The Economic Perspective 4/3/2026

The Latest Trending Economic, Environmental and Infrastructure News Curated for You by The Balmoral Group

The Balmoral Group provides practical, professional and precise Economics, Data Analytics, and Engineering Consulting services and is part of a globally integrated team.

Happy Friday! 

Welcome back to another edition of The Economic Perspective! It's been an exciting week for the TBG team.

This week saw the launch of the Artemis II mission, the first manned crew flyby of the moon since the space race decades ago. All over Florida, people were able to look up in the sky on Wednesday evening and see the rocket fire into the sky. Below, you can find information on the economic and technological benefits of space flight investment. Enjoy this picture captured by TBG team member Timmy Drexler. 

This Thursday TBG hosted our Open House where we invited guests and colleagues to our offices to meet, socialize, and congratulate TBG team member Nate Willbur on his recent promotion to Directorship.

Articles this week cover a number of judicial and legislative changes happening at state and federal levels affecting environmental practices and protections. This includes Florida Building permits in wetlands, alterations to the Endangered Species Act that were blocked, a FL Senate Bill covering nature-based solutions, and more. Our Data Visualization shifts away from the Artemis launch and environmental issues to cover ongoing investment in much needed bridge repair across the country.

Please feel free to forward this to anyone you think would be interested. If you’d like to view previous editions please click here, or to subscribe please click here!

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Economic Impact of the Artemis II Launch

Wednesday saw the launch of Artemis II, the first crewed launch to the moon since the Apollo program. Launching out of the Space Coast in Brevard County, expectations were high that increased tourism would bring in considerable revenue for the county. Estimates ranged from 200,000 to 250,000 people visiting the area for the launch and $150 million in revenue being generated. Job creation is also an important benefit and this has nationwide impact; while tourists will be lining up in Florida to watch the launch, hundreds of people working in the State of Washington have been helping develop hardware used for the flight. One important co-benefit from investments in space travel, historically, has been technological advances that make their way into daily life; examples include the MRI machine, improvements in prosthetics and LASIK, and highway safety improvements, highlighting the indirect benefits of these investments beyond the cultural and direct economic impacts. Read more about the impact on Brevard County here, information on Washington’s space industry here, and historical benefits of space flight investment here.

Federal Control of Florida Building Permits in Wetlands Upheld

Recently, the EPA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have been allowing Florida to fast-track permits to build in wetlands. This has caught the ire of several environmental advocacy groups, most notably Florida’s Sierra Club which argues the importance of Florida’s wetlands in protecting the stability of Florida’s ecosystems. Florida’s Sierra Club, along with several plaintiffs, responded with a lawsuit against the EPA and USFWS arguing that their actions violate a 2020 decision which ruled that the EPA and USFWS violated the Endangered Species Act when they approved Florida’s wetlands permitting program. Plaintiffs argued that this permitting program, and current attempts to speed up permitting in Florida, lacked protections that were previously federally imposed and highly important to maintaining environmental quality, endangered species protections, and clean water for people. Read more here.

Federal District Court in California Blocks Changes to Endangered Species Act

A decade long legal battle continues with a federal court in California ruling that certain rollbacks to regulations on how the federal government evaluates risks to vulnerable species were violating the Endangered Species Act. The changes the federal government were attempting included definition changes to when actions were an ‘adverse modification’ and agency mitigation measures to the Fish and Wildlife Service. Despite the court decision, some amendments to regulations on critical habitats did make it through due to lack of information on how they were illegal. The federal government is expected to continue challenging the Endangered Species Act and other environmental regulations as the Endangered Species Committee is expected to convene soon on certain protections for critically endangered species. Read more here.

Washington State Department of Transportation Re-Cycles Funds to Fund Cycles

Last year, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) created a pilot program, WE-bike, with the hopes of reducing vehicular carbon emissions by using Cap-and-Trade profits to subsidize e-bikes for residents of the state. This Monday, WSDOT again kicked the program into high gear, opening the door for residents to apply for rebates in this funding (bi)cycle. Washingtonians 16 and over can apply to receive a $300 rebate or, if a resident’s income is less than 80% of the median for the county they reside in, up to $1200 off a new qualifying e-bike and equipment if funds remain after the e-bike is purchased. Read more here and see a list of qualifying e-bikes here.

Report Outlining Scenarios for the Future of Florida Released

1000 Friends of Florida, in collaboration with the University of Florida’s Center for Landscape Conservation Planning, recently released a condensed, visually focused document that highlighted key findings from their GIS-based Sea Level 2040/2070 and Agriculture 2040/2070 reports. These reports compare possible future scenarios for Florida based on current and potential actions, such as allowing unmitigated urban sprawl versus limiting sprawl by focusing on incorporating land conservation practices, and the effects of these choices across decades. With a focus on increasing sea level rise, population growth, and agricultural demands, various remedies have been included, such as payment for ecosystem services. Read more here.

Senate Bill Passed to Incorporate Nature-Based Solutions in Florida

A new bill passed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis earlier this March allows for easier implementation of nature for coastline protection from sea level rise and flood risks. FL Senate Bill 302 fabricated a statewide framework that speeds up the process for the use of mangroves, seagrasses, living shorelines, and hybrid approaches. Requirements include conducting a statewide feasibility study to assess nature-based solutions for enhancing coastal resilience, along with increasing local government awareness to incorporate these solutions in coastal protection efforts. The bill also protects the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve located near Tampa Bay from dredging and commercial transportation throughout the waters. The act takes effect July 1^st, 2026. Read more here.

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Data Visualization of the Week

Bridge Repair and Replacement Funding by State

Bridges across the US continue to be aging and in dire needs of repairs, replacements, and improvements. 27,000 bridges have been repaired using federal money and states are using a new bridge formula program to support these government investments. This bridge formula program gives states access to $26.5 billion in available funds over a whole five-year period. In December 2025, 57% of available funds had been committed on over 7,350 projects. Alabama, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia, and a few others have led the way using up 75% of their funds already. Important projects that have received funding include the New Bedford Bridge Replacement in Massachusetts, a bridge replacement on I-270 in Illinois, and others. Below you can see what states have committed what percentage of their funding. Read more here and take a look at the American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s dashboard on federal funds here.