Massachusetts leaders are condemning the recent rollback of $45 million in federal funds that had been aimed at conservation efforts around the state.
The funds include $20.8 million for the longterm protection of farmlands, forests, and wetlands, and $25 million for Mass Audubon to protect 10,000 acres of forests and wetlands along the Connecticut River.
“President Trump is yet again taking action that will hurt Massachusetts’ rural communities, farmers and economy,” said Governor Maura Healey, who called for a reversal of the cuts. “This is funding that would have been used to ensure clean water, provide access to fresh local food, and support our agricultural economy.”
The moves are among the latest efforts by the Trump administration to claw back funds granted in the waning days of Joe Biden’s presidency, and follow months of cuts to agencies and federal dollars aimed at protecting forests and public lands.
“When we stop protecting natural lands, we lose clean air, flood protection, and the ability to slow climate change,” said Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “These places absorb carbon, shield our homes from extreme weather, and keep nature in balance. Without them, we all feel the impact.”
The state was told of the cancellation on June 11. A spokesperson for the US Department of Agriculture did not respond to a request for comment about the decision to cancel the grants.
The programs funded with these grants were part of an effort known as 30 by 30 — a United Nations goal to conserve 30 percent of lands and water by 2030, which had been embraced by the Biden administration in 2021.
The idea is that by conserving vast parts of the planet, the world can tackle two crises at once: the climate crisis, driven by the burning of fossil fuels and made worse by the destruction of natural lands that can absorb climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions, and the rapid loss of biodiversity. The planet’s wildlife populations fell some 73 percent between 1970 and 2020, according to a report by the World Wide Fund for Nature.
In December 2022, over 190 countries joined the United States and made a suite of commitments, including 30 by 30.
On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order cancelling the United States’ commitment.
The $25 million to Mass Audubon was the largest federal grant ever received in the organization’s 128-year history. The conservation of the forests and wetlands serves several purposes, including protecting the many biodiverse species that live there, and ensuring the carbon locked up in the trees and other fauna is not released into the atmosphere.
“The grant have protected 10,000 acres of land that safeguards the public’s drinking water and benefits wildlife,” said David O’Neill, chief executive of Mass Audubon. “When we terminate grants that conserve our forests, keep working lands working, act as a flood protection buffer for communities, and leverage millions from other funding sources, we all lose.”
Sabrina Shankman can be reached at sabrina.shankman@globe.com.
