NewzIntel.com

Category: Environment

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Tuberville Introduce Legislation to Level Playing Field for Sporting Equipment Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) introduced the Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act to close a tax loophole that has resulted in lost revenue for state-led wildlife conservation efforts.  Foreign sellers should be held to the same tax regulations as domestic manufacturers, and this bill will ensure that happens.

    “Federal excise taxes on certain recreational outdoor sporting equipment provide funding for conservation programs,” said Crapo.  “This bill closes loopholes on imported fishing and archery equipment that deprive fish and wildlife conservation programs of additional critical funds.  This move will help level the playing field for Idaho and American companies and strengthen existing conservation programs.”

    “Alabama is proud to be home to hundreds of small businesses who make sporting equipment that outdoorsmen and conservationists rely on.  The last thing these business owners need is to be punished for producing goods right here in the U.S.A.” said Tuberville.  “Under President Trump, we are laser-focused on doing everything we can to encourage domestic production.  I’m proud to introduce this legislation with Senator Crapo which closes a loophole allowing foreign sellers to exploit our domestic retailers and rob money from our state conservation programs.”

    Numerous conservation and sporting groups, including the Archery Trade Association, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, American Sportfishing Association and The Conservation Fund have endorsed the legislation. 

    “We thank Senators Tuberville and Crapo for their leadership in helping to make the Sport Fish Restoration and Wildlife Restoration funds whole,” said Jim Fredericks, Director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.  “State fisheries programs count on these funds to maintain the good quality fishing opportunities that keep our anglers coming back for more.”

    “The archery industry applauds Senators Crapo and Tuberville for their exceptionally strong leadership and introduction of this high priority legislation,” said Dan Forster, Vice President & Chief Conservation Officer, Archery Trade Association.  “Holding foreign companies accountable for paying the federal excise tax is not only about protecting American businesses but it will help ensure that our conservation funding and outdoor heritage are protected for future generations.”

    “The Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act will ensure the future viability of the Sport Fish Restoration Fund by closing a loophole and securing millions of dollars in lost excise tax revenue to improve recreational fishing,” said Glenn Hughes, President and CEO of American Sportfishing Association.  “Since 1950, excise taxes on fishing equipment have provided $12 billion for conservation efforts and improved access for anglers across the country–a unique user-pay, public-benefit system that has become a cornerstone of the American conservation model.  We applaud Senators Tuberville and Crapo for introducing this legislation and for their commitment to the sportfishing industry, which contributes $230 billion to the U.S. economy each year.”

    Complete text of the bill can be found here.  U.S. Representatives Blake Moore (R-UT-01) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year.

    BACKGROUND:

    For decades, the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act have provided states and territories with essential funding for wildlife restoration, conservation, hunter education programs and boating access programs.  These programs, funded through excise taxes on sportfishing and archery equipment, have contributed more than $1.3 billion in FY2025 to support conservation efforts across the country.

    However, a loophole in current tax policy allows some online purchases of imported sporting goods to bypass these excise taxes when purchased directly from foreign sellers, leading to a shortfall of tens of millions of dollars from going to conservation funds.  Many consumers are unaware that they may be responsible for these taxes, and even those who are aware often struggle to navigate IRS guidelines on calculating and paying them.  A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report recommended that Congress address this issue by ensuring that U.S. online marketplaces, rather than consumers, are responsible for collecting and remitting these excise taxes.

    The Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act would:

    • Require U.S. online marketplaces to collect and remit federal excise taxes on imported archery and fishing equipment, treating them as the importer of record.
    • Ensure that funding for state-led wildlife conservation efforts is not lost due to tax loopholes.
    • Maintain fairness for domestic retailers who already pay these taxes on sporting goods they sell.
    • Simplify the tax process for consumers, eliminate confusion and ensure that conservation programs receive the full funding they deserve.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Bennet, Salinas, Lofgren Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Provide Disaster Relief for Farm Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Bennet, Salinas, Lofgren Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Provide Disaster Relief for Farm Workers

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) introduced the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act to provide compensation for farm workers who lose out on wages due to extreme weather, public health emergencies, and other disasters beyond their control. Representatives Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.-06) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18) are leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
    California is home to as many as 800,000 year-round and seasonal farm workers who help power the state’s $59 billion agricultural economy, yet despite their contributions to the local, regional, and national economies, there are few protections for the farm workforce. The California agricultural economy faced almost $4 billion in damages from 2023 to 2024, and that’s without even accounting for flooded farm worker homes in Pajaro or lost farm worker income. Existing federal disaster relief programs insufficiently compensate farm workers when they lose wages as a result of conditions out of their control.
    “California’s farm workers often work under extreme conditions to help put food on the table for hundreds of millions of Americans,” said Senator Padilla. “But increasingly frequent natural disasters, including historic flooding in Pajaro, have devastated California’s agricultural communities. We must protect the heart of our nation’s food supply by providing critical emergency assistance to these essential workers.”
    “Agriculture is the backbone of Colorado’s economy and central to our Western way of life, but as climate-fueled disasters become increasingly common, our state’s farm workers are paying the price,” said Senator Bennet. “Our bill will help ensure the people that grow America’s fruits, vegetables, and other crops get the assistance they need in the wake of emergencies like drought, wildfires, and other natural disasters.”
    “Extreme weather and natural disasters are only getting worse with climate change. Unfortunately, many of the hardworking individuals who grow and harvest our food do not receive direct financial support when they are forced to miss work and lose wages as a result of these disasters,” said Representative Salinas. “My legislation would finally correct this injustice by providing federal disaster relief for farmworkers. This change is well-deserved and long-overdue, and I will continue to advocate for the brave men and women who help feed America.”
    “When extreme weather occurs, farmworkers across our country continue to feed the nation. And yet, these essential workers and their families face great uncertainty when unexpected disasters harm their communities and livelihood. For example, hundreds of farmworkers in my congressional district faced displacement and lost wages after severe flooding devastated the Pajaro community in early 2023. We owe them – and all farmworkers – more. The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act ensures America’s indispensable farmworkers can receive disaster relief funding they need and have earned,” said Representative Lofgren.
    The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act would address this problem by providing direct relief funding for farm workers. Specifically, this bill would:
    Make grants available to eligible farm worker organizations to provide emergency relief to farm workers affected by a disaster.
    Ensure the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) develops and executes a promotional plan prior to and throughout the distribution of the relief grants to increase awareness of the assistance available.
    Require USDA to work with eligible farm worker organizations.
    Provide definitions for a covered disaster, eligible farm worker organization, and migrant or seasonal farm worker.
    Amend Section 2281 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to allow for emergency assistance for farm workers.
    The legislation is endorsed by the following organizations: A Better Balance, Alianza Americas, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP), Borderlands Resource Initiative, California Human Development, Campesinos Sin Fronteras, Care in Action, CASA of Oregon, Center for Employment Training, Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), Central Valley Opportunity Center, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc (CDM), Child Labor Coalition, CHILDREN AT RISK, CIERTO, Civic Empowerment Coalition, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Columbia Legal Services, CRLA Foundation, Davidson County Local Food Network, El Futuro es Nuestro, Farm Worker Ministry Northwest, Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project-FLAP, Farmworker Housing Development Corporation (FHDC), Farmworker Justice, Food Empowerment Project, GALEO Impact Fund, Hand in Hand/Mano en Mano, Hispanic Affairs Project, Hispanic Federation, Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), Latino Outdoors, League of Conservation Voters, Make the Road CT, Make the Road NJ, Make the Road NV, Make the Road NY, Make the Road PA, Make the Road States, Michiganders for a Just Farming System, National Association of Social Workers, National Association of Social Workers – Florida and Virgin Islands Chapter, National Consumers League, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Employment Law Project, National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association, NC FIELD, Inc., NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, North Carolina Council of Churches, North Carolina Farmworker Advocacy Network, North Carolina Justice Center, Nourish Up, Opportunity Arizona, Oregon Human Development Corporation, Organización en California de Lideres Campesinas, Inc, PCUN, Oregon’s Farmworker Union, Pesticide Action and Agroecology Network (PAN), Popular Democracy, Presente.org, Progress Michigan, Proteus Inc., Puente de la Costa Sur, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Slow Food USA, Student Action with Farmworkers, Sur Legal Collaborative, TODEC Legal Center, Toxic Free North Carolina, UFW Foundation, Unidos Yamhill County, United Farm Workers, and Voces Unidas de las Montañas.
    “Farm workers are always on the front lines of fires, floods, and storms — yet are too often excluded from federal disaster relief programs,” said Teresa Romero, President of United Farm Workers (UFW). “If the federal government can provide emergency support to farm owners who lose crops in natural disaster, then the federal government can emergency provide support to farm workers who lose work in that same disaster. The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act will ensure that farm workers who put food on all our tables can continue to put food on their family’s table when disaster strikes.”
    “Every year we see an alarming number of natural disasters that drastically and disproportionately impact the farm worker community. As climate change gets worse, these types of disasters will only worsen and farm workers are the ones who are affected the most by these calamities. Just last year, we saw heavy California rains flooding Ventura County farm areas and Hurricane Helen devastating Georgia’s farm worker communities, leading to organizations like ours stepping up to do what we can. But that is not enough. We must have a federal response to these kinds of disasters. From wildfires to tornadoes to hurricanes, farm workers have little to no safety net to help them recover from unexpected disasters,” said Erica Lomeli Corcoran, Chief Executive Officer at UFW Foundation. “This is exactly why the UFW Foundation is supporting the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act. It would provide resources and aid to those who truly need it and would ensure that those responsible for our nation’s food supplies are not overlooked, as they have been in the past. Farm workers have been largely ignored and neglected by the law, shut out from basic protections provided to all workers. It is time that Congress acts and ensures that our nation’s farm workers are given the support they need to overcome times of emergencies and to provide equity to all workers.” 
    “Farmworkers are frontline workers, which means they are the hardest hit by the impacts of extreme weather conditions across the country. Many farmworkers feel that they are risking their health with extreme heat and colder days, but losing even one day of work is not an option for their families’ economic situation. Outdoor protections are important, yet there are days that are becoming too extreme to even be outside. Our vision is to be a resilient workforce for the agricultural industry. Disaster relief means we can start investing in addressing the issues that workers are facing today by building resilience for climate change in the future, without sacrificing the economic well-being of farmworkers,” said Reyna Lopez, Executive Director of Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noreste (PCUN).
    Senator Padilla has fought hard to deliver relief to agricultural communities devastated by natural disasters. Earlier this year, Padilla announced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to improve access to federal agriculture disaster programs. Padilla also introduced the Smoke Exposure Research Act, legislation to better protect winegrape growers against wildfire smoke damage by strengthening research and risk management efforts at West Coast land-grant universities. Last year, he led a bipartisan coalition of California members in urging the Senate and House Agriculture Committees to incorporate permanent disaster assistance for agricultural producers and communities in the Farm Bill. The letter called for the inclusion of his bipartisan Agricultural Emergency Relief Act, which would create a permanent structure at the USDA to provide relief for farmers who lost crops due to natural disasters. Previously, Padilla introduced a pair of bills to equip the USDA to better meet the needs of farm workers. He also introduced the Fairness for Farm Workers Act last Congress to update the nation’s labor laws to ensure farm workers receive fairer wages and compensation.
    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government passes kiwi killing bill under urgency – Greenpeace

    Source: Greenpeace

    The amendment to the Wildlife Act, New Zealand’s foundational wildlife protection law, was passed under urgency today and allows the Director-General of Conservation to grant companies permission to kill kiwi and other native wildlife if they get in the way of projects like roads, mines or dams.
    Greenpeace says it’s the latest escalation in the Luxon Government’s war on nature and is calling for the immediate repeal of the amendment and for the Government to strengthen, not weaken, protections for the country’s endangered wildlife.
    “This will go down in history as the moment the New Zealand Government decided that roads and coal mines needed protection from skinks and kiwi, instead of the other way around,” says Greenpeace spokesperson Gen Toop.
    “We’re talking about our national icon – the kiwi – being put on the chopping block so a company can build a road faster. That is not who we are as a country.”
    “We are a country revered internationally for bringing species like the kākāpō back from the brink of extinction. But we’re about to go from revered to reviled for making a law explicitly allowing big business to kill endangered wildlife for profit,” says Toop.
    All three stages of the Bill were heard under urgency this morning, with Greenpeace likening the move to Trumpian style politics.
    “Legalising killing kiwi is Trumpian style environmental vandalism. The Luxon Government clearly knows how deeply unpopular this is. It’s why they have rushed it through parliament under urgency with no chance for public input or scrutiny,” says Toop.
    According to the latest Environment Aotearoa report, nearly 80% of the country’s native birds are threatened with extinction or at risk of becoming threatened, along with 94% of indigenous reptiles. There’s only one native frog left out of 14 that is not threatened with extinction.
    “Luxon’s Government just signed a death warrant for native wildlife already on the brink of extinction. And once they’re gone, they’re gone for good,” says Toop.
    “This Government have been waging a war on nature since day one. They’ve steamrolled environmental protections with the fast track approvals act, they’re trying to reverse the oil and gas ban, they plan to dismantle the RMA, and now they have literally legalised killing kiwi.”
    The law change comes after a landmark High Court decision in the case of the Environmental Law Initiative v The Director-General of the Department of Conservation (DOC) and others. The case challenged DOC’s decision to grant Waka Kotahi permission to kill wildlife during construction of the Mt Messenger Bypass in Taranaki.
    The Judge ruled that the permit was unlawful, upending years of DOC’s practice of granting permits which authorised the killing of wildlife under the Wildlife Act.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Crapo Introduce Legislation to Level Playing Field for Alabama Sporting Equipment Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced the Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act  to close a tax loophole that has resulted in lost revenue for state-led wildlife conservation efforts.  Foreign sellers should be held to the same tax regulations as domestic manufacturers, and this bill will ensure that happens. 
    “Alabama is proud to be home to hundreds of small businesses who make sporting equipment that outdoorsmen and conservationists rely on. The last thing these business owners need is to be punished for producing goods right here in the U.S.A.” said Senator Tuberville.“Under President Trump, we are laser-focused on doing everything we can to encourage domestic production. I’m proud to introduce this legislation with Senator Crapo which closes a loophole allowing foreign sellers to exploit our domestic retailers and rob money from our state conservation programs.”
    “Federal excise taxes on certain recreational outdoor sporting equipment provide funding for conservation programs,” said Senator Crapo. “This bill closes loopholes on imported fishing and archery equipment that deprive fish and wildlife conservation programs of additional critical funds. This move will help level the playing field for Idaho and American companies and strengthen existing conservation programs.”
    Numerous conservation and sporting groups, including the Alabama Department of Conservation, Archery Trade Association, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, American Sportfishing Association, and The Conservation Fund haveendorsed Senator Tuberville’s legislation. 
    “We applaud Senator Tuberville’s support of the Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act,” said Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.“These funds are critical to supporting outdoor activities in the U.S. and we rely on them heavily in Alabama. This legislation will help secure state conservation funding and ensure all Americans have access to quality outdoor recreation throughout the country.”
    “The archery industry applauds Senators Crapo and Tuberville for their exceptionally strong leadership and introduction of this high priority legislation,” said Dan Forster, Vice President & Chief Conservation Officer, Archery Trade Association. “Holding foreign companies accountable for paying the federal excise tax is not only about protecting American businesses but it will help ensure that our conservation funding and outdoor heritage are protected for future generations.”
    “We thank Senators Tuberville and Crapo for their leadership in helping to make the Sport Fish Restoration and Wildlife Restoration funds whole,” said Jim Fredericks, Chair of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Fisheries and Water Resources Policy Committee and Director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.“State fisheries programs count on these funds to maintain the good quality fishing opportunities that keep our anglers coming back for more.”
    “The Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act will ensure the future viability of the Sport Fish Restoration Fund by closing a loophole and securing millions of dollars in lost excise tax revenue to improve recreational fishing,” said Glenn Hughes, President and CEO of American Sportfishing Association. “Since 1950, excise taxes on fishing equipment have provided $12 billion for conservation efforts and improved access for anglers across the country – a unique user-pay, public-benefit system that has become a cornerstone of the American conservation model. We applaud Senators Tuberville and Crapo for introducing this legislation and for their commitment to the sportfishing industry, which contributes $230 billion to the U.S. economy each year.”
    Complete text of the bill can be found here. U.S. Representatives Blake Moore (R-UT-01) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives earlier this year.
    BACKGROUND:
    For decades, the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act have provided states and territories with essential funding for wildlife restoration, conservation, hunter education programs, and boating access programs.  These programs, funded through excise taxes on sportfishing and archery equipment, have contributed more than $1.3 billion in FY2025 to support conservation efforts across the country.
    However, a loophole in current tax policy allows some online purchases of imported sporting goods to bypass these excise taxes when purchased directly from foreign sellers, leading to a shortfall of tens of millions of dollars from going to conservation funds. Many consumers are unaware that they may be responsible for these taxes, and even those who are aware often struggle to navigate IRS guidelines on calculating and paying them. A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report recommended that Congress address this issue by ensuring that U.S. online marketplaces, rather than consumers, are responsible for collecting and remitting these excise taxes.
    The Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act would:
    Require U.S. online marketplaces to collect and remit federal excise taxes on imported archery and fishing equipment, treating them as the importer of record.
    Ensure that funding for state-led wildlife conservation efforts is not lost due to tax loopholes.
    Maintain fairness for domestic retailers who already pay these taxes on sporting goods they sell.
    Simplify the tax process for consumers, eliminate confusion, and ensure that conservation programs receive the full funding they deserve.
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 8, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 8, 2025.

    Women’s sports are fighting an uphill battle against our social media algorithms
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hans Westerbeek, Professor of International Sport Business, Head of Sport Business Insights Group, Victoria University Women’s sport is more and more getting the attention it deserves. Stadiums are filling, television ratings for many sports are climbing and athletes such as the Matildas’ Mary Fowler, triple Olympic gold

    New taxes on super didn’t get much attention in the election campaign. But they could be tricky to implement
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Melatos, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Sydney Poetra.RH/Shutterstock The re-election of the Albanese government has led to renewed concern about planned changes to the taxation of investment returns in superannuation funds. Labor’s emphatic victory on Saturday night, including what looks like an increased presence in

    New Caledonia’s political talks – no outcome after three days of ‘conclave’
    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific Desk After three solid days of talks in retreat mode, New Caledonia’s political parties have yet to reach an agreement on the French Pacific territory’s future status. The talks, held with French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls and French Prime Minister’s special advisor Eric Thiers, have since

    Forest home of ‘polar dinosaurs’ 120 million years ago in southern Australia recreated in detail for the first time
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vera Korasidis, Lecturer in Environmental Geoscience, The University of Melbourne Artwork © Bob Nicholls 2024 Roughly 140 million to 100 million years ago, the piece of land that is modern day Australia was located much further south on Earth. In fact, what is now Victoria was once

    Ovarian cysts can be painful when they burst. When do you need to see a doctor?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Chruścik, Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, University of Southern Queensland PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock Cysts are small pockets of fluid that form inside the body. Ovarian cysts are common, affecting around one in ten women. But sometimes they can cause pain – especially when they burst. You

    Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – International Trade over time: gifts with strings
    Analysis by Keith Rankin. The ‘see-saw’ chart above shows the accumulated ‘excess benefits’ that Aotearoa New Zealand, and a few other countries, have enjoyed from international trade over the last 40 years. These are benefits arising from ‘unbalanced trade’ which are in addition to the regular benefits – arising from efficient specialisation – of ‘balanced’

    ‘Utu’ as foreign policy: how a Māori worldview can make sense of a shifting world order
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Ross Smith, Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Research on Europe, University of Canterbury Getty Images There is a growing feeling in New Zealand that the regional geopolitical situation is becoming less stable and more conflicted. China has ramped up its Pacific engagement, most recently with

    While the Liberals haemorrhaged, the Nationals held their own. Is it time to break up the Coalition?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda Botterill, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Among the notable features of this year’s election campaign was that Australia’s second-oldest political party was apparently missing in action. At the same time, it managed to avoid the rout inflicted on its coalition partner.

    Why is hospital parking so expensive? Two economics researchers explain
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Farrell, Professor of Economics (Health Economist), RMIT University ThirtyPlus/Shutterstock Imagine having to pay A$39 dollars a day to park your car while visiting your sick child in hospital. For families already struggling in a cost-of-living crisis, hospital parking fees are not just another expense. They can

    Vietnam is poised to become a top 20 economy, so why is Australia taking so long to make trade and investment links?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Vo, Senior lecturer in Vietnamese culture and politics, University of Wollongong Aritra Deb/Shutterstock At a time of widespread global trade instability, Australia should be expanding and diversifying its economic partnerships. Supply chains remain fragile, and protectionist rhetoric is once again gaining traction in major Western economies.

    Marvel’s Thunderbolts* shines a light on men’s mental illness – but falls down with this outdated plotline
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emily Baulch, Research Associate, Discipline of Media and Communications, University of Sydney Marvel Studios This piece contains spoilers. Marvel’s men are sad. And that’s a good thing. Thor’s depressed in Avengers: Endgame. Tony Stark has panic attacks in Iron Man 3. Peter grieves in Spider-Man: No Way

    Australia is set to be a renewables nation. After Labor’s win, there’s no turning back
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wesley Morgan, Research Associate, Institute for Climate Risk and Response, UNSW Sydney bmphotographer/Shutterstock An emphatic election victory for the incumbent Labor government means Australia’s rapid shift to renewable energy will continue. As Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said on Saturday: In 2022, the Australian people

    Financial Times: The West’s shameful silence on Gaza – do more to restrain Benjamin Netanyahu
    EDITORIAL: The Financial Times editorial board After 19 months of conflict that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and drawn accusations of war crimes against Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu is once more preparing to escalate Israel’s offensive in Gaza. The latest plan puts Israel on course for full occupation of the Palestinian territory and would

    ‘Under no illusions’ about France, says author of new Rainbow Warrior book
    Pacific Media Watch The author of the book Eyes of Fire, one of the countless publications on the Rainbow Warrior bombing almost 40 years ago but the only one by somebody actually on board the bombed ship, says he was under no illusions that France was behind the attack. Journalist David Robie was speaking last

    Australia doesn’t have a federal Human Rights Act – but the election clears the way for overdue reform
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Maguire, Professor in Human Rights and International Law, University of Newcastle Master1305/Shutterstock The Albanese government has achieved an historic re-election, substantially building its majority in the House of Representatives. Much has already been written about the potential for a more ambitious legislative program on the back

    Samoa down in RSF media freedom world ranking due to ‘authoritarian pressure’
    Talamua Online News Samoa has dropped in its media and information freedom world ranking from 22 in 2024 to 44 in 2025 in the latest World Press Freedom Index compiled annually by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF). For the Pacific region, New Zealand is ranked highest at 16, Australia at 29, Fiji at 40,

    How maximum security prison inmates and officers worked together to create a farm behind bars
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Tietz, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, UNSW Sydney Macquarie Correctional Centre Media Unit At Macquarie Correctional Centre in western New South Wales, a story of collaboration and persistence is unfolding. Inmates and prison officers are farming commercial quantities of fresh food in a purpose-built indoor facility.

    Can what you eat during pregnancy and breastfeeding affect whether your child develops food allergies?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Koplin, Evidence and Translation Lead, National Allergy Centre of Excellence; Chief Investigator, Centre of Food Allergy Research; Associate Professor and Group Leader, Childhood Allergy & Epidemiology Group, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland Maria Evseyeva/Shutterstock Many questions pop up when you’re growing or raising

    How do you put a tariff on movies? Here’s what Trump’s plan could mean for Australia
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark David Ryan, Professor, Film, Screen, Animation, Queensland University of Technology Kirk Wester/Shutterstock US President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of a plan to impose a 100% tariff on movies “produced in foreign lands” could have a massive impact on the global entertainment industry. Film and television production

    Labor says its second term will be about productivity reform. These ideas could help shift the dial
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roy Green, Emeritus Professor of Innovation, University of Technology Sydney Summit Art Creations/Shutterstock In his victory speech, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighted social policy as a major factor in Labor’s electoral success, particularly Medicare, housing and cost of living relief. He was justified in doing so. But

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Wildlife Act fix enables economic growth with animal protection

    Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

    Date:  08 May 2025 Source:  Office of the Minister of Conservation

    The High Court recently decided it was unlawful for the Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai to authorise the killing of wildlife unless there was a direct link between killing and protecting wildlife. Incidental harm to wildlife, while not desired, sometimes happens when carrying out a lawful activity, such as consented construction works.

    “This decision placed multiple projects, which previously received DOC authorisations, in a state of uncertainty,” Mr Potaka says. “Projects include activities for building new solar and wind farms, plantation forests, and powerline maintenance that are essential for supporting our growing economy.

    “Today’s improvements give certainty to authority holders that their projects can continue lawfully, whether it’s for important conservation work like pest control or development and infrastructure projects.

    “Today’s changes clarify how authorisations can be consistent with protecting wildlife, and that the Director-General of the Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai can make authorisations. We are restoring the approach that DOC was taking for authorising activities before the Court’s decision and provide legal clarity.

    “These changes keep safeguards to protect wildlife. It’s important Aotearoa New Zealand’s wildlife continues to be protected, and that species can thrive as we support a strong and growing economy.

    “Under the amended Wildlife Act, authority holders are still expected to avoid and minimise harm to protected species. Examples include relocating animals before doing any construction work – to protect populations and support the ongoing viability of species,” says Mr Potaka.

    “Now the amendments have been enacted, we can turn to accelerating a comprehensive review of the Wildlife Act.”

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Golden monkeys from China make European debut at French zoo

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Three golden monkeys from China made their public debut on Wednesday at the ZooPark of Beauval in central France, marking the species’ first journey outside Asia.

    The three primates – one male and two females – arrived in early April from the Shanghai Wild Animal Park, accompanied by a Chinese caretaker, and have since completed a month-long quarantine period.

    Their arrival is part of a ten-year partnership between the ZooPark of Beauval and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation in wildlife protection and conservation.

    At a welcoming ceremony, the zoo’s director, Rodolphe Delord, unveiled the names of the new residents: Jindou (Golden Seed), Jinbao (Golden Treasure), and Jinhua (Golden Flower). These names were chosen through an online naming competition launched earlier this year.

    “Like the pandas, the arrival of these primates strengthens the ties between France and China in the field of animal conservation,” Delord said during the event. “We hope to see the birth of babies soon, which can then be returned to China for reintroduction into their natural environment.”

    The ZooPark of Beauval previously welcomed giant pandas Huanhuan and Yuanzai from China in 2012, launching a Sino-French cooperation program on panda breeding. With the arrival of the golden monkeys, the zoo has become the first outside Asia to host this rare and endangered species.

    The golden monkey is native to the mountainous forests of central and southwest China. Known for its striking golden-orange fur and distinctive upturned nose, the golden monkey is a national treasure in China and is under top-level state protection. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace USA responds to Energy Transfer Q1 earnings call announcement

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Greenpeace USA projected a powerful message of purpose and defiance onto the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. The action marked 100 days into the administration’s second term and launched the global #TimeToResist campaign — a call to push back against attacks on democracy, dissent, and environmental justice from from billionaire oligarchs and corporate bullies. © Jana Asenbrennerova / Greenpeace

    Washington, D.C. (May 6, 2025) – In response to Energy Transfer announcing $4.1B in 2025 Q1 profits, Sushma Raman, Greenpeace USA Interim Executive Director, said: 

    “There are no words to fully capture the absurdity of Energy Transfer boasting billions in quarterly profits while trying to squeeze more than $660 million out of Greenpeace USA, Greenpeace Fund, and Greenpeace International. But as we’ve said from the beginning – this was never about money. There is no dollar figure that can be placed on rolling back constitutional rights to free speech and protest, yet, that is exactly what’s unfolding under this administration. Donald Trump’s wealthy allies are attempting to buy the power to silence dissent, using their bank accounts as battering rams against democracy. Our response is in our resistance. As we continue to fight these baseless charges, we know this is the Billionaire Bully playbook. They turn a profit by making people like us pay the price. 

    “The fact that we are still standing here today, because of the unwavering support of people who believe in a just and green future, is proof we refuse to be bullied by corporations into silence. As this nation’s founding document first declared — governments derive their power from the consent of the governed, so in that spirit, it is time we all say: We the People, resist.”

    Contact: Madison Carter, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, [email protected]

    Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Week 7 of “Dirty Dems” campaign sets its sights on Assembly Member Esmeralda Soria

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    FRESNO, CA (May 6, 2025)—As part of the ongoing “Dirty Dems” campaign, Greenpeace USA, in collaboration with the California Working Families Party and Courage California, continues to hold California State legislators accountable for their damaging connections to the oil and gas industry and their failure to support critical climate, economic justice, and progressive priorities.

    In its final week, the campaign turns to Fresno’s Assembly Member Esmeralda Soria. Though Soria has only spent just over two years in office, she has already directly accepted $53,000 from the oil and gas industry, including $29,500 in just the last session alone. 

    Amy Moas, Ph.D., Greenpeace USA Senior Climate Campaigner, said: “Assembly Member Soria’s ties to the fossil fuel industry are particularly alarming because she signed the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge while running for Congress in 2020. Her abrupt reversal to supporting toxic polluters begs the question: why is she unwilling to stand up for resilient families and a healthy future? In two short years, Soria has quickly made her priorities and true alliances known.”

    Assembly Member Soria has earned failing grades from every major environmental and progressive scorecard across the state for both years she has been in office. Some lowlights of her time as an elected official include the following: skipped voting on a bill to monitor noxious pollutants in neighborhoods that have been linked to asthma and cancer (SB 674); skipped voting on a bill to reduce toxins in everyday packaging (AB 2761); and skipped voting on a bill to protect Californians from inflated utility prices by requiring the comparison of rates to actual costs (AB 2666). 

    But Assembly Member Soria has also failed on other progressive issues, especially those related to protecting workers. In 2024, she skipped both voting on a bill to improve employment standards for janitorial labor in the state (AB 2364) and voting on a bill focused on establishing more protections against workplace violence (SB 553). While Soria has every reason to be a voice for a healthier and more resilient California, she has actively chosen corporate polluters over her communities. Thus, she has been named a “Dirty Dem.”

    Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Key Portion of NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Clears Thermal Vacuum Test

    Source: NASA

    One half of NASA’s nearly complete Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope just passed a lengthy test to ensure it will function properly in the space environment. This milestone keeps Roman well on track for its target launch by May 2027, with the team aiming for as early as fall 2026.

    “This milestone tees us up to attach the flight solar array sun shield to the outer barrel assembly, and deployable aperture cover, which we’ll begin this month,” said Jack Marshall, who leads integration and testing for these elements at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Then we’ll complete remaining environmental tests for the flight assembly before moving on to connect Roman’s two major assemblies and run the full observatory through testing, and then we’ll be ready to launch!”
    Prior to this thermal testing, technicians integrated Roman’s deployable aperture cover, a visor-like sunshade, to the outer barrel assembly, which will house the telescope and instruments, in January, then added test solar panels in March. They moved this whole structure into the Space Environment Simulator test chamber at NASA Goddard in April.
    There, it was subjected to the hot and cold temperatures it will experience in space. Next, technicians will join Roman’s flight solar panels to the outer barrel assembly and sunshade. Then the structure will undergo a suite of assessments, including a shake test to ensure it can withstand the vibrations experienced during launch.

    Meanwhile, Roman’s other major portion — the spacecraft and integrated payload assembly, which consists of the telescope, instrument carrier, and two instruments — will undergo its own shake test, along with additional assessments. Technicians will install the lower instrument sun shade and put this half of the observatory through a thermal vacuum test in the Space Environment Simulator.
    “The test verifies the instruments will remain at stable operating temperatures even while the Sun bakes one side of the observatory and the other is exposed to freezing conditions — all in a vacuum, where heat doesn’t flow as readily as it does through air,” said Jeremy Perkins, an astrophysicist serving as Roman’s observatory integration and test scientist at NASA Goddard. Keeping the instrument temperatures stable ensures their readings will be precise and reliable.
    Technicians are on track to connect Roman’s two major parts in November, resulting in a complete observatory by the end of the year. Following final tests, Roman is expected to ship to the launch site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for launch preparations in summer 2026. Roman remains on schedule for launch by May 2027, with the team aiming for launch as early as fall 2026.

    To virtually tour an interactive version of the telescope, visit:
    https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/interactive
    The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California; Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena, California; the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore; and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions. The primary industrial partners are BAE Systems Inc. in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California.
    By Ashley BalzerNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
    ​​Media Contact:Claire AndreoliNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center301-286-1940

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tale of two trains: California high-speed rail leaves Texas in the dust

    Source: US State of California 2

    May 7, 2025

    What you need to know: Despite the Trump Administration’s assaults, both California and Texas are working to build high-speed rail. But only one state has built anything: California.

    SACRAMENTO — What’s the main difference between California high-speed rail and Texas high-speed rail? California’s system is under construction; Texas’ has yet to break ground. 

    California has transitioned from vision and ideas to active construction and tangible economic benefits, while the Texas project remains a dream mostly on paper. Despite the noise from Washington, California high-speed rail is becoming real. It’s another critical project part of the Governor’s build more, faster agenda delivering infrastructure upgrades and thousands of jobs across the state.

    The facts speak for themselves — here’s the progress since 2013 for both systems:

     

    California High-Speed Rail

     

    Texas Central

     
    Route 494 miles – San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim via Central Valley 240 miles – Dallas to Houston, via Brazos Valley
    Construction Status ✅ 171 miles under active development; 119 miles under active construction; 52 major structures built; extensions to Merced and Bakersfield in design ❌ Not started
    Environmental Clearance ✅ 463 of 494 miles environmentally cleared by federal and state government  Federal clearance (less comprehensive and transparent)
    Station Development ✅ Merced, Fresno, Kings/Tulare and Bakersfield in advance design. ❌ Not started
    Funding Structure ✅ Public funding (state + federal) with potential for future private investment ❌ Private, federal funding pulled
    Projected Opening  ✅ Early Operating Segment: 2030-2033 ❌ Not established
    Jobs Created ✅ 15,000+ jobs ❌ None reported
    Economic Benefits

    ✅ The project has already generated nearly $22 billion in economic output, boosting the state’s economy. The full San Francisco-Los Angeles system is estimated to support $221.8 billion in economic output once it’s in operation.

    		 ❌ No current data. The project is anticipated to generate $36 billion in economic impact over the next 25 years.
    Environmental Benefits

    ✅ Estimated to reduce California’s greenhouse gas emissions by 0.6 to 3 million MTCO2e annually – this is the equivalent of removing 142,000 to 700,000 cars off the road.

    Diverted 95% of construction waste from landfills by recycling, reusing or composting.  

    		 ❌ No current data
    Integration with Existing Transit ✅ Future connections to Caltrain, ACE, High Desert Corridor, Brightline West, Metrolink ❌ Standalone

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    May 7, 2025

    News What you need to know: A new report details nearly $33 billion raised for climate projects and direct support for Californians funded by cap-and-trade, as Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders seek an extension of the program. SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin…

    May 7, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring May 4-10, 2025 as “Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week.”The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONChildren’s mental health has become an…

    May 6, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Paul Henderson, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the California African American Museum Board of Directors. Henderson has been the Executive Director at the San Francisco…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: WRRC Webinar: Enhancing National Systems for Assessing Loss and Damage

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    This webinar, a precursor to the World Resilient Recovery Conference (WRRC), aims to explore these critical practical and policy challenges in post-disaster loss and damage assessments while highlighting emerging solutions that can ensure that countries are better prepared to assess, quantify, and respond to disaster-induced losses in an increasingly risk-prone world.

    This webinar is jointly organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the Government of India and the Gorvernment of the Philippines.

    Background

    In recent decades, natural hazards—including climate-induced disasters—have become increasingly frequent and severe, causing immense human and economic devastation and significantly hindering sustainable development. In 2023 alone, 399 disasters claimed over 86,000 lives, affected 93.1 million people, and caused economic losses of approximately USD 202.7 billion. 

    These alarming figures underscore the urgent necessity for robust, accurate, and timely loss and damage assessment mechanisms to facilitate effective recovery and secure timely financial support. The varied nature of risks faced by countries also underscores the importance of a whole-of-society, multi-hazard risk approach that bridges disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and accounts for non-economic losses. 

    However, several systemic barriers impede countries’ ability to conduct comprehensive loss and damage assessments. Methodological inconsistencies and lack of international standardization frequently lead to conflicting loss estimates. Data gaps and insufficient baseline information further complicate accurate loss evaluations. Limited technical capacities and fragmented institutional coordination exacerbate delays. Additionally, significant challenges remain in quantifying non-economic losses. 

    At the same time, emerging technologies and innovative policy approaches present promising solutions. Advanced geospatial technologies, including satellite imagery, drones, and AI-based analytics, have rapidly enhanced assessment capabilities. The establishment of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) at COP28 provides a significant opportunity for developing countries. International initiatives such as the Santiago Network or the International Recovery Platform (IRP) are also playing a critical role in strengthening national capacities. 

    Session objectives

    1. Diagnose current bottlenecks: Pinpoint the methodological, institutional and data-related challenges that delay or distort post-disaster loss-and-damage assessments.
    2. Exchange practical lessons: Share concrete experiences from recent disasters—what worked, what did not—and distil transferrable practices.
    3. Showcase emerging solutions that can close critical assessment gaps.
    4. Highlight linkages to regional and global mechanisms of support for countries.
    5. Suggest priority actions that integrate solutions, build technical capacity and institutionalise assessments.

    Speakers

    • Mr. S K Jindal, Additional Secretary, Disaster Management Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, India
    • Ms. Noralene M. Uy, Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning and Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Philippines

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – The urgent need to protect the Balkan lynx – E-001038/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Albania and North Macedonia, as EU candidate countries, and Kosovo*[1], as a potential candidate, are all expected to gradually align with the EU environmental acquis, including EU nature protection legislation such as the Birds[2] and Habitats[3] Directives.

    Both Albania and North Macedonia are also Contracting Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats[4] and must comply with its requirements, particularly the strict protection provisions benefiting the Balkan Lynx, since the species is listed in its Appendix II.

    The Commission closely monitors the efforts of enlargement countries and regularly discusses the proper alignment with the EU nature protection acquis with national authorities.

    The Commission further provides guidance and recommendations to ensure a swift and efficient alignment, among others by means of the annual enlargement reports.

    In the nature protection section of these reports, the Commission repeatedly stresses that it remains essential for the countries to advance quickly with the identification and pre-designation of sites that will be covered by the Natura 2000 network.

    The Commission will continue to monitor and push for sufficient implementation and enforcement capacities at central level in all candidate countries and potential candidates.

    • [1] *This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
    • [2] Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds, OJ L 20, 26.1.2010, p. 7.
    • [3] Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.
    • [4] Bern Convention: https://www.coe.int/en/web/bern-convention
    Last updated: 7 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Reducing regulatory burden for the fisheries sector – E-001034/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission is dedicated to strengthening EU competitiveness and growth while upholding high standards and achieving economic, social, and environmental goals.

    For this, it aims to streamline rules and reduce the administrative burdens for businesses by 25%, and by 35% for small and medium-sized enterprises by the end of this mandate.

    The Commission will continue to systematically evaluate EU legislation, including opportunities to simplify and reduce administrative burden, without undermining its policy objectives.

    Dialogue with stakeholders is key. As indicated in their mission letters and the 2025 Communication on implementation and simplification[1], each Commissioner will host at least two Implementation Dialogues a year.

    Regular exchanges between the Commission and the advisory councils[2] also provide an opportunity to jointly explore ways to simplify EU legislation and reduce administrative burden that stems from it.

    The Nature Restoration Regulation[3] (NRR) does not impose direct obligations on companies or stakeholders. It leaves wide flexibility to national authorities to identify in their national restoration plans[4] the measures needed to achieve the different restoration objectives . The implementation of the NRR is still at an initial stage.

    It would be premature to draw conclusions regarding its impact on stakeholders. The Fisheries Control Regulation was revised only recently, and the focus should now be on its implementation.

    On the basis of the empowerments granted by the co-legislators in the revised Fisheries Control Regulation, the Commission is currently preparing the relevant delegated and implementing acts. Simplification and limiting red tape are guiding principles in this process.

    • [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0047
    • [2] https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/fisheries/scientific-input/advisory-councils_en
    • [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1991/oj/eng
    • [4] The national planning efforts will be supported by a digital tool, currently being development by the European Environment Agency, that will reduce administrative burden for Member States to the strictly necessary, notably by reusing existing information (‘report once’ approach) and allowing for a bottom-up approach, where feasible.
    Last updated: 7 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump’s axe to US national park, forest services triggers anger

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Reactions are strong to the Trump Administration’s proposed 2026 budget cuts released last week, which include deep cuts to the national park and forest services that could drastically reduce staff and close parks nationwide.

    “This is the beginning of the end for America’s legendary national park and forest services,” Julie S., a forest ranger with the national forest service in California, told Xinhua on Tuesday.

    “With so many staff laid off, who is going to maintain the parks, reduce wildfire risk and protect the safety of our wildlife and park visitors?” she asked.

    If approved, the budget would cut more than 1 billion U.S. dollars from the National Park Service — making it the largest funding reduction in the agency’s 109-year history.

    U.S. President Donald Trump also proposed turning some park sites over to state control, which could remove them from the National Park System entirely — a move never before attempted by any U.S. president in history, since states typically don’t have the means on their own to support them.

    “Our national parks and forests are a legacy for the American people and the entire world,” Professor Ed M., a resident of Colorado, told Xinhua on Monday. He took his kids to enjoy a different magnificent park each summer.

    “National parks were first started in 1909 by a great American president, wilderness enthusiast, Teddy Roosevelt, then nationalized in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson as an antidote to the horrors of WWI.”

    “Now, Trump will go down in history as the clueless loser who destroyed them,” he lamented. “One man shouldn’t have the power to ruin it for all the rest of us.”

    American national parks, with their iconic, unspoiled natural beauty and unique ecosystems, are widely considered the scenic benchmarks for nature parks all over the world.

    “What’s next,” worried Siri S., a visitor from Scandinavia. “Is Trump going to turn the Grand Canyon into a landfill dump?”

    Trump’s proposal came at a time when national parks are more popular than ever. In 2024, over 331 million people visited national parks across the country.

    If these budget cuts go through, the result would be fewer rangers, shuttered visitor centers, canceled programs, and a serious decline in park maintenance.

    The National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service both have already lost thousands of employees. More than 2,400 National Park Service staff — over 10 percent of the workforce — are gone, many due to forced resignations or early retirements.

    The U.S. Forest Service was hit even harder, losing about 3,400 employees, including rangers, trail crews, and wilderness responders.

    The impact of these layoffs is already being felt. Parks have to reduce their hours, closed visitor centers, and canceled tours. At some sites, trails have been shut down indefinitely. Long lines of cars waited to enter the Grand Canyon over Presidents’ Day weekend because there weren’t enough workers to staff the gates.

    Theresa Pierno, head of the National Parks Conservation Association, called this budget cut “the most extreme and destructive” in the National Park Service’s history.

    She said it threatens the very idea of national parks — places that are meant to be protected forever for everyone to enjoy.

    According to Pierno, giving park sites to states isn’t just risky — it’s a betrayal of the public’s trust. States often don’t have the funding or resources to manage these lands properly, and if they can’t afford it, sites may close or even be privatized.

    Many of the 430+ places managed by the National Park Service aren’t traditional “national parks” but include monuments, lake shores, battlefields, and seasides — like the Canaveral National Seashore in Florida and the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan. These places are important for both natural beauty and cultural history, and handing them off to states could mean the end of their protection.

    In Washington state, wilderness ranger Kate White used to carry hundreds of pounds of trash out of the mountains each summer and helped rescue hikers in danger. Now her job could go, and she feared for the safety of visitors and the health of the fragile ecosystems she once helped protect.

    She said on her Instagram page that it hurts to read the words “the Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest.”

    A report from PBS shared White and other U.S. Forest Service rangers’ struggling situation. Many of them still in their probationary period received notice on Feb. 13 that they were fired by the Trump administration, but on May 5 those workers got word they had been temporarily reinstated for 45 days by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board.

    There’s no information yet to indicate whether the positions might be eliminated again after the 45-day period, and these workers worried about what impact a potential mid-season disruption might have on recreation and public safety.

    In Yosemite, biologist Andria Townsend lost her job tracking endangered species like the Sierra Nevada red fox and the Pacific fisher — animals already on the brink of extinction. Without monitoring and protection, their future is bleak.

    “I am devastated for myself, but also for the team of amazing biologists I supervised, the incredible programs we worked so hard on, and the resources that will suffer across the country because of this,” she wrote on her facebook page. “I want to add the administration is claiming they only fired ‘poor performers.’ That is a lie.”

    She noted that since her position and projects were all paid by grant funds from local nonprofits, “not a single dime of taxpayer money is being saved by firing me.”

    Another growing concern is fire safety. While wildland firefighters haven’t been laid off, many of the people who help evacuate visitors and check backcountry areas for danger have been. Without them, fire prevention efforts could be seriously hampered, especially during the dry season when wildfires are most common.

    “Trump is always complaining about stopping wildfires. Then he needs to put his money where his mouth is and fund the forest service that helps protect our national parks and forests and keep park visitors safe,” forest ranger Julie S. told Xinhua.

    She’s also frustrated that the cuts will mean fewer positions are available for forest and park employees to be promoted over time as part of a normal career trajectory.

    “With no opportunities for promotion, that’s like asking park or forest rangers to sacrifice their futures,” she said.

    Local economies around parks could also take a hit. Tourism brings billions of dollars to towns near national parks, and fewer visitors could mean major losses for small businesses that rely on that traffic.

    All of this adds up to a future where parks are less accessible, less protected, and less safe. Advocates are urging Congress to reject the proposed cuts and protect the parks Americans love.

    These lands belong to everyone — and unless action is taken soon, some of the most beautiful and historic places in the country could be changed or lost forever, they argued. “It takes over a hundred years to grow a tree. Once it’s gone, its gone.”

    “The Chinese have a wise saying,” historian Sam Norton told Xinhua on Tuesday. “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The next best time is today.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Parliament Hansard Report – Wildlife (Authorisations) Amendment Bill — In Committee—Part 2 – 001468

    Source: Govt’s austerity Budget to cause real harm in communities

    Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour): Thank you, Madam Chair. I do want to just begin by emphasising the need, as Rachel Brooking has pointed out, for a review period. Because what we see in Schedule 1AA refers to, potentially, a large number of projects, perhaps some that are active authorisations, some that are under way, and it is important, given the retrospectivity of this, that there is a review period.

    The second point that I want to make, and a question for the Minister, is about the number of those projects. Now, we’ve seen, as I’ve mentioned previously in this debate, that there is no regulatory impact statement; there is no proactively released Cabinet paper. So we don’t have a huge amount of detail that, previously or in other situations, were this not being passed through all stages under urgency, we would have had access to. I have seen some media reporting that basically says that in the past 12 months, the Department of Conservation (DOC) has granted 85 similar permits to project applicants, and that, in total, 315 applications are under way where a section 53 permit or authority could be granted. So my question would be whether the Minister can confirm those figures, and also whether new Schedule 1AA in Part 2 would then apply to all of those—the 85 plus the 315 that are in train as well.

    The third point that I want to make is in lieu of a select committee process, all we have—previously we would have submitters, many of whom have done a fair bit of work in this space in terms of reviewing the Wildlife Act and making suggestions on what should be changed within the Act. We would have ordinarily heard from them through a select committee process; we, of course, haven’t, given that we are sitting in urgency, and so all we have to go on are some of the press releases that have been put out on this particular piece of legislation. And I do want to check: there is one from the Environmental Law Initiative—of course, the lawyers who judicially reviewed the decision have said that, basically, it increases the burden on those who are, I guess, pushing those projects through—the 85 and the 315, if, in fact those numbers are correct. And I would be keen for the Minister’s view, given what’s in Schedule 1AA, on whether he agrees that it actually does increase the administrative burden both for DOC but also in terms of the legal tests that now those projects have to be put against.

    There was also another comment, and I can’t find it in front of me at the moment, around the fact that, potentially, what DOC should have done—and, again, it’s just been two months since the High Court ruling; that is a point that has been made before: there hasn’t been a huge amount of time. Had this been either delayed a little bit or had there been a slightly lengthier process, or some select committee process, there potentially could have been time for DOC to then go through the cases, on a case by case basis. We are here because the High Court ruling ruled that in that particular case, the Mt Messenger Bypass case, the authority that was given under section 53 didn’t actually meet the purpose of the Wildlife Act as it was written back in 1953, and, therefore, just this carte blanche approach to now changing the law to change, ostensibly, the purpose of this Act so that the permits that were given retrospectively will now be legal does not necessarily mean that those who are shepherding those projects through have taken reasonable steps to protect biodiversity.

    So there is an argument put forward that what DOC should be doing is to look at those 85 cases where there is legal uncertainty and try and work out whether reasonable steps have been taken to protect biodiversity in each of those cases. And I would really like to know what the Minister’s view on that is, but, also, what advice he received on that point: is that something that DOC could actually have done? Was there consideration around the time period that it would have taken for DOC to be able to go through all of those cases on a case by case basis?

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Parliament Hansard Report – Tuesday, 6 May 2025 (continued on Thursday, 8 May 2025) – Volume 783 – 001469

    Source: Govt’s austerity Budget to cause real harm in communities

    Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour): Thank you, Madam Chair. I do want to just begin by emphasising the need, as Rachel Brooking has pointed out, for a review period. Because what we see in Schedule 1AA refers to, potentially, a large number of projects, perhaps some that are active authorisations, some that are under way, and it is important, given the retrospectivity of this, that there is a review period.

    The second point that I want to make, and a question for the Minister, is about the number of those projects. Now, we’ve seen, as I’ve mentioned previously in this debate, that there is no regulatory impact statement; there is no proactively released Cabinet paper. So we don’t have a huge amount of detail that, previously or in other situations, were this not being passed through all stages under urgency, we would have had access to. I have seen some media reporting that basically says that in the past 12 months, the Department of Conservation (DOC) has granted 85 similar permits to project applicants, and that, in total, 315 applications are under way where a section 53 permit or authority could be granted. So my question would be whether the Minister can confirm those figures, and also whether new Schedule 1AA in Part 2 would then apply to all of those—the 85 plus the 315 that are in train as well.

    The third point that I want to make is in lieu of a select committee process, all we have—previously we would have submitters, many of whom have done a fair bit of work in this space in terms of reviewing the Wildlife Act and making suggestions on what should be changed within the Act. We would have ordinarily heard from them through a select committee process; we, of course, haven’t, given that we are sitting in urgency, and so all we have to go on are some of the press releases that have been put out on this particular piece of legislation. And I do want to check: there is one from the Environmental Law Initiative—of course, the lawyers who judicially reviewed the decision have said that, basically, it increases the burden on those who are, I guess, pushing those projects through—the 85 and the 315, if, in fact those numbers are correct. And I would be keen for the Minister’s view, given what’s in Schedule 1AA, on whether he agrees that it actually does increase the administrative burden both for DOC but also in terms of the legal tests that now those projects have to be put against.

    There was also another comment, and I can’t find it in front of me at the moment, around the fact that, potentially, what DOC should have done—and, again, it’s just been two months since the High Court ruling; that is a point that has been made before: there hasn’t been a huge amount of time. Had this been either delayed a little bit or had there been a slightly lengthier process, or some select committee process, there potentially could have been time for DOC to then go through the cases, on a case by case basis. We are here because the High Court ruling ruled that in that particular case, the Mt Messenger Bypass case, the authority that was given under section 53 didn’t actually meet the purpose of the Wildlife Act as it was written back in 1953, and, therefore, just this carte blanche approach to now changing the law to change, ostensibly, the purpose of this Act so that the permits that were given retrospectively will now be legal does not necessarily mean that those who are shepherding those projects through have taken reasonable steps to protect biodiversity.

    So there is an argument put forward that what DOC should be doing is to look at those 85 cases where there is legal uncertainty and try and work out whether reasonable steps have been taken to protect biodiversity in each of those cases. And I would really like to know what the Minister’s view on that is, but, also, what advice he received on that point: is that something that DOC could actually have done? Was there consideration around the time period that it would have taken for DOC to be able to go through all of those cases on a case by case basis?

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: Since 2019, more than 1,170 memorial sites dedicated to the Great Patriotic War have been improved in Russia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Square in Voldarsk, Nizhny Novgorod region.

    Improvement of places with memorials of the Great Patriotic War helps to preserve the memory of the heroism of those people who defended our country and sacrificed their lives for peace and freedom. This work is carried out in Russia annually, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin reported.

    “Victory Day is one of the most significant holidays in the history of our country. This day is dedicated to the feat of Soviet soldiers who fought with honor against the Nazi invaders. The Great Patriotic War left a deep mark on history, and we must honor the memory of the fallen so that their sacrifices are not forgotten. Improvement of memorial sites is one of the ways to express respect and gratitude to the heroes. The renovation of spaces where monuments, war memorials, Alleys of Memory, Eternal Flame, and mass graves are located is carried out annually as part of the federal project “Formation of a Comfortable Urban Environment”, which this year became part of the national project “Infrastructure for Life”. Since 2019, more than 1,170 such sites have been improved,” Marat Khusnullin noted.

    Work on reconstruction and visual transformation of memorial territories makes a significant contribution to the preservation of the history and cultural heritage of the country. Among the main improvement works are the implementation of territory planning, landscaping, installation of additional lighting, arrangement of pedestrian zones and places for the placement of military equipment from the Great Patriotic War.

    “This year, Russia celebrates the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. On the occasion of these most important events in the history of the country, festive events are planned in the regions, including the improvement of 97 memorial spaces, emphasizing the significance of the feat of people who united to preserve their Fatherland. The largest number of sites are planned to be improved in the Sverdlovsk Region – 11, Omsk Region – 9, the Republic of Buryatia – 9 and Bryansk Region – 7. This year, among other things, it is planned to improve memorial sites in cities and towns that, being in the rear, forged and brought Victory closer during the Great Patriotic War. Among them are a walking route from the central city square to Victory Park – the Glory Memorial in the city of Verkhnyaya Tura in the Sverdlovsk region, Victory Park in the village of Kamensk in the Republic of Buryatia, Victory Park and public spaces along Plyasova Street in the city of Mogocha in the Zabaikalsky Krai,” said Minister of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities Irek Faizullin.

    For example, in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, 28 memorial public spaces were improved from 2019 to 2024 as part of the federal project “Formation of a Comfortable Urban Environment”. Among them are memorial squares and memorials with heroic symbols of the Red Army. Work was completed on the improvement of the Unknown Soldier Square in the city of Gorodets. Every year on May 9, residents of the town come to the square to lay flowers at the monument and remember their relatives who defended the Motherland.

    In the Smolensk region, 11 historical sites have been improved. Among them is a monument with a BM-13 rocket launcher (Katyusha), which was erected in honor of the world’s first rocket artillery. The monument is a cultural heritage site of federal significance, and is considered a landmark and calling card of the city of Rudny in the Smolensk region.

    In the city of Kotelnikovo in the Volgograd region, the monument to the Great Patriotic War “Mass grave of Soviet tank soldiers who died during the Battle of Stalingrad” has been improved. Rotmistrov Street is one of the main streets of the city and connects the railway and bus station with the central part of the city. The monument located on it is compositionally united with the central park of culture and recreation, improved in 2018, the entrance to which is located nearby.

    It is also worth noting that the All-Russian competition for the best design of shop windows and entrance groups of non-residential, social, cultural and other facilities “Victory Spring” is dedicated to the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The Ministry of Construction is holding it together with the Association for the Development of Territories with the support of the Presidential Administration and the All-Russian Association for the Development of Local Self-Government. The regional stage of the competition will be held until May 12, 2025, and the federal stage will take place from May 15 to June 11.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Wildlife law change a deep betrayal of public trust

    Source: It’s time to fix the secondary teacher shortage

    The Green Party is appalled by the Government’s use of urgency to rewrite the Wildlife Act–without consultation, without an impact statement, and in direct response to a court ruling in favour of protecting wildlife.

    “The Government is rushing legislation through Parliament to make it easier to kill kiwi and other precious wildlife,” says Green Party co-leader and Conservation spokesperson, Marama Davidson.

    “Our native taonga should be treasured. They connect us to our whenua and whakapapa, and form a critical component of our national identity. 

    “This law change comes directly off the back of a court ruling that found it was unlawful for the Department of Conservation (DOC) to permit developers to kill protected species.

    “Rather than respecting that ruling, and learning from it, the Government is rewriting the Act to make that killing legal. It’s cynical, calculated, and utterly, utterly devastating.

    “For the Minister of Conservation to say only days ago that nature is ‘part of our national identity, economy and way of life,’ then allow this legislation to bulldoze through the House is a disgrace. 

    “You can’t claim to value our biodiversity while forcing through law changes to make it easier to destroy it. This isn’t about protecting biodiversity—it’s about protecting profit and feeding corporate greed.

    “When nature is only valued for its economic benefit, the outcome is inevitable: destruction. This Government has made it clear that when forced to choose between the interests of industry or the interests of the law, the public, and the environment, it will always choose the bulldozer.

    “Our Green Budget will outline our bold vision for an Aotearoa that works with nature, not against it,” says Marama Davidson.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Action gets underway at Waitarakao

    Source: PISA results continue to show more to be done for equity in education

    Date:

    Waitarakao community beach clean-ups

    Volunteers recently completed the project’s fourth beach clean-up.

    Twenty volunteers took part in the beach clean-up.

    • Six tyres and a road cone were removed.
    • Fifteen bags of rubbish were collected.

    The effort helped prevent pollution from entering the ocean or lagoon and harming wildlife.

    Izzy Macfarlane (Craighead) and Jack Bennett, Luke Campbell (Roncalli), Timaru, are working toward their Duke of Edinburgh Awards

    Rural restoration work

    Further inland, farmers in the catchment are working closely with our biodiversity advisors on restoration work on their land.

    • streams are being fenced off and planted, aiming over time to improve water quality and habitat for native species like mudfish
    • water quality is being improved
    • and mudfish habitats are being nurtured back to health.

    This work is being done with both the environment and future generations in mind.

    A recent field day organised by local landowners and Living Landscapes, and supported by Our Waitarakao was a great day out and a fantastic opportunity for the 50 or so participants to share ideas and build relationships.

    We thank Living Landscapes and landowners for inviting us along to share in such a positive event.

    Biodiversity advisors Jenna Games-Hughes, Abi Hill, and farmer Jeremy Gaskin improving mudfish habitat in Papaka Stream

    Community pest trapping

    At the same time, community predator trapping initiatives are gaining momentum.

    We’ve had a great response from businesses and residents in a target area around the lagoon who have volunteered to host traps and monitoring equipment, which will be distributed in the next few weeks.

    This is to support the trapping work we’re doing in the lagoon, and to help prevent reinfestation of that wildlife refuge.

    Chris Fauth signing up community pest trapping partners at a drop-in event with Tim Exton from Department of Conservation

    Our Waitarakao strategy –  actions and projects

    There’s lots more happening, including Timaru schools incorporating the lagoon and Our Waitarakao into their learning, and we’re progressing a crucial investigation that will support a blueprint for the future lagoon, as per the first objective of the strategy.

    Our staff and project partners are working alongside the community, supporting practical action with a shared vision for a healthier, more resilient catchment.

    What’s happening in Waitarakao is more than just environmental work—it’s a partnership between people and place.

    Learn more about the

    Our Waitarakao –  actions and projects underway and how you can get involved.

    Environment Canterbury © 2025
    Retrieved: 10:52am, Thu 08 May 2025
    ecan.govt.nz/get-involved/news-and-events/2025/action-gets-underway-at-waitarakao/

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Community conservation brings native birds back to South Rakaia

    Source: PISA results continue to show more to be done for equity in education

    Ken said the older he got the more he noticed environmental decline, particularly the loss of biodiversity and it was a nice feeling to help regenerate the area and help restore birdlife. 

    Since retiring, he has become passionate about conservation and raising awareness about the indigenous biodiversity in the area.

    “It’s not until you get involved in conservation that you find there’s so many people doing similar work. You might think you’re not doing much but together we’re actually doing quite a lot.”

    The rest of the South Rakaia Hut holders, about 70 people based between Ashburton and Christchurch, have been providing funding to Ken to support his efforts.

    A stoat that was caught in one of Ken’s traps at South Rakaia. Photo credit Ken Body.

    Community gets behind conservation

    The local community have also been getting behind the project by planting and maintaining hundreds of natives along the reserve and within the settlement.

    As a result of the planting and trappings, more native birds have been spotted in the area which was surrounded by streams, wetlands, regenerated forests, and the ocean.

    Ken said there were now about a dozen breeding pairs of korimako (bellbirds) who were there all year round and in the last 18 months, there had been two kererū (wood pigeon) as well as tui, bittern and a white heron who visited every so often.

    “We’re seeing a lot more birdlife, and everyone is noticing it,” Ken said.

    One of Ken’s biggest motivations was protecting the dotterels that nested on the beach. He hoped his trappings would ensure a successful breeding season, which was due to start in July.

    “They nest right on the stones, so they are really a free feed for the weasels.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere open to the sea

    Source: PISA results continue to show more to be done for equity in education

    Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere is open to the sea following a successful attempt to open the lake on Monday, 5 May.

    Attempts to open the lake on Saturday, 3 May and again on Sunday, 4 May were unsuccessful due to persistent large sea swell.

    Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere is the largest lake in Waitaha/Canterbury and has no natural outlet to the sea. The lake is normally opened two to three times a year and closes naturally.

    Openings are jointly managed by Ngāi Tahu and us and governed by the National Water Conservation Order and a suite of resource consents.

    Conditions suitable for keeping the lake open

    The cut made on Monday, 5 May remains open and is flowing well, although changing conditions could impact this.

    “The sea is much calmer than it has been over the last week, which means the cut has developed well and scoured out from an initial width of 15 metres to 100 metres now”, says Leigh Griffiths, general manager hazards.

    “While we can say the lake is open once we’ve made a connection to the sea, the cut can take a few days to scour out and fully develop. We consider the lake opening successful once the cut survives at least two high tides.”

    The connection will be monitored over the next few days, and staff and machinery will remain onsite in case conditions change.

    “Many things need to line up for an opening to be successful, including conditions set in the

    National Water Conservation Order and the ability to safely mobilise people and machinery,” says Leigh.

    How much does each opening cost?

    The cost of each opening ranges from $20,000 to $200,000 depending on the amount of work. The operation is funded through targeted, works and services, and general rates. Central Plains Water Trust also contributes to the operation.

    For more information, visit:

    Opening Te Waihora/ Lake Ellesmere

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: First Fast-track expert panels established

    Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

    Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones have welcomed the formation of the first two Fast-track expert panels.

    “At this year’s Infrastructure Investment Summit we announced that the first project applications had been accepted by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA),” Mr Bishop says.

    “Judge Borthwick, the Panel Convener, and Helen Atkins, Associate Panel Convener, have now appointed expert panels to assess the Maitahi Village project and Delmore project applications respectively. These panels will commence their work on Monday 12th of May.

    “Maitahi Village is a retirement village development in Nelson of around 180 residential dwellings (50 being Iwi-led housing), a commercial centre, and a retirement village with approximately 194 townhouses and 36 in-care facility units, and Delmore is an Auckland project of approximately 1,250 residential units, including features such as parks.

    “Each expert panel will assess the project, decide whether to consent it, and apply any relevant conditions. Final decisions are expected for these applications by the 12th of September.

    “The expert panels include members with technical expertise relevant to the project and expertise in environmental matters.   

    “This Government is serious about growing our economy, and doing its part to make infrastructure and housing quicker, easier, and cheaper to build in New Zealand. I am pleased to see the formation of these panels and look forward to watching the process move forward.”

    Notes to editor: 

    More details on the applications can be found here: www.fasttrack.govt.nz

    Maitahi Village (Nelson):

    Development of approximately 180 residential dwellings (50 to be Ngāti Koata iwi-led housing), a commercial centre, and a retirement village (approximately 194 townhouses, 36 in-care facility units, a clubhouse, and a pavilion).

    Maitahi Village Expert Panel: 

    Honourable Lyn Stevens KC (chair) 

    Andrew Whaley

    Glenice Paine

    Sam Flewellen

    Delmore (Auckland): 

    Subdivision and development of approximately 1,250 residential dwellings and associated features such as parks, including delivery of the State Highway 1 Grand Drive interchange and Wainui area connection.

    Delmore Expert Panel:

    Helen Atkins (Chair) 

    Lisa Mein

    Nigel Mark-Brown

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Statement on Rep. Amodei’s Flawed Proposal That Would Make Nevada Lose Out on Millions of Dollars in Public Land Sales to Pay for More Tax Cuts for Billionaires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement after Congressman Mark Amodei (R-NV-02) and House Republicans snuck in a hastily-drafted proposal to sell off Nevada public lands to pay for more tax cuts for billionaires. 
    “I am outraged that Congressman Amodei sold out Nevadans in the dead of night by passing a flawed, hastily-drafted proposal that undermines the careful balance struck in the Washoe County Lands Bill and would result in our state losing out on much-needed funding. For years, I’ve worked in good faith with a wide array of stakeholders to craft a balanced bill that makes more land available for housing and economic development in Washoe County, while at the same time conserving precious public lands and advancing Tribal priorities,” said Senator Rosen. “While I will always support taking steps to address Nevada’s housing crisis, I will not support a Washington-drafted proposal that will lead to Nevada losing out on millions of dollars in funding for our local priorities like education and restoration around the Truckee River, all so Republicans in Washington can pay for more tax cuts for billionaires.”
    Without consulting Senator Rosen or the rest of the Nevada delegation, Congressman Amodei proposed and passed a flawed amendment in the House Natural Resources Committee that would sell off nearly 16,000 acres of public lands in Washoe County and hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands in Pershing County to pay for Congressional Republicans’ budget reconciliation proposal. This proposal abandons key provisions in the Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act, also known as the Washoe County Lands Bill, and directs funds from public land sales in Nevada to the U.S. Treasury, instead of keeping the funding in Nevada. It also ignores the balance struck in Senator Rosen’s Pershing County Economic Development and Conservation Act.
    Senator Rosen’s Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act would: 
    Permanently protect a million acres of public lands, which Congressman Amodei cut in his proposal.
    Promote sustainable growth and economic development by directing over 15,200 acres of public lands to be made eligible for sale, all of which must be assessed for its suitability for new affordable housing. An additional 33 acres are set aside to only be sold for affordable housing. Any land sold for affordable housing would have to be sold at less than fair market value.
    Support local Tribal communities by expanding land held in trust by more than 8,400 acres for the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, 11,300 acres for the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, and over 1,000 acres for the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, none of which is in the Amodei proposal.
    Provide local governments over 3,700 acres for public purposes such as parks, water treatment facilities, and schools, all of which is excluded from the Amodei proposal. Land is specifically conveyed to Washoe County, the City of Reno, the City of Sparks, the Incline Village General Improvement District, the Gerlach General Improvement District, the State of Nevada, the Truckee River Flood Management Authority, the Washoe County School District, and the University of Nevada, Reno.
    Keep proceeds from land sales in Nevada for priorities like education and restoration around the Truckee River, unlike the Amodei proposal that sends money from land sales to the federal government in Washington, D.C.
    For years, Senator Rosen has worked closely with a wide range of stakeholders across Washoe County to develop this comprehensive legislation. In 2023, she unveiled a working draft of the bill and collected feedback from hundreds of Nevadans during a public comment period, which she then incorporated into this legislation, which was previously introduced last year with the support of local government officials, conservation advocates, and business leaders.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: 5 big wins from DOC’s National Predator Control Programme |

    Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

    Learn how bats, Fiordland tokoeka kiwi, and kākā are all benefiting from our landscape-scale predator control programme using 1080 to protect public conservation land.

    Fiordland tokoeka kiwi chick. Image: Belle Gwilliam

    Our National Predator Control Programme

    DOC’s National Predator Control Programme protects native wildlife and forests at important conservation sites across New Zealand.

    Currently, we control predators on a sustained, rotational basis over about 1.8 million hectares, which is nearly 20% of public conservation land.

    It’s critical that rats, stoats, and possums are regularly controlled so that populations of threatened native species can survive and grow.

    We use the most effective tools available, such as 1080 toxin and large-scale trapping, to protect vulnerable native species and forests. 

    While the tools and strategies are being developed to achieve Predator Free 2050, our National Predator Control Programme is holding the line for threatened native species by regularly controlling introduced predators across large forest areas. 

    We recently published our 2024 National Predator Control Programme report which shows we had some big wins for our native species last year.

    You can read the full report here: National Predator Control Programme Annual Report 2024

    Here’s our top five highlights of 2024 – from bustling bat roosts to turning the tide for one of our rarest kiwi species:

    1️⃣ We’ve turned the tide for Fiordland tokoeka kiwi

    Before predator control, every single kiwi chick we monitored in Shy Lake died, meaning the species was facing extinction. 

    After predator control and eight years of research, last year’s kiwi chick survival rate climbed to 60%. 

    Ranger Chris Dodd with ‘Spanners’, one of the first monitored tokoeka chicks to survive during the programme, now fully grown. Image: Monty Williams.

    2️⃣ Thanks to our science advice, we’ve improved timing for operations and achieved our best results yet

    Our scientists carefully reviewed the results of how we time our operations around beech masts. With their advice, we changed tactics and targeted rats either before beech seed was produced or after it had germinated. 

    It paid off big time – all our operations suppressed rats effectively, in most cases down to undetectable levels. 

    Predator plague cycle. Image: DOC

    3️⃣ Pīwauwau rock wren thriving with predator control

    There are an average of twice as many rock wrens at predator control sites compared to sites with no control.

    Every year our team surveys alpine rock wren populations. Research across our 25 sites shows that aerial operations help rock wren populations recover and grow. 

    Tuke/pīwauwau/rock wren calling in the alpine tops of Fiordland. Photo: Sabine Bernert ©

    4️⃣ We found a record-breaking pekapeka bat roost while monitoring the results of predator control

    We discovered 275 bats in one tree roost in Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation park where we undertake regular predator control operations. That’s a lot of bats! 

    Pekapeka/short-tailed bat. Image: Maddy Brennan

    5️⃣ Thanks to predator control, kākā in Waipapa have the most balanced sex ratio ever recorded

    Female kākā are more vulnerable to predation, especially when they’re confined to nest cavities during breeding season. Studying the ratio of kākā males to females can help us understand the health of a population and its predation pressures. 

    This year, kākā monitoring in Pureora Forest (an ongoing predator control site) revealed a 1:1 sex ratio – the most balanced we’ve ever recorded.  

    Kākā eating rātā flower. Photo: Sarah Stirrup

    ” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/blog.doc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/kaka.png?fit=300%2C191&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/blog.doc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/kaka.png?fit=580%2C368&ssl=1″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/blog.doc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/kaka.png?resize=580%2C368&ssl=1″ alt=”” class=”wp-image-56358″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/blog.doc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/kaka.png?w=800&ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.doc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/kaka.png?resize=300%2C191&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.doc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/kaka.png?resize=768%2C488&ssl=1 768w” sizes=”auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px”/>

    Kākā eating some delcious rātā flower. Image: Sarah Stirrup

    Learn more about DOC’s National Predator Control Programme and read the full report here: National Predator Control Programme

    Share this:

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace calls on Woodside shareholders to reject gas expansion plans at AGM

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    PERTH, Thursday 8 May 2025 – Greenpeace Australia Pacific is challenging Woodside on its troubling track record of harming WA’s oceans at its AGM, and urged shareholders to reject Woodside’s plans to drill for gas near Scott Reef. 

    Environment groups and concerned community members will stage a protest outside Woodside’s AGM at the Crown Towers in Perth, and Greenpeace will also directly challenge Woodside’s leadership and its gas expansion plans during the AGM proceedings. 

    Due to participate in Woodside’s AGM as a proxy shareholder, David Ritter, CEO at Greenpeace Australia Pacific said: “For the fourth year, Greenpeace has returned to Woodside’s AGM to expose its shameful environmental track record of harm to marine life, oil and chemical spills, and more. Woodside’s plans pose an unacceptable risk–this is a company that simply can’t be trusted with our oceans. 

    “Woodside’s planned Browse gas field would entail drilling up to 50 wells as close as 2 kilometres from Scott Reef, home to nesting sea turtles, endangered pygmy blue whales and dusky sea snakes. Its new carbon dumping plans involve repeated seismic blasting over the next 39 years, which can deafen whales, near Scott Reef. 

    “Woodside wants to turn Scott Reef into an industrial gas zone. We urge Woodside shareholders not to allow our precious oceans, whales, and turtles to face potentially irreversible harm, and call on Woodside to reconsider its plans. 

    “From leaving its trash in the ocean until Greenpeace pushed it to clean it up to delivering a climate plan that faced unprecedented rejection by shareholders last year, Woodside’s environmental and climate governance under its current leadership is not up to scratch with what shareholders or regulators expect. 

    “To protect the environment, Greenpeace is urging shareholders to vote down the re-election of board director Ann Pickard, who chairs Woodside’s sustainability committee. Between the multiple environmental failures on her watch and her history of leading Shell’s now-abandoned push to destroy the Arctic for oil, she does not inspire any confidence on sustainability. 

    “We are also calling on the newly re-elected Albanese government to listen to the millions of Australians who rejected the Coalition’s gas fast-track plans, and voted for nature protection and a safe climate future powered by renewables. Sentiment for climate action was also clear in WA, with a surge in support for Independent candidates championing the shift away from climate-wrecking gas expansion. 

    “In its second term, the Albanese government has an opportunity to stand up for oceans, marine life and clean energy. It must heed the evidence and reject Woodside’s proposals to extend its North West Shelf gas processing facility, and develop the Browse gas field. Doing so would protect Scott Reef from damage from industrial activity and prevent billions of tonnes of climate-wrecking emissions. 

    “We are halfway through the critical decade for action on climate change, and in the middle of a climate and biodiversity crisis. Corporations, shareholders, and governments alike must put an end to polluting fossil fuel projects, and accelerate the transition to clean, affordable renewable energy.” 

    —ENDS—

    For more information or to arrange an interview please contact Vai Shah on 0452 290 082 or [email protected].

    Photos from the protest and file photos for editorial use will be available here after the protest: Google Drive folder

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Sen. Markey, Rep. Summer Lee, Lawyers for Good Government Host Roundtable Discussion on EPA’s Termination of Environmental Justice Grants

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Washington (May 7, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Representative Summer Lee (PA-12), and Lawyers for Good Government on Monday hosted a virtual roundtable discussion on the Trump administration’s damaging cuts to environmental justice funding and staff. Roundtable speakers included environmental justice advocates, Massachusetts recipients of environmental justice grants, as well as strategists and legal advocates, who all shared how the Trump administration’s attacks have directly affected frontline and fenceline communities crushed by generations of underinvestment and disproportionate exposure to pollution. This roundtable comes on the heels of news the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will cancel nearly 800 grants, including all of the agency’s environmental justice grants administered under the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, to skirt a recent preliminary injunction that ordered the agency to unfreeze environmental justice funds.
    “The Trump administration revoking federal dollars from community-based groups working hard to clean up the air, water, and land where they live, work, and play is yet another injustice in a long line of unjust policies that deemed certain neighborhoods undeserving of equal environmental protection,” said Senator Markey. “I am inspired by the environmental justice grant recipients who, rather than despair and give in to defeat, joined us and courageously shared their stories of the harm, chaos, and uncertainty that the Trump administration has inflicted by undercutting environmental justice at every turn and every level. Their testimony shone a spotlight on Trump’s shameful abandonment of overburdened communities, and reminds us that strengthening our solidarity, growing coalitions, sharing our stories, and charting paths forward together are powerful antidotes.”
    “What we’re witnessing with the Trump administration’s reckless and targeted cuts to environmental justice funding is nothing short of cruel and deliberate. These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet — these are real people, real families, and real communities being told they don’t matter. In places like Western Pennsylvania, we’ve already seen the human cost: frontline organizations shut down, clean air initiatives stalled, job training frozen, and our most vulnerable neighbors left without the tools they need to protect their health and their futures. These cuts are an attack on our kids, our workers, our elders, and on basic human dignity, and we will continue working to stop them,” said Representative Summer Lee.
    “Thank you to Senator Markey, Representative Lee, and the many environmental advocates and grantees for their leadership and courage in fighting back against these unlawful attacks on climate and environmental justice funding,” said Jillian Blanchard, Vice President of the Climate Change and Environmental Justice Program at Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG). “At L4GG, we’re proud to be helping grantees assert their legal rights, navigate this confusing landscape, and push back against these attacks through our Fund Protection Clinic. We know the law is on our side, and we have already won significant victories in the courts to block these unjust terminations. We will continue to fight for impacted communities until these critical funds are fully restored and every grantee is able to do the work Congress intended—building a cleaner, healthier, and more equitable future, for all.”
    “I deeply appreciate Senator Ed Markey and team continuing to fight for these federal dollars that we earned as city. My administration has worked very hard to knock down the Asthma rates here in Springfield, but there is much more work to be done to keep all our residents safe, whether young or old, to properly deal with an Asthma affliction. This funding would help prevent future generations from getting it too. I am so proud of my city team, along with our partners, for their work to apply for and receive this significant EPA grant award. This multifaceted funding was to bring tangible health benefits to our community, including improved indoor and outdoor air quality and reduced emissions. We will continue to fight for these vitally important air quality and asthma reduction programs. We will also work closely with MA Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell as she leads the charge to challenge this funding termination through legal channels,” said Springfield, Massachusetts Mayor Domenic J. Sarno,
    “At the time of this unconstitutional and unlawful termination, the Environmental Justice for New England program was poised to invest in sustainable, community-driven environmental justice projects, countering historical disinvestment in rural, urban and Tribal communities across the region. We received almost 400 applications for our first round of funding, proposing activities that address critical environmental harms and which would create jobs, boost energy independence, and reduce pollution exposure. We are outraged,” said Ben Wood, Senior Director of Policy and Practice at Health Resources in Action.
    “As Boston summers continue to break historic heat records, extreme heat has become, and will continue to be, a significant threat to the health, safety, and livelihoods of people across our region. Through our Heat and Health project the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) was proud to be working with residents, community partners, and local government to develop shared solutions to the rising dangers of extreme heat in our communities. It’s not dramatic to say that losing this funding source will negatively impact the health and well-being of our local residents–this summer and for many summers after. Despite this loss of funding–MyRWA is committed to delivering community-driven, science-based solutions to ensure that everyone and everything who calls our watershed home can enjoy clean water, air, and land,” said Mariangeli Echevarria-Ramos, Climate and Social Resilience Manager at the Mystic River Watershed Association.
    “Thank you to Senator Markey and all the co-hosts of the roundtable for creating space for this urgent conversation on the heels of alarming news that the EPA plans to cancel almost 800 environmental justice grants. These aren’t just numbers. These are real losses—for residents breathing polluted air, for communities threatened by flooding, and for young people trying to imagine a future in clean energy. Without access to these funds, we cannot support grassroots organizations, assist residents in navigating regulatory processes, or expand job training programs in the green economy. These disruptions threaten progress in areas already disproportionately affected by climate change, and hinder our ability to complete the work our communities deserve,” said Sarah Baldwin, Senior Director of Operations at the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, member of the Equitable & Just National Climate Platform.
    The Trump administration began halting environmental justice funding in January. Since then, funding recipients have been blindsided by termination notices or cut off from accessing their funds without notice—and, in some cases, grantees are expected to continue projects without assurance that they will be reimbursed for out-of-pocket costs. Adding to the chaos and uncertainty, Trump administration furloughs and layoffs of Environmental Protection Agency staff have also created additional barriers for environmental justice grant recipients when their point of contact is not able to respond with answers on the status of their funding.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New Alberta voice in Washington

    For two decades, Alberta has had strong representation in the United States, advocating for Albertans and building integral relationships with key U.S. legislators, decision makers and investors.

    Through these relationships, Alberta and the U.S. have built a $187.2 billion bilateral trade partnership, with the U.S. accounting for 90 per cent of Alberta’s total exports. To maintain and continue building these ties, it is essential that Alberta has a skilled and experienced representative in D.C.

    To prioritize this work, Alberta’s government has appointed the Honourable Nathan Cooper as Alberta’s official representative to the United States, based at the Alberta Washington Office in the U.S. capital.

    Mr. Cooper will draw on his decades of experience in public service, including his most recent experience as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, to lead this important work, focusing on attracting investment, expanding trade opportunities and maintaining the relationships needed to connect Alberta with key decision makers in the U.S.

    “Alberta has seen a lot of success in building its relationship with U.S. decision makers, and much of that success is thanks to the hard work of James Rajotte as Alberta’s Senior Representative to the U.S. In this evolving landscape, Alberta must maintain and build on our ties with U.S. officials, and Nathan Cooper is the right choice to fill this important role. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Nathan as we advocate for Albertans and for our province’s interests in Washington and across the U.S.”

    Danielle Smith, Premier

    “I’m honoured to be entrusted by Premier Danielle Smith with this critical assignment at such a pivotal time. Now more than ever, I see this as a vital opportunity to strengthen and advance Alberta’s long-standing relationship with the United States, ensuring stability and collaboration amid global uncertainty.”

    Nathan Cooper, Alberta’s senior representative to the United States

    “Having worked closely with Nathan, I’ve seen his unwavering commitment to Alberta’s interests. His ability to bring people together, coupled with his deep understanding of U.S. politics, makes him the ideal representative for Alberta in Washington. I’m confident his leadership will be invaluable as we navigate challenges ahead.”

    Nate Horner, Minister of Finance

    “As Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Cooper is highly respected for his wisdom, integrity and ability to find common ground across parties. I cannot think of a better representative for Albertans in Washington.”

    Deron Bilous, senior vice-president, Counsel Public Affairs and former NDP Minister

    “Over the past few years, we have had the opportunity to work with Speaker Cooper on the Alberta – Wisconsin relationship and look forward to expanding that in his new role here in the United States. I am confident Nathan’s extensive American connections will serve Alberta well as we seek to maintain our strong bilateral relationship.”

    Robin Vos, Speaker of the Wisconsin state assembly

    “As both a business and community leader, I have full confidence that Nathan will be an invaluable asset to businesses on both sides of the border. Given the complexities of today’s political climate, his ability to bridge divides and foster economic collaboration will prove indispensable.”

    Bob Dhillon, president and CEO, Mainstreet Equity Corp.

    “Team Canada needs a strong Alberta in Washington, and Alberta needs strong representation for our trading interests. There might be some tough days ahead for the relationship between Canada and the United States, but I know Nathan Cooper will work hard for Albertans and a strong Canada.”

    Shannon Phillips, former NDP Minister of Environment and Protected Areas

    Since 2005, Alberta’s presence in the U.S. capital has helped advance the province’s economic objectives with U.S. decision makers. Alberta’s envoys have managed this important relationship from the Alberta Washington Office, which is collocated within the Canadian Embassy.

    Biography for Nathan Cooper

    The Honourable Nathan Cooper served as the member of the legislative assembly for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills from May 5, 2015 to May 7, 2025.

    On May 21, 2019, he was elected by his fellow MLAs as the 14th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

    Before his time as an MLA, Mr. Cooper served as chief of staff and director of legislative affairs for the Wildrose caucus and completed two terms as a councillor for the Town of Carstairs. He also brings extensive experience in cross-jurisdictional parliamentary affairs, including:

    • As the longest serving Canadian speaker he became dean of the Canadian Speaker Association in 2025.
    • Leading numerous parliamentary delegations to the United States, with a strong focus on relationship-building.
    • Serving as an international guest speaker at Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conferences in Canada and other Commonwealth nations.

    Mr. Cooper’s proven leadership, deep understanding of parliamentary systems and commitment to building meaningful partnerships make him exceptionally well-suited to advance Alberta’s interests in the United States.

    Quick facts

    • James Rajotte, Alberta’s previous Senior Representative to the U.S. has returned to Edmonton after four and a half years representing Alberta in the United States. He continues to serve as a senior advisor to Premier Smith focused on the U.S. file, working out of Premier Smith’s office in Alberta.
    • The salary for the senior representative to the U.S. is publicly disclosed annually in accordance with the Public Sector Compensation Transparency Act.
    • Alberta has maintained offices abroad for more than 50 years and currently has 17 offices in key markets like the United States, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Mexico, India, Singapore and the Middle East.

    Related information

    • Alberta’s international offices

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Pillen Hosts Ceremonial Bill Signing Celebrating Creation of New State Agency

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    . Pillen Hosts Ceremonial Bill Signing Celebrating Creation of New State Agency

    LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen ceremoniously signed LB317, creating the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment (DWEE). He was joined in remarks by Senator Tom Brandt, who brought the legislation on the Governor’s behalf, as well as Jesse Bradley, who will serve as director of the new agency and Matt Manning, the newly appointed chief water officer for the state.

    LB317 combines the Department of Environment and Energy (DEE) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). One of the significant focuses of the DWEE will be preserving and enhancing  the state’s water resources.

    “Water is our life blood, and our pot of gold is the Ogallala Aquifer,” said Gov. Pillen. “In Nebraska, we irrigate millions of acres – more than any other state in the nation. When you couple that with the advancements in cattle production and the other industries that are becoming part of our bioeconomy, that’s what makes this merger a timely development — one that is important for future generations.”

    Sen. Brandt complimented Nebraska farmers and ranchers for being good stewards of their land and raising their crops and animals in the most sustainable way possible. He said the new agency will provide them with additional resources and outreach as well as enhance collaboration when it comes to water planning, state investment in future water-related projects and permitting processes.

    “We’re cutting red tape, streamlining government and making sure our state works as hard as our farmers do,” Brandt added.

    At the bill signing, Gov. Pillen introduced Dir. Bradley, who has been serving as interim director of both DEE and DNR. Bradley started at DNR in 2006 as an integrated water management analyst. In 2012, he became head of the Water Planning Division, and two years later, was promoted to deputy director of DNR. He has degrees in environmental geology and hydrogeology and is a licensed professional geologist in Nebraska.

    Bradley said he was honored by Gov. Pillen’s appointment and looked forward to being the first director of the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment.  The merger, he continued, will join the best of both agencies in supporting the management of Nebraska’s natural resources.

    “In accomplishing that objective, we will ensure that Nebraska remains a leader in sustainable natural resources management and that those resources will continue to support our agricultural producers, energy providers, communities, and all Nebraskans for generations to come.”

    Matt Manning, an engineer with DNR since 2023, will be the DWEE’s chief water officer. He currently oversees the planning and development of the Perkins County Canal. Prior to joining DNR, he worked for several engineering firms and founded his own heavy civil construction firm.

    “I am excited to work with Governor Pillen, Director Bradley, and our various stakeholders to enhance and protect the state’s most important natural resource for all Nebraskans, now and into the future,” Manning said.

    In addition to the logistics of combining both agencies over the coming months, Dir. Bradley said top priorities would include continued work on the Perkins County Canal as well as engagement with the newly formed Water Quantity and Quality Task Force, slated to gather in June.  

    “Like the Governor said, we want to take a more proactive approach to these issues,” said Dir. Bradley. “We’re asking: How can we use the technology that is out there to help producers innovate? How do we educate them about possible options and opportunities and help leverage that into improving our water quality and enhancing our water quantity?”

    As gubernatorial appointees, Bradley and Manning will be presented to the Legislature for confirmation. The bill has an emergency clause, with an operational date of July 1, which will align with the beginning of the new fiscal biennium.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Sunrun Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Aggregate Subscriber Value of $1.2 billion in Q1, 23% growth year-over-year

    Contracted Net Value Creation of $164 million, or $0.72 per share, 104% growth year-over-year

    Cash Generation of $56 million in Q1, the fourth consecutive quarter of positive Cash Generation

    Paid down $27 million of recourse debt in Q1 with excess cash

    Reiterating Cash Generation guidance of $200 million to $500 million in 2025

    Customer Additions with Storage grew 46% in Q1 compared to the prior year, as Storage Attachment Rate reached a record 69%

    Contracted Net Earning Assets of $2.6 billion, $11.36 per share, including $605 million of unrestricted cash

    SAN FRANCISCO, May 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN), the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, today announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2025.

    “The first quarter was another strong quarter for Sunrun as we exceeded our volume and Cash Generation targets by significant margins in what is seasonally the slowest quarter of the year. We are focused on delivering the best product for customers, underwriting volumes with strong unit margins, optimizing our routes to market, and driving cost discipline, including leveraging AI for innovation, creating significant operating efficiencies and quality enhancement. This has allowed us to gain market share in recent periods and produce strong operating and financial results,” said Mary Powell, Sunrun’s Chief Executive Officer. “It is a dynamic environment for tax policy and tariffs. Like many companies across the country, we are controlling what we can and are ready to adapt to changes that may occur. Sunrun has faced periods of major change over the last few years, and we used it as an opportunity to become even stronger. We believe the tariff outlook is manageable, and we will still generate meaningful cash this year.”

    “We delivered our fourth consecutive quarter of positive Cash Generation and are reiterating our Cash Generation outlook for 2025,” said Danny Abajian, Sunrun’s Chief Financial Officer. “We have a strong balance sheet with no near-term corporate debt maturities and have paid down recourse parent debt by $214 million over the last four quarters, including a $27 million paydown using excess cash in Q1. As we increase our Cash Generation, we will continue to further pay down parent recourse debt and are committed to a capital allocation strategy beyond this initial de-leveraging period that drives significant shareholder value.”

    First Quarter Updates

    • Storage Attachment Rate Reaches 69%: Customer Additions with storage grew 46% during the quarter compared to the prior-year period. Storage Attachment Rate reached 69% in Q1, up from 50% in the prior-year period. Sunrun has installed more than 173,000 solar and storage systems, representing over 2.8 Gigawatt hours of Networked Storage Capacity.
    • Continued Strong Capital Markets Execution:
      • In March 2025 Sunrun placed a $369 million securitization of residential solar and battery systems. The securitization was placed privately given strong interest from large alternative asset managers in the private credit markets. The securitization was priced at a yield of 6.36%, in-line with the yield of our January securitization. The weighted average spread of the notes was 225 basis points, which is approximately 28 basis points higher than our securitization in January 2025. The higher spread followed overall market movements in credit spreads for similarly rated credit. Similar to prior transactions, Sunrun raised additional capital in a subordinated non-recourse financing, which increased the cumulative advance rate to well above 80% net of all fees, as measured against the initial Contracted Subscriber Value of the portfolio.
      • In January 2025, Sunrun priced a $629 million securitization of residential solar and battery systems. The oversubscribed transaction was structured with three separate classes of A rated notes, only two of which were publicly offered. The weighted average spread of the notes was 197 basis points. Similar to prior transactions, Sunrun raised additional capital in a subordinated non-recourse financing, which increased the cumulative advance rate to well above 80% net of all fees, as measured against the initial Contracted Subscriber Value of the portfolio.
    • Paying Down Recourse Debt: We continue to pay down parent recourse debt. During the first quarter, we repaid $27 million of recourse debt, reducing our borrowings under our Working Capital Facility and repurchasing a small amount of our 2026 Convertible Notes (as of March 31 we have $5.5 million of these notes still outstanding). Since March 31, 2024 we have paid down recourse debt by $214 million, by repurchasing our 2026 Convertible Notes and reducing borrowings under our recourse Working Capital Facility. We have also increased our unrestricted cash balance by $118 million and grown Net Earning Assets by $1.6 billion over this time period. We expect to pay down our recourse debt by $100 million or more in 2025. Aside from the $5.5 million outstanding of our 2026 Convertible Notes, we have no recourse debt maturities until March 2027.
    • Expanding differentiation & innovating with Sunrun Flex: We recently introduced Sunrun Flex, the first solar-plus-storage subscription designed to adapt to households’ changing energy needs. This new offering marks the most significant innovation across the solar industry since Sunrun introduced the residential Power Purchase Agreement in 2007. Flex helps families plan for their growing energy needs, whether it’s a growing household size or adopting a new electric vehicle, by installing a solar system sized above their current energy usage. Customers enjoy a low, predictable monthly minimum payment and only pay for extra energy if and when they use it. Flex households also benefit from battery backup during outages, and the new feature of earning Sunrun Rollover Credits—a first in the solar industry.
    • Improving Grid Stability with Virtual Power Plants: Our CalReady distributed power plant has more than quadrupled in size as the summer heat begins to stress California’s energy grid. More than 56,000 Sunrun customers’ solar-plus-battery systems — totaling approximately 75,000 batteries — will provide critical energy to California’s grid during times of high energy prices, heat waves, and other grid emergency events while simultaneously lowering energy costs for all ratepayers. CalReady’s power output has more than quadrupled and is expected to deliver an average of 250 megawatts per two-hour event, with the ability to reach an instantaneous peak of up to 375 megawatts — enough to power approximately 280,000 homes, equivalent to all of Ventura County, California. Sunrun customers enrolled in CalReady are compensated for sharing their stored solar energy, and Sunrun is paid for dispatching the batteries.

    Key Operating Metrics

    Commencing with the first quarter 2025 reporting, Sunrun has modified how certain key operating metrics are calculated. Please refer to the appendix for the updated definitions and refer to the accompanying presentation posted to Sunrun Investor Relations website for additional information. Prior periods have been recast to reflect the current methodology for comparison purposes.

    In the first quarter of 2025, Subscriber Additions were 23,692, a 7% increase compared to the first quarter of 2024. As of March 31, 2025, Sunrun had 912,878 Subscribers. Subscribers as of March 31, 2025 grew 14% compared to March 31, 2024.

    Storage Capacity Installed was 334 megawatt hours in the first quarter of 2025, a 61% increase from the first quarter of 2024. Solar Capacity Installed was 191 megawatts, an 8% increase from the first quarter of 2024.

    Subscriber Value was $52,206 in the first quarter of 2025, a 15% increase compared to the first quarter of 2024. Contracted Subscriber Value was $48,727 in the first quarter of 2025, a 14% increase compared to the first quarter of 2024. Subscriber Value figures for the first quarter of 2025 reflect a 7.5% discount rate based on observed project-level capital costs, compared to 7.6% in the prior year period. Subscriber Value reflects an average Investment Tax Credit of 43.6% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 35.2% in the prior year period. Storage Attachment Rate was 69% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 50% in the prior year period.

    Creation Costs per Subscriber Addition were $41,817 in the first quarter of 2025, a 7% increase compared to the first quarter of 2024.

    Net Subscriber Value was $10,390 in the first quarter of 2025, a 66% increase compared to $6,247 in the first quarter of 2024. Contracted Net Subscriber Value was $6,910 in the first quarter of 2025, a 90% increase compared to $3,641 in the first quarter of 2024.

    Aggregate Subscriber Value was $1.2 billion in the first quarter of 2025, a 23% increase compared to the first quarter of 2024. Aggregate Creation Costs were $991 million in the first quarter of 2025, a 14% increase compared to the first quarter of 2024. Contracted Net Value Creation was $164 million in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 104% compared to the first quarter of 2024, and representing $0.72 per weighted average basic share outstanding in the period.

    Cash Generation was $56 million in the first quarter of 2025. This result represents the fourth consecutive quarter of positive Cash Generation.

    Contracted Net Earning Assets were $2.6 billion, or $11.36 per share, which included $979 million in Total Cash, as of March 31, 2025.

    Outlook

    Aggregate Subscriber Value is expected to be in a range of $1.3 billion to $1.375 billion in the second quarter of 2025, representing 21% growth compared to the second quarter of 2024 at the midpoint.

    Contracted Net Value Creation is expected to be in a range of $125 million to $200 million in the second quarter of 2025, representing 80% growth compared to the second quarter of 2024 at the midpoint.

    Cash Generation is expected to be in a range of $50 million to $60 million in the second quarter of 2025.

    For the full-year 2025, Aggregate Subscriber Value is expected to be in a range of $5.7 billion to $6.0 billion, representing 14% growth compared to full-year 2024 at the midpoint.

    Contracted Net Value Creation is expected to be in a range of $650 million to $850 million for the full-year 2025, representing 9% growth compared to full-year 2024 at the midpoint.

    Cash Generation is expected to be in a range of $200 million to $500 million for the full-year 2025, unchanged from the company’s prior guidance.

    First Quarter 2025 GAAP Results

    Total revenue was $504.3 million in the first quarter of 2025, up $46.1 million, or 10%, from the first quarter of 2024. Customer agreements and incentives revenue was $402.9 million, an increase of $80.0 million, or 25%, compared to the first quarter of 2024. Solar energy systems and product sales revenue was $101.4 million, a decrease of $33.9 million, or 25%, compared to the first quarter of 2024. The increasing mix of Subscribers results in less upfront revenue recognition, as revenue is recognized over the life of the Customer Agreement, which is typically 20 or 25 years.

    Total cost of revenue was $405.4 million, a decrease of 5% year-over-year. Total operating expenses were $619.2 million, a decrease of 3% year-over-year.

    Net income attributable to common stockholders was $50.0 million, or $0.22 per basic share and $0.20 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2025.

    Financing Activities

    As of May 7, 2025, closed transactions and executed term sheets provide us with expected tax equity to fund over 375 Megawatts of Solar Energy Capacity Installed for Subscribers beyond what was deployed through March 31, 2025. Sunrun also has $819 million in unused commitments available in its non-recourse senior revolving warehouse loan at the end of Q1 to fund approximately 286 megawatts of projects for Subscribers.

    Conference Call Information

    Sunrun is hosting a conference call for analysts and investors to discuss its first quarter 2025 results and business outlook at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time today, May 7, 2025. A live audio webcast of the conference call along with supplemental financial information will be accessible via the “Investor Relations” section of Sunrun’s website at https://investors.sunrun.com. The conference call can also be accessed live over the phone by dialing (877) 407-5989 (toll free) or (201) 689-8434 (toll). An audio replay will be available following the call on the Sunrun Investor Relations website for approximately one month.

    About Sunrun

    Sunrun Inc. (Nasdaq: RUN) revolutionized the solar industry in 2007 by removing financial barriers and democratizing access to locally-generated, renewable energy. Today, Sunrun is the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, offering residential solar and storage with no upfront costs. Sunrun’s innovative products and solutions can connect homes to the cleanest energy on earth, providing them with energy security, predictability, and peace of mind. Sunrun also manages energy services that benefit communities, utilities, and the electric grid while enhancing customer value. Discover more at www.sunrun.com

    Forward Looking Statements

    This communication contains forward-looking statements related to Sunrun (the “Company”) within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to: the Company’s financial and operating guidance and expectations; the Company’s business plan, trajectory, expectations, market leadership, competitive advantages, operational and financial results and metrics (and the assumptions related to the calculation of such metrics); the Company’s momentum in its business strategies including expectations regarding market share, total addressable market, growth in certain geographies, customer value proposition, market penetration, growth of certain divisions, financing activities, financing capacity, product mix, and ability to manage cash flow and liquidity; the Company’s introduction of new products, including Sunrun Flex; the growth of the solar industry; the Company’s financing activities and expectations to refinance, amend, and/or extend any financing facilities; trends or potential trends within the solar industry, our business, customer base, and market; the Company’s ability to derive value from the anticipated benefits of partnerships, new technologies, and pilot programs, including contract renewal and repowering programs; anticipated demand, market acceptance, and market adoption of the Company’s offerings, including new products, services, and technologies; the Company’s strategy to be a margin-focused, multi-product, customer-oriented company; the ability to increase margins based on a shift in product focus; expectations regarding the growth of home electrification, electric vehicles, virtual power plants, and distributed energy resources; the Company’s ability to manage suppliers, inventory, and workforce; supply chains and regulatory impacts affecting supply chains including reliance on specific countries for critical components; the Company’s leadership team and talent development; the legislative and regulatory environment of the solar industry and the potential impacts of proposed, amended, and newly adopted legislation and regulation on the solar industry and our business, including federal and state-level solar incentive programs (such as the Investment Tax Credit), net metering policies, and utility rate structures; the ongoing expectations regarding the Company’s storage and energy services businesses and anticipated emissions reductions due to utilization of the Company’s solar energy systems; and factors outside of the Company’s control such as macroeconomic trends, bank failures, public health emergencies, natural disasters, acts of war, terrorism, geopolitical conflict, or armed conflict / invasion, and the impacts of climate change. These statements are not guarantees of future performance; they reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and estimates and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from expectations or results projected or implied by forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company’s results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include: the Company’s continued ability to manage costs and compete effectively; the availability of additional financing on acceptable terms; worldwide economic conditions, including slow or negative growth rates and inflation; volatile or rising interest rates; changes in policies and regulations, including net metering, interconnection limits, and fixed fees, or caps and licensing restrictions and the impact of these changes on the solar industry and our business; the Company’s ability to attract and retain the Company’s business partners; supply chain risks and associated costs, including reliance on specific countries for critical components, tariff and trade policy impacts, and raw material availability for solar panels and batteries; realizing the anticipated benefits of past or future investments, partnerships, strategic transactions, or acquisitions, and integrating those acquisitions; the Company’s leadership team and ability to attract and retain key employees; changes in the retail prices of traditional utility generated electricity; the availability of rebates, tax credits and other incentives; the availability of solar panels, batteries, and other components and raw materials; the Company’s business plan and the Company’s ability to effectively manage the Company’s growth and labor constraints; the Company’s ability to meet the covenants in the Company’s investment funds and debt facilities; factors impacting the home electrification and solar industry generally, and such other risks and uncertainties identified in the reports that we file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. All forward-looking statements used herein are based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update publicly these forward-looking statements for any reason, except as required by law.

    Citations to industry and market statistics used herein may be found in our Investor Presentation, available via the “Investor Relations” section of Sunrun’s website at https://investors.sunrun.com.

    Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (In Thousands)
        March 31, 2025   December 31, 2024
             
    Assets        
    Current assets:        
    Cash   $ 604,874   $ 574,956
    Restricted cash     373,881     372,312
    Accounts receivable, net     172,121     170,706
    Inventories     414,401     402,083
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets     101,936     202,579
    Total current assets     1,667,213     1,722,636
    Restricted cash     148     148
    Solar energy systems, net     15,497,538     15,032,115
    Property and equipment, net     109,132     121,239
    Other assets     3,103,824     3,021,746
    Total assets   $ 20,377,855   $ 19,897,884
    Liabilities and total equity        
    Current liabilities:        
    Accounts payable   $ 268,908   $ 354,214
    Distributions payable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests     37,816     41,464
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities     537,042     543,752
    Deferred revenue, current portion     133,878     129,442
    Deferred grants, current portion     8,389     7,900
    Finance lease obligations, current portion     25,526     26,045
    Non-recourse debt, current portion     250,422     231,665
    Total current liabilities     1,261,981     1,334,482
    Deferred revenue, net of current portion     1,238,468     1,208,905
    Deferred grants, net of current portion     193,009     196,535
    Finance lease obligations, net of current portion     58,025     66,139
    Convertible senior notes     472,226     479,420
    Line of credit     358,493     384,226
    Non-recourse debt, net of current portion     12,479,475     11,806,181
    Other liabilities     120,973     119,846
    Deferred tax liabilities     97,684     137,940
    Total liabilities     16,280,334     15,733,674
    Redeemable noncontrolling interests     657,772     624,159
    Total stockholders’ equity     2,615,402     2,554,207
    Noncontrolling interests     824,347     985,844
    Total equity     3,439,749     3,540,051
    Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and total equity   $ 20,377,855   $ 19,897,884
    Consolidated Statements of Operations
    (In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)
        Three Months Ended March 31,
         2025     2024 
    Revenue:        
    Customer agreements and incentives   $ 402,920     $ 322,967  
    Solar energy systems and product sales     101,351       135,221  
    Total revenue     504,271       458,188  
    Operating expenses:        
    Cost of customer agreements and incentives     308,629       269,534  
    Cost of solar energy systems and product sales     96,798       156,159  
    Sales and marketing     145,990       152,264  
    Research and development     9,979       12,087  
    General and administrative     57,763       51,266  
    Total operating expenses     619,159       641,310  
    Loss from operations     (114,888 )     (183,122 )
    Interest expense, net     (227,434 )     (192,159 )
    Other (expense) income, net     (45,399 )     89,930  
    Loss before income taxes     (387,721 )     (285,351 )
    Income tax benefit     (110,550 )     (2,201 )
    Net loss     (277,171 )     (283,150 )
    Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests     (327,182 )     (195,332 )
    Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders   $ 50,011     $ (87,818 )
    Net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders        
    Basic   $ 0.22     $ (0.40 )
    Diluted   $ 0.20     $ (0.40 )
    Weighted average shares used to compute net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders        
    Basic     226,406       219,882  
    Diluted     257,911       219,882  
    Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (In Thousands)
        Three Months Ended March 31,
         2025     2024 
    Operating activities:        
    Net loss   $ (277,171 )   $ (283,150 )
    Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:        
    Depreciation and amortization, net of amortization of deferred grants     169,890       150,520  
    Deferred income taxes     (110,550 )     (2,202 )
    Stock-based compensation expense     25,005       28,869  
    Interest on pass-through financing obligations     —       4,756  
    Reduction in pass-through financing obligations     —       (9,335 )
    Unrealized loss (gain) on derivatives     45,070       (55,103 )
    Other noncash items     61,499       14,639  
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:        
    Accounts receivable     (6,906 )     (1,371 )
    Inventories     (12,318 )     47,753  
    Prepaid expenses and other assets     (45,761 )     (135,678 )
    Accounts payable     (15,618 )     59,641  
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities     27,910       3,395  
    Deferred revenue     34,744       34,173  
    Net cash used in operating activities     (104,206 )     (143,093 )
    Investing activities:        
    Payments for the costs of solar energy systems     (654,802 )     (538,975 )
    Purchases of property and equipment, net     (219 )     3,531  
    Net cash used in investing activities     (655,021 )     (535,444 )
    Financing activities:        
    Repayment of trade receivable financing     (24,742 )     —  
    Proceeds from line of credit     148,824       139,805  
    Repayment of line of credit     (174,557 )     (292,305 )
    Proceeds from issuance of convertible senior notes, net of capped call transaction     —       444,822  
    Repurchase of convertible senior notes     (2,124 )     (173,715 )
    Proceeds from issuance of non-recourse debt     1,520,629       770,106  
    Repayment of non-recourse debt     (838,483 )     (431,532 )
    Payment of debt fees     (28,018 )     (47,779 )
    Proceeds from pass-through financing and other obligations, net     —       1,808  
    Early repayment of pass-through financing obligation     —       (20,000 )
    Payment of finance lease obligations     (6,483 )     (6,732 )
    Contributions received from noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests     255,900       164,337  
    Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests     (60,253 )     (74,834 )
    Acquisition of noncontrolling interests     —       (1,159 )
    Proceeds from transfer of investment tax credits     624,776       106,529  
    Payments to redeemable noncontrolling interests and noncontrolling interests of investment tax credits     (624,776 )     (106,529 )
    Net proceeds related to stock-based award activities     21       1,056  
    Net cash provided by financing activities     790,714       473,878  
    Net change in cash and restricted cash     31,487       (204,659 )
    Cash and restricted cash, beginning of period     947,416       987,838  
    Cash and restricted cash, end of period   $ 978,903     $ 783,179  


    Key Operating and Financial Metrics

    The following operating metrics are used by management to evaluate the performance of the business. Management believes these metrics, when taken together with other information contained in our filings with the SEC and within this press release, provide investors with helpful information to determine the economic performance of the business activities in a period that would otherwise not be observable from historic GAAP measures. Management believes that it is helpful to investors to evaluate the present value of cash flows expected from subscribers over the full expected relationship with such subscribers (“Subscriber Value”, more fully defined in the definitions appendix below) in comparison to the costs associated with adding these customers, regardless of whether or not the costs are expensed or capitalized in the period (“Creation Cost”, more fully defined in the definitions appendix below). The Company also believes that Subscriber Value, Aggregate Subscriber Value, Creation Costs, Aggregate Creation Costs, Net Subscriber Value, Contracted Net Subscriber Value, Upfront Net Subscriber Value, Net Value Creation, Contracted Net Value Creation, and Upfront Value Creation are useful metrics for investors because they present an unlevered and levered view of all of the costs associated with new customers in a period compared to the expected future cash flows from these customers over a 30-year period, based on contracted pricing terms with its customers, which is not observable in any current or historic GAAP-derived metric. Management believes it is useful for investors to also evaluate the future expected cash flows from all customers that have been deployed through the respective measurement date, less estimated costs to maintain such systems and estimated distributions to tax equity partners in consolidated joint venture partnership flip structures, and distributions to project equity investors (“Gross Earning Assets”, more fully defined in the definitions appendix below). The Company also believes Gross Earning Assets is useful for management and investors because it represents the remaining future expected cash flows from existing customers, which is not a current or historic GAAP-derived measure.

    Various assumptions are made when calculating these metrics. Subscriber Value metrics are calculated using a discount rate based on the observed project-level capital costs in the period. Gross Earning Assets utilize a 6% rate to discount future cash flows to the present period. Furthermore, these metrics assume that Subscribers renew after the initial contract period at a rate equal to 90% of the rate in effect at the end of the initial contract term. For Customer Agreements with 25-year initial contract terms, a 5-year renewal period is assumed. For a 20-year initial contract term, a 10-year renewal period is assumed. In all instances, we assume a 30-year customer relationship, although the customer may renew for additional years, or purchase the system. Estimated cost of servicing assets has been deducted and is estimated based on the service agreements underlying each fund.

    KEY OPERATING METRICS
    Unit Economics in Period 1Q24 2Q24 3Q24 4Q24 1Q25
    $ per Subscriber Addition, unless otherwise noted          
      Subscriber Additions in period   22,058     24,984     30,348     30,709     23,692  
      Subscriber Value $45,477   $44,291   $47,335   $50,998   $52,206  
      Discount rate (observed project-level capital costs)   7.6%     7.5%     7.1%     7.3%     7.5%  
      Contracted Subscriber Value $42,871   $41,872   $44,551   $48,273   $48,727  
      x Advance Rate on Contracted Subscriber Value (estimated)   86.3%     86.3%     87.2%     85.9%     86.9%  
      = Upfront Proceeds (estimated) $37,001   $36,117   $38,869   $41,486   $42,339  
      – Creation Costs $(39,230)   $(38,258)   $(37,756)   $(38,071)   $(41,817)  
      = Upfront Net Subscriber Value $(2,229)   $(2,140)   $1,113   $3,415   $523  
      Upfront Net Subscriber Value margin %   (5.2)%     (5.1)%     2.5%     7.1%     1.1%  
    Aggregate Gross, Net & Upfront Value Creation in Period 1Q24 2Q24 3Q24 4Q24 1Q25
    $ millions, unless otherwise noted          
      Aggregate Subscriber Value $1,003   $1,107   $1,437   $1,566   $1,237  
      Aggregate Contracted Subscriber Value $946   $1,046   $1,352   $1,482   $1,154  
      Aggregate Upfront Proceeds (estimated) $816   $902   $1,180   $1,274   $1,003  
      Less Aggregate Creation Costs $(865)   $(956)   $(1,146)   $(1,169)   $(991)  
      Net Value Creation $138   $151   $291   $397   $246  
      Contracted Net Value Creation $80   $90   $206   $313   $164  
      Upfront Net Value Creation $(49)   $(53)   $34   $105   $12  
      Cash Generation $(311)   $217   $2   $34   $56  
      Net Value Creation per share $0.63   $0.68   $1.30   $1.77   $1.09  
      Contracted Net Value Creation per share $0.37   $0.41   $0.92   $1.39   $0.72  
      Upfront Net Value Creation per share $(0.22)   $(0.24)   $0.15   $0.47   $0.05  
    Volume Additions in Period 1Q24 2Q24 3Q24 4Q24 1Q25
      Storage Capacity Installed (MWhrs)   207.2     264.5     336.3     392.0     333.7  
      Solar Capacity Installed (MWs)   177.0     192.3     229.7     242.4     190.9  
      Solar Capacity Installed with Storage (MWs)   81.3     94.9     127.0     142.5     126.7  
      Solar Capacity Installed without Storage (MWs)   95.7     97.4     102.7     100.0     64.2  
      Customer Additions   24,038     26,687     31,910     32,932     25,428  
      Customer Additions with Storage   11,970     14,398     18,988     20,405     17,501  
      Customer Additions without Storage   12,068     12,289     12,922     12,527     7,927  
      Storage Attachment Rate   50%     54%     60%     62%     69%  
      Subscriber Additions (included within Customer Additions)   22,058     24,984     30,348     30,709     23,692  
      Subscriber Additions as % of Customer Additions   92%     94%     95%     93%     93%  
    Customer Base Value & Energy Capacity at End of Period 3/31/2024 6/30/2024 9/30/2024 12/31/2024 3/31/2025
      Net Earning Assets ($ millions) $5,247   $5,675   $6,231   $6,766   $6,825  
      Net Earning Assets per share $23.78   $25.42   $27.81   $29.99   $30.02  
      Contracted Net Earning Assets ($ millions) $1,754   $2,035   $2,416   $2,723   $2,583  
      Contracted Net Earning Assets per share $7.95   $9.11   $10.78   $12.07   $11.36  
      Customers   957,313     984,000     1,015,910     1,048,842     1,074,270  
      Subscribers (included within Customers)   803,145     828,129     858,477     889,186     912,878  
      Networked Storage Capacity (MWhrs)   1,532     1,796     2,133     2,525     2,858  
      Networked Solar Capacity (MWs)   6,866     7,058     7,288     7,531     7,721  
    Basic Shares Outstanding 1Q24 2Q24 3Q24 4Q24 1Q25
      Basic shares outstanding at end of period (in millions)   220.7     223.3     224.1     225.7     227.3  
      Weighted average basic shares outstanding in period (in millions)   219.9     222.5     223.7     224.9     226.4  
                                     

    Figures presented above may not sum due to rounding. In-period per share figures are calculated using the weighted average basic shares outstanding while end of period per share figures are calculated using the corresponding basic shares outstanding as of the measurement date. For adjustments related to Subscriber Value and Creation Costs, please see the supplemental materials available on the Sunrun Investor Relations website at investors.sunrun.com.

    Glossary of Terms

    Definitions for Volume-related Terms

    Deployments represent solar or storage systems, whether sold directly to customers or subject to executed Customer Agreements (i) for which we have confirmation that the systems are installed, subject to final inspection, or (ii) in the case of certain system installations by our partners, for which we have accrued at least 80% of the expected project cost (inclusive of acquisitions of installed systems). A portion of customers have subsequently entered into Customer Agreements to obtain, or have directly purchased, additional solar or storage systems at the same host customer site, and since these represent separate assets, they are considered separate Deployments.

    Customer Agreements refer to, collectively, solar or storage power purchase agreements and leases.

    Subscribers represent customers subject to Customer Agreements for solar or storage systems that have been recognized as Deployments, whether or not they continue to be active.

    Purchase Customers represent customers who purchased, whether outright or with proceeds from third-party loans, solar or storage systems that have been recognized as Deployments.

    Customers represent aggregate Subscribers and Purchase Customers.

    Subscriber Additions represent the number of Subscribers added in a period.

    Purchase Customer Additions represent the number of Purchase Customers added in a period.

    Customer Additions represent Subscriber Additions plus Purchase Customer Additions.

    Solar Capacity Installed represents the aggregate megawatt production capacity of solar energy systems that were recognized as Deployments in a period.

    Storage Capacity Installed represents the aggregate megawatt hour capacity of storage systems that were recognized as Deployments in a period.

    Networked Solar Capacity represents the cumulative Solar Capacity Installed from the company’s inception through the measurement date.

    Networked Storage Capacity represents the cumulative Storage Capacity Installed from the company’s inception through the measurement date.

    Storage Attachment Rate represents Customer Additions with storage divided by total Customer Additions.

    Definitions for Unit-based and Aggregate Value, Costs and Margin Terms

    Subscriber Value represents Contracted Subscriber Value plus Non-contracted or Upside Subscriber Value.

    Contracted Subscriber Value represents the per Subscriber present value of estimated upfront and future Contracted Cash Flows from Subscriber Additions in a period, discounted at the observed cost of capital in the period.

    Non-contracted or Upside Subscriber Value represents the per Subscriber present value of estimated future Non-contracted or Upside Cash Flows from Subscribers Additions in a period, discounted at the observed cost of capital in the period.

    Contracted Cash Flows represent (x) (1) scheduled payments from Subscribers during the initial terms of the Customer Agreements, (2) net proceeds from tax equity partners, (3) payments from government and utility incentive and rebate programs, (4) contracted net cash flows from grid services programs with utilities or grid operators, and (5) contracted or defined (i.e., with fixed pricing) cash flows from the sale of renewable energy credits, less (y) (1) estimated operating and maintenance costs to service the systems and replace equipment over the initial terms of the Customer Agreements, consistent with estimates by independent engineers, (2) distributions to tax equity partners in consolidated joint venture partnership flip structures, and (3) distributions to any project equity investors. For Flex Customer Agreements that allow variable billings based on the amount of electricity consumed by the Subscriber, only the minimum contracted payment is included in Contracted Cash Flows.

    Non-contracted or Upside Cash Flows represent (1) net cash flows realized from either the purchase of systems by Subscribers at the end of the Customer Agreement initial terms or renewals of Customer Agreements beyond the initial terms, estimated in both cases to have equivalent value, assuming only a 30-year relationship and a contract renewal rate equal to 90% of each Subscriber’s contractual rate in effect at the end of the initial contract term, (2) non-contracted net cash flows from grid service programs with utilities and grid operators, and (3) non-contracted net cash flows from the sale of renewable energy credits. After the initial contract term, our Customer Agreements typically automatically renew on an annual basis and the rate is initially set at up to a 10% discount to then-prevailing utility power prices. For Flex Customer Agreements that allow variable billings based on the amount of electricity consumed by the Subscriber, an assumption is made that each Subscriber’s electricity consumption increases by approximately 2% per year through the end of the initial term of the Customer Agreement and into the renewal period, resulting in billings in excess of the minimum contracted amount (which minimums are included in Contracted Cash Flows).

    Aggregate Creation Costs represent the sum of certain operating expenses and capital expenditures incurred in a period. The following items are included from the cash flow statement: (i) payments for the costs of solar energy systems, plus (ii) purchases of property and equipment, less (iii) net depreciation and amortization, less (iv) stock based compensation expense. The following items are included from the income statement: (i) cost of customer agreements and incentives revenue, adjusted to exclude fleet servicing costs and non-cash net impairment of solar energy systems, plus (ii) sales and marketing expenses, adjusted to exclude amortization of cost to obtain customer contracts (which is the amortization of previously capitalized sales commissions), plus (iii) general and administrative expenses, plus (iv) research and development expenses. In addition, gross additions to capitalized costs to obtain contracts (i.e., sales commissions), which are presented on the balance sheet within Other Assets, are included. Because the sales, marketing, general and administrative costs are for activities related to the entire business, including solar energy system and product sales, the gross margin on solar energy system and product sales is reflected as a contra cost. Costs associated with certain restructuring activities and one-time items are identified and excluded.

    Creation Costs represent Aggregate Creation Costs divided by Subscriber Additions.

    Net Subscriber Value represents Subscriber Value less Creation Costs.

    Contracted Net Subscriber Value represents Contracted Subscriber Value less Creation Costs.

    Upfront Net Subscriber Value represents Contracted Subscriber Value multiplied by Advance Rate less Creation Costs.

    Advance Rate or Advance Rate on Contracted Subscriber Value represents the company’s estimated upfront proceeds, expressed as a percentage of Contracted Subscriber Value or Aggregate Contracted Subscriber Value, from project-level capital and other upfront cash flows, based on market terms and observed cost of capital in a period.

    Aggregate Subscriber Value represents Subscriber Value multiplied by Subscriber Additions.

    Aggregate Contracted Subscriber Value represents Contracted Subscriber Value multiplied by Subscriber Additions.

    Aggregate Upfront Proceeds represent Aggregate Contracted Subscriber Value multiplied by Advance Rate. Actual project financing transaction timing for portfolios of Subscribers may occur in a period different from the period in which Subscribers are recognized, and may be executed at different terms. As such, Aggregate Upfront Proceeds are an estimate based on capital markets conditions present during each period and may differ from ultimate Proceeds Realized in respect of such Subscribers.

    Proceeds Realized represents cash flows received from non-recourse financing partners in addition to upfront customer prepayments, incentives and rebates. It is calculated as the proceeds from non-controlling interests on the cash flow statement, plus the net proceeds from non-recourse debt (excluding normal non-recourse debt amortization for existing debt, as such debt is serviced by cash flows from existing solar and storage assets), plus the gross additions to deferred revenue which represents customer payments for prepaid Customer Agreements along with local rebates and incentive programs.

    Net Value Creation represents Aggregate Subscriber Value less Aggregate Creation Costs.

    Contracted Net Value Creation represents Aggregate Contracted Subscriber Value less Aggregate Creation Costs.

    Upfront Net Value Creation represents Aggregate Upfront Proceeds less Aggregate Creation Costs.

    Cash Generation is calculated using the change in our unrestricted cash balance from our consolidated balance sheet, less net proceeds (or plus net repayments) from all recourse debt (inclusive of convertible debt), and less any primary equity issuances or net proceeds derived from employee stock award activity (or plus any stock buybacks or dividends paid to common stockholders) as presented on the Company’s consolidated statement of cash flows. The Company expects to continue to raise tax equity and asset-level non-recourse debt to fund growth, and as such, these sources of cash are included in the definition of Cash Generation. Cash Generation also excludes long-term asset or business divestitures and equity investments in external non-consolidated businesses (or less dividends or distributions received in connection with such equity investments). Restricted cash in a reserve account with a balance equal to the amount outstanding of 2026 convertible notes is considered unrestricted cash for the purposes of calculating Cash Generation.

    Definitions for Gross and Net Value from Existing Customer Base Terms

    Gross Earning Assets is calculated as Contracted Gross Earning Assets plus Non-contracted or Upside Gross Earning Assets.

    Contracted Gross Earning Assets represents, as of any measurement date, the present value of estimated remaining Contracted Cash Flows that we expect to receive in future periods in relation to Subscribers as of the measurement date, discounted at 6%.

    Non-contracted or Upside Gross Earning Assets represents, as of any measurement date, the present value of estimated Non-contracted or Upside Cash Flows that we expect to receive in future periods in relation to Subscribers as of the measurement date, discounted at 6%.

    Net Earning Assets represents Gross Earning Assets, plus Total Cash, less adjusted debt and lease pass-through financing obligations, as of the measurement date. Debt is adjusted to exclude a pro-rata share of non-recourse debt associated with funds with project equity structures along with debt associated with the company’s ITC safe harboring equipment inventory facility. Because estimated cash distributions to our project equity partners are deducted from Gross Earning Assets, a proportional share of the corresponding project level non-recourse debt is deducted from Net Earning Assets, as such debt would be serviced from cash flows already excluded from Gross Earning Assets.

    Contracted Net Earning Assets represents Net Earning Assets less Non-contracted or Upside Gross Earning Assets.

    Non-contracted or Upside Net Earning Assets represents Net Earning Assets less Contracted Net Earning Assets.

    Total Cash represents the total of the restricted cash balance and unrestricted cash balance from our consolidated balance sheet.

    Other Terms

    Annual Recurring Revenue represents revenue arising from Customer Agreements over the following twelve months for Subscribers that have met initial revenue recognition criteria as of the measurement date.

    Average Contract Life Remaining represents the average number of years remaining in the initial term of Customer Agreements for Subscribers that have met revenue recognition criteria as of the measurement date.

    Households Served in Low-Income Multifamily Properties represent the number of individual rental units served in low-income multi-family properties from shared solar energy systems deployed by Sunrun. Households are counted when the solar energy system has interconnected with the grid, which may differ from Deployment recognition criteria.

    Positive Environmental Impact from Customers represents the estimated reduction in carbon emissions as a result of energy produced from our Networked Solar Capacity over the trailing twelve months. The figure is presented in millions of metric tons of avoided carbon emissions and is calculated using the Environmental Protection Agency’s AVERT tool. The figure is calculated using the most recent published tool from the EPA, using the current-year avoided emission factor for distributed resources on a state by state basis. The environmental impact is estimated based on the system, regardless of whether or not Sunrun continues to own the system or any associated renewable energy credits.

    Positive Expected Lifetime Environmental Impact from Customer Additions represents the estimated reduction in carbon emissions over thirty years as a result of energy produced from solar energy systems that were recognized as Deployments in a period. The figure is presented in millions of metric tons of avoided carbon emissions and is calculated using the Environmental Protection Agency’s AVERT tool. The figure is calculated using the most recent published tool from the EPA, using the current-year avoided emission factor for distributed resources on a state by state basis, leveraging our estimated production figures for such systems, which degrade over time, and is extrapolated for 30 years. The environmental impact is estimated based on the system, regardless of whether or not Sunrun continues to own the system or any associated renewable energy credits.

    Per Share Operational Metrics

    The Company presents certain operating metrics on a per share basis to aid investors in understanding the scale of such operational metrics in relation to the outstanding basic share count in each period. These metrics are operational in nature and not a financial metric. These metrics are not a substitute for GAAP financials, liquidity related measures, or any financial performance metrics.

    Net Value Creation, Contracted Net Value Creation, and Upfront Net Value Creation are also presented on a per share basis, calculated by dividing each metric by the weighted average basic shares outstanding for each period, as presented on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations.

    Net Earning Assets and Contracted Net Earning Assets are also presented on a per share basis, calculated by dividing each metric by the basic shares outstanding as of the end of each period, as presented on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.

    Investor & Analyst Contacts:

    Patrick Jobin
    SVP, Deputy CFO & Investor Relations Officer
    investors@sunrun.com

    Bronson Fleig
    Director, Finance & Investor Relations
    investors@sunrun.com

    Media Contact:

    Wyatt Semanek
    Director, Corporate Communications
    press@sunrun.com

    The MIL Network –