“President Trump has shown a complete disregard for the fundamental American values…”
For Immediate Release: February 13, 2018
For more information, contact Caroline Brewer, [email protected] or 202-830-5115
In response to President Trump’s budget proposal, ANS Executive Director Lisa Alexander issued the following the statement:
“We’re appalled. President Trump has shown a complete disregard for the fundamental American values of conserving clean air, clean water, and green spaces. As we witnessed, once again, during our visits to Capitol Hill just last week, conservation is not a red state issue or a blue state issue. It’s a core American value. He might be finished, but we’re not. We’re going to keep fighting for the Chesapeake Bay Program, which is an economic driver for this region, as are so many of the other programs that are affected by this poorly imagined budget.”
Examples of how Trump’s budget could affect the DC metro region:
Many programs funded by these agencies send critical grants for local conservation to states and community organizations. For example:
· The 28% cut to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which funds local stream restorations, urban tree planting, wildfire restoration, and so much more. This program has been a huge contributor to restoring the Anacostia River.
· The 90% cut to the Chesapeake Bay Program, which delivers tens of millions of dollars in grants throughout the six-state Chesapeake Bay watershed to improve water quality and restore stream habitat and Bay health. Many of these grants go to farmers to improve their practices on their farms to reduce waste and control water pollution.
· The 100% cut to the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, which provides grant funding to states to conserve and restore endangered species habitat. 100% cut!!
· Also, the White House release claims that, “To further boost hunting opportunities, the Budget invests $34 million in North American Wetlands Conservation Act grants, a program that finances conservation of wetlands and associated uplands habitat to benefit waterfowl.” This is indeed an important source of funding for wetlands conservation…but that topline trumpeting of its importance hides the fact that the request actually reduces this amount by 11%!
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About ANS: ANS is the oldest, independent environmental organization in the DMV. Throughout its history, ANS has played a pivotal role in conserving our region’s iconic natural places from development including the C&O Canal, Dyke Marsh and, most recently, Ten Mile Creek. Past ANS member and board president, Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, is credited with launching the now global environmental movement. ANS’s nature experts provide hundreds of opportunities each year for children and adults to enjoy, learn about, and protect the environment.