Conservationists Unite Against Cuts to Clean Air, Clean Water, and Wildlife

Hundred of citizens join forces to let their lawmakers know they did not vote for Congress to sacrifice our air, water and public lands

Wildlife champions from across the nation gathered on Capitol Hill to speak out against budget cuts to conservation programs in the Continuing Resolution. Members from the National Wildlife Federation, Teaming with Wildlife, Great Lakes Coalition, Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, Izaak Walton League of America, River Network, Choose Clean Water Coalition, and the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies all rallied in Washington, D.C. These organizations represent the interests of millions of Americans who want to protect clean air, clean water and wildlife.

H.R.1, the Continuing Resolution (CR) passed by the House of Representatives, zeros out funding for some bedrock environmental protection programs and dramatically cuts others.

Some of the programs that will be devastated by this legislation include:

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Great Lakes restoration efforts funded by the federal government are cleaning up drinking water flowing to millions of homes and thousands of industries. 

• CR funding level: $225 million
• Amount cut: $250 million

State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program

The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program protects at risk animals from becoming endangered species by supporting non-regulatory, state-based conservation efforts.

• CR funding level: $0
• Amount cut: $90 million

Land and Water Conservation Fund

The Land and Water Conservation Fund acquires land and water for recreation and habitat conservation purposes as well as preserving historic battlefields and cultural sites and conserving working farms and ranches. 

• CR Funding level: $59 million
• Amount cut: $393 million

Clean air, public transportation, renewable energy, and agriculture programs are also facing big losses under the continuing resolution. These drastic budget cuts will impact conservation efforts in every state and U.S. territory.

Representatives Jim Moran (VA-08), Rush Holt (NJ-12), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07) and John Sarbanes (MD-03) joined with these conservation groups for a press conference in on the Hill Triangle. The congressmen urged their colleagues and voters to preserve our natural resources and outdoor heritage for current and future generations.

"Clean air, clean water and health natural resources are what make our country strong, make our quality of life some of the best in the world. Programs that protect our health and our way of life shouldn’t be cut," says Jeremy Symons, senior vice president, National Wildlife Federation. "If certain members of Congress really want to save taxpayers money, why not cut something that’s not needed, like the billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies for some of the wealthiest global oil companies in the world?"

"We can’t afford not to protect the Great Lakes—they contain over 90 percent of this country's surface fresh water and supply drinking water to more than 30 million people," says Jeff Skelding, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. "Restoration efforts are already producing results, but there is still a lot of work to be done. If we cut funding now, it will only cost more later because all of these projects will only get harder and more expensive the longer we wait."

"State Wildlife Grant dollars enable state fish and wildlife agencies to restore wildlife populations, often for species for which little attention has been paid to in the past," says Ron Regan, executive director of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. "These critical funds support science-based, on-the-ground conservation in every state and territory to prevent wildlife from declining to the point of being listed as endangered; when it can cost taxpayers millions of dollars per species to bring them back, if they can."

"The attack on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay is centered on the Goodlatte Amendment," says Tony Caligiuri, co-chair of the Choose Clean Water Coalition. "This amendment is so broad that it might restrict nearly every federal dollar going toward restoring the rivers and streams of the Chesapeake Bay. We’re not sure why the House is giving polluters a pass to wreak havoc on the source of drinking water for millions."

Conservationists will continue to push Congress to protect public health, public lands and wildlife. For more information on the impact of budget cuts to clean water, air and wildlife, visit the National Wildlife Federation’s Continuing Resolution page.