Mayor Bowser’s proposed budget cuts District programs that protect our rivers, parks and people in Washington, DC.
The nation’s capital faces another challenging budget season and is proposing major reductions to key programs overseen by Department of Energy and Environment’s (DOEE). This means we need your help to call on the Council to PUT BACK funding to these programs that protect our air quality, energy bills, water, and people!
In the past DC has made necessary investments into environmental programs while complying with federal laws to ensure DC residents have cleaner water, cleaner air, and a healthier city overall. These programs and the city’s are essential to the health and economic growth of DC. If we do not restore some, if not all of the agency’s funding, DC will divest in the communities and people that make the city great and invest in projects and cater to personal and corporate interests.
Help us advocate for preserving critical funding!
Sign up to submit testimony!
Ask Council member Charles Allen and DC Council to preserve critical funding. Clearly state your support for sustained investments in our communities and going forward. Tell your personal story about why restoring the agency’s funding important to you.
Contact your Councilmember directly. Call or email your ward councilmember, at-large members, and the chairman to ask for their support in restoring funding to the programs listed below. Unsure what ward you live in? Use this link to locate your ward and councilmember based on your zip code.
Want more details?
Email our DC Conservation Advocate, Jamoni Overby ([email protected]) for questions or help with your testimony.
For this FY26 budget
Nature Forward will advocate for restoring funding for the following programs. Use this information to help craft your testimony and asks from council members:
(1) Restore $22.6 Million of DOEE Stormwater Funds Necessary for Clean Water Act
In 1972, Congress passed the Clean Water Act, which regulates discharges to waters of the United States and set a national water quality criteria that the District is required to meet. For decades, DOEE has worked hard to comply with the US landmark Clean Water Act. The Mayor’s proposed cuts will be illegal, cost the District millions (35,000 a day) and end green infrastructure maintenance that help protect homes from flooding, beautify our parks and promote community well-being.
DC simply cannot afford to not comply with the Clean Water Act.
(2) Restore other proposed funding cuts to DOEE Programs including:
- FloodSmart Homes: A program that helps homeowners in flood-prone areas assess and reduce their risk of flooding. It often includes home assessments, technical assistance, and financial incentives for installing flood mitigation measures like sump pumps or raised utilities.
- RiverSmart Homes: An initiative by the DC Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) offering rebates and technical support to homeowners who install green infrastructure such as rain barrels, native plants, permeable pavement, and rain gardens to reduce stormwater runoff and protect local waterways.
- Trash trap Maintenance: The ongoing service and upkeep of devices placed in waterways to capture floating trash and debris. Maintenance ensures the traps remain functional and effective in reducing pollution in streams and rivers.
- Community Stormwater Solutions Grants: A competitive grant program by DOEE that funds community-led projects to educate residents, manage stormwater, and improve the health of DC’s rivers.
- RiverSmart Communities: This program supports larger residential properties non-profits, faith institutions, and schools in implementing stormwater management practices. It offers design assistance, funding, and maintenance planning for sustainable infrastructure improvements and flood mitigation.
- Illicit Discharge Detection: A regulatory program that identifies and eliminates illegal discharges (like sewage or chemicals) entering storm drains and waterways. It involves water testing, inspection, and enforcement to protect public health and aquatic ecosystems.
- Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Programs and Mandatory Bacteria Sampling: Community science initiatives where trained volunteers collect and report water quality data to help monitor the health of local streams and rivers. Some sites require regular testing to comply with environmental standards or legal mandates.
- Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences (MWEE) for Title I Schools: Environmental education programs designed to provide underserved students with hands-on experiences that connect classroom learning to local watershed issues. Supported by DC and Chesapeake Bay initiatives, MWEE programs integrate science, fieldwork, and civic action into DC schools.
- Anacostia River Boat Tours: Educational and recreational boat tours along the Anacostia River that teach participants about the river’s history, ecology, pollution challenges, and restoration efforts.
Writing your comments is as easy as 1-2-3!
- Introduce yourself: (a) Mention your Ward and how long you have been a DC resident (find it if you don’t know) and (b) Share your connection to these programs
- Express support for restoring the cuts most important to you.
- Say why it matters to you and your community.
- Sign up NOW to submit your testimony to Council or upload your written testimony.
Nature Forward invites you to join us for Green Budget Day of Action at The John A. Wilson Building on Monday, June 16th at 8:00 am. TAKE ACTION and join us anytime during the day. Use the form below or RSVP HERE and don’t forget to WEAR GREEN!
Why Green Day? We continue to see that when DC’s local budget is tight, DC’s funds to protect nature, ensure environmental health and justice, make energy bills affordable, support public transit, and reduce carbon emissions are some of the first to be cut. This has to stop. Our communities and our climate cannot wait. We cannot continue to sell out the District’s future, the health of our neighbors, workers, and communities, and the ongoing environmental justice fights in our city. With this day of action we hope to send a clear message to District leaders: don’t touch our green programs!