Advocacy Works: Reflecting on the FY27 DC Budget
This spring, Nature Forward joined residents, partners, and advocates from across the District to urge the DC Council to protect critical environmental and public health investments in the FY27 Budget Support Act. Through testimony, coalition advocacy, meetings with Councilmembers and staffers, and community engagement, we emphasized that environmental funding is not optional; it is essential to the health, safety and economic well-being of District residents.
Nature Forward’s DC Conservation Advocate, Jamoni Overby testified before the Committee on Transportation and Environment on behalf of our 28,000 members and supporters, expressing concern over the Mayor’s proposed 28% reduction to the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). Even after accounting for the loss of federal funding, the proposed local reductions represented another significant cut following last year’s budget reductions.
Building Momentum for DC’s Environmental Budget
A major highlight of this year’s advocacy efforts was the Second Annual Green Budget Day of Action, which brought together over a hundred people including, environmental organizations, community leaders, and residents from across the District to advocate for a budget that reflects DC’s climate and environmental justice commitments. Organized by a coalition of environmental and conservation partners, the day provided an opportunity for advocates to meet directly with Council offices, share stories from impacted communities, and elevate the importance of investing in clean water, healthy homes, climate resilience, and environmental education.
Nature Forward’s GreenKids Director, Jeff Chandler spoke at the rally. He stated that, “Slashing the DOEE budget means taking away vital educational opportunities for children in DC’s underserved schools. Cutting funds including outdoor learning experiences, teacher professional development and student environmental action, is in direct opposition to the Office of the State Superintendent for Education’s Environmental Literacy Plan. It abandons proven learning outcomes and the long-term skills and behaviors we hope to cultivate in young people…”
Participants visited every Councilmember’s office and communicated our various asks across the intersections of the environmental work in DC. The momentum generated through Green Budget Day of Action helped amplify community voices throughout the budget process and reinforced that when residents organize and speak collectively, decision-makers listen.
Healthy Homes
During testimony, Nature Forward called on the Council to protect investments that help District residents transition to healthier, more energy-efficient homes.
Programs that support electrification and healthy housing reduce utility bills, improve indoor air quality, lower climate pollution, and help families avoid costly appliance replacements. These investments are especially important for Black, Brown, and low-income communities that disproportionately experience asthma, poor housing conditions, and high energy burdens.
The final FY27 budget reflected the Council’s recognition that healthy homes are an essential part of creating a more affordable and sustainable District with the restoration of funding for the Sustainable Energy Trust Fund. While additional investments will still be needed in future years, protecting these programs demonstrates that advocacy can influence budget decisions.
Water is Sacred
Nature Forward, as the lead organization for the DC Workgroup for the Choose Clean Water Coalition, urged the Council throughout the budget process to restore funding for programs that protect the District’s rivers, streams, wetlands and drinking water.
Our testimony emphasized that recent threats, like the Potomac Interceptor Sewage Spill, demonstrate why investing in clean water infrastructure cannot be delayed. We also opposed proposals that would divert dedicated stormwater funding away from its intended purpose, potentially increasing pollution while placing the District at risk for future regulatory challenges, including non-compliance with the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4).
Nature Forward advocated for restoring funding across numerous Natural Resources Administration programs, including RiverSmart initiatives, stormwater management, invasive plant control, pollution tracking, environmental education and water quality monitoring.
Continuing the Fight for Lead-Free Homes
Clean, lead-free water is essential for the health of our watersheds and our homes. Nature Forward strongly supported restoring funding for the Lead Pipe Replacement Assistance Program for DC’s FY27 Budget.
Lead exposure remains one of the most preventable environmental health threats facing District families, particularly young children. There is no safe level of exposure to lead. Replacing lead service lines is thus an investment in public health, child development, and environmental justice.
Tene Lewis, volunteer leader with the Campaign to Reduce Lead Exposure and Asthma, and the CEO and Founder of Warriors Empowering District Communities shared in her remarks, “These proposed cuts are not just financial decisions—they are environmental injustices and public health risks. Every DC resident, regardless of their neighborhood or income, deserves access to clean drinking water, safe housing free from lead, and air that supports a healthy life. Equity is not optional—it is the foundation of a just and sustainable city.”
Although advocates worked tirelessly to restore this funding, significant needs remain for DC to keep its ambitious timeline for lead service line replacement. Nature Forward will continue to work alongside partners to ensure every family has access to safe drinking water, and that a residents’ zip code or income level no longer determines his or her level of lead exposure.
Advocacy Makes a Difference
While not every requested investment was fully restored, the Council preserved critical environmental funding that will continue supporting watershed protection and community resilience throughout the District. These investments strengthen DC’s ability to manage stormwater, improve waterways, and prepare neighborhoods for increasingly frequent climate impacts.
Nature Forward remains committed to working with the DC Council, agency leaders, coalition partners, and community members to ensure future budgets continue moving the District toward environmental justice, climate resilience, and healthier neighborhoods for everyone.
| Energy & Housing | Restores $10.1 million to the Sustainable Energy Trust Fund, for programs such as Healthy Homes and Solar for All |
| Clean Water | Provides $7 million for federal clean water compliance requirements |
| Public Transit Infrastructure | Provides $300 million in capital budget funding, prior to the 2030 opening of the new Commanders stadium, for the necessary expansion of the Stadium/Armory Metro station, which had incomprehensibly been left entirely unfunded in the Mayor’s budget proposal. |
| Land Use | Requires the upcoming comprehensive plan for the District to include language addressing the concentration of industrial land use in certain areas of the District |