OMB Finalizes Guidance For Reviewing Rules’ Effects On Ecosystems

The White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) is finalizing new guidance about how to weigh federal regulations’ effects on ecosystem services, defined as “contributions to human welfare from the environment or ecosystems,” with observers saying the guide will make EPA and other agencies less likely to overlook important benefits of rules. The Feb. 28 final guidance builds on the Biden administration’s November revisions to broader cost-benefit review guidance, known as Circular A- 4, that is expected to boost...