting from January 13-14, 2021, via remote Zoom conference. The ...
Nineteenth Annual Intergovernmental Meeting with the U.S. Department of Energy on Nuclear Weapons Waste Cleanup

Nineteenth Annual Intergovernmental Meeting with the U.S. Department of Energy on Nuclear Weapons Waste Cleanup

Virtual Meeting | November 17-18, 2020 The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) hosted the 19th Annual Intergovernmental Meeting with the U.S. Department of Energy on Nuclear ...