On August 7, it was reported that the Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are encouraging states to take over their controversial Clean Water Act (CWA) permitting program and are boosting their process for allowing them to do so. The process of obtaining a dredge-and-fill permit can be one of the most time consuming and expensive aspects of major projects for industries such as mining, homebuilding and oil and gas. The Trump Administration says its goal is to streamline that process, allowing states to be one-stop shops by assuming responsibility for implementing that part of the CWA. A July 30 memo from R.D. James, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, marks the first step in that process. James outlined a narrow interpretation of the CWA's requirement for the federal government to retain oversight of waterways used for interstate navigation, a move that would allow states to assume control of over most wetlands and streams within their boundaries. The issue is entirely separate from the question of which waterways are protected under the CWA - the fight over the definition of Waters of the United States. EPA, which holds ultimate oversight of the 404 program, is also updating its regulations for how the program can be taken over by the states, according to David Ross, EPA's Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water. Read more. 

On August 9, Vice President Mike Pence announced, at the Pentagon, the Trump Administration's plans to create a sixth branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, the United States Space Force. The plan would begin creating a military command dedicated to space and establish a "Space Force" as soon as 2020, the first since the Air Force was formed in 1947. Pence warned of the advancements that potential adversaries are making and issued what amounted to a call to arms to preserve the military's dominance in space. But the monumental task of standing up a new military department, which would require approval by Congress, may require significant new spending and a reorganization of the largest bureaucracy in the world. And the idea has already run into fierce opposition inside and outside the Pentagon, particularly from the Air Force, which could lose some of its responsibilities. Read more.