Nature Under Trump

• Decision Point: This issue will be decided: "Yea or Nay" very soon in the 2026 Budget. We absolutely need to crush this terrible and unlawful idea. There is no reason this should even come close to passing. The budget will require 60 votes. And the Land and Water Conservation Fund is strongly supported by hunters. 

• Origin & Funding History:  Created by Congress in 1964, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) channels offshore oil and gas lease revenues into parks, trails, and wildlife areas. It was permanently funded at $900 million annually via the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020.
• Nationwide Reach: The fund supports conservation in all 50 states - as you can see in this interactive map of LWCF projects. It funds initiatives in national parks, wildlife refuges, battlefields, local parks, ball fields, bike paths, and community playgrounds. 
• Trump Budget Proposal:  The FY 2026 Trump budget seeks to divert $387 million from conservation and recreation grants to deferred maintenance on federal lands.
• Violation of Law:  The Great American Outdoors Act, explicitly directs LCFW money to be spent on land acquisition and recreation, not deferred maintenance.This means any attempt to redirect LWCF dollars toward maintenance violates the intention of the law.
• Conservation Threatened:  The diversion would derail hundreds of local recreation and land-acquisition projects.

• The Land and Water Conservation Fund Coalition advocates specifically on behalf of the LWCF. Please follow them on social media. Engage with their posts to boost their reach. 
• Please call your representative and call your senators about the 2026 budget. Urge them to reject Trump's proposed diversion of LWCF funding. 

• The major fight now centers on the 2026 federal budget. We are now in the middle of budget negotiations in Congress. 
• President Trump has proposed cutting funding for the NWRS to $416 million - a 22% below current levels.
• The National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) is the leading advocate for the NWRS. They are calling for $731 million in funding. They are also fighting against future staffing cuts. 

• Vast Conservation Network:  The National Wildlife Refuge System includes 570 wildlife refuges, 38 wetland management districts, and 5 marine national monuments. It plays a critical role in protecting our nations wildlife and ecosystems. 
• Stark Comparison:  Compare the Refuge System to its sibling (also understaffed) National Park Service:
  
  Refuge System = approx. 1,750 staff.   96 million acres (land).
  National Parks =  approx. 18,000 staff.  84 million acres (land). 

• Decade of Decline:   The Refuge System has been severely understaffed for over a decade. From 2011 to 2024, total staffing dropped 24%, from 3,244 to 2,348 employees. Meanwhile, visitation surged 50% from 45 million to 67 million visitors.
• Collapse Under Trump:  But Trump has thrust the Refuge System staffing into a deep crisis. With layoffs and buyouts, he has cut staff an additional 25% to 1,750. And more staffing cuts could be in the works.
• Critical Staffing Shortfall:  Today, 10% of refuges are completely unstaffed and not a single refuge has the resources it needs to meet its mission. NWRA calculates that 7,330 full time staff are needed to adequately manage the Refuge System. 

• National Wildlife Refuge Association is fighting a very urgent battle for NWRS funding. Please follow them on social media and support them anyway you can.
• Please call your representative and call your senators about the 2026 budget. Urge them to support full funding for the National Wildlife Refuge System at $731 million, as recommended by the National Wildlife Refuge Association.

Federal funding for the project is still frozen, as of May 30. There is no indication that the funding will be restored.

• This project will restore degraded stream and forest ecosystems in NH. 
• Regional benefits will include improved water quality, ecosystem health, and climate resiliency. 
• Trump froze federal funding for the project ($11.46 million) - awarded under the Inflation Reduction Action. 
• Connecticut River Conservancy protects and restores the Connecticut River watershed in CT, MA ,NH, and VT. 

• Support the Connecticut River Conservancy to help them continue their. You can follow them on Facebook, donate, or get involved with the organization.
• Share this entry to raise awareness of halted federal conservation projects.

• Update: Grant Funding for the project has been unfrozen due to a court order. 

• This project uses beetles to control the invasive Leafy Spurge which has become a major problem along the Yampa River. 
• The project was supposed to be conducted with Dinosaur National Monument. 
• Grant funding totaling $$539,174 for the project was frozen by the Trump administration.