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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fritz the Cat" data-source="post: 446451" data-attributes="member: 605"><h3>Trump’s Order to Pause Federal Grants Causes Chaos in the Conservation World</h3>The reversal of an executive order is welcome news to conservationists. State agencies and critter organizations were worried that Pittman-Robertson dollars will be cut off, along with other essential programs that fund wildlife management, habitat work, and public accessBy <a href="https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/andrew-mckean/" target="_blank">Andrew McKean</a>, <a href="https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/natalie-krebs/" target="_blank">Natalie Krebs</a>Updated on Jan 29, 2025<img src="https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/deer_herd_about_to_run.jpg?quality=85&w=2048" alt="A herd of mule deer, likely about to bolt." class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />The Trump administration has rescinded its freeze on federal grants and loans that caused massive confusion across all sectors of the country Tuesday, including within state game and fish agencies and conservation organizations like Pheasants Forever, the National Deer Association, and others. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-rescinds-order-that-had-frozen-federal-aid-official-says-2025-01-29/" target="_blank">Multiple news outlets reported the reversal</a> on Wednesday, reportedly confirmed by White House officials.State wildlife grants administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are likely to be among federal funds affected by the pause. In mid-January the USFWS <a href="https://www.fws.gov/library/collections/final-apportionments-wildlife-restoration-and-sport-fish-restoration-funds" target="_blank">reported</a> that nearly $1 billion in wildlife restoration funds and another $416 million in sport-fish restoration funds generated in fiscal year 2025 were being apportioned to state fish-and-game agencies to fund fish and wildlife management, habitat and access projects, and education and outreach initiatives. Those funds that haven’t yet been paid out are now apparently frozen, part of a government-wide “pause” in federal “grants, loans, or federal financial aid.”Late this afternoon, a federal judge <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5111837-trump-federal-aid-freeze-blocked/?email=e51b4e7d735b506a7703e42245631f0738fb52b3&emaila=ca1129dd8900459c0f7a47ff8803dd1c&emailb=bba16b9b7e034799714f18c55c26f492bbce7275b2fb6f1db96ff70ff37aaa46&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=01.28.25%20CD%20Trump%20fed%20aid" target="_blank">temporarily blocked</a> the order from going into effect, though some federal funding was already unavailable Tuesday.That USFWS funds might be paused caught many sources off guard. They had expected the funds — excise-tax revenue from the sale of guns, ammunition, archery gear, and fishing tackle known as Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson dollars — to be unaffected because they’re not U.S. Treasury revenues but rather specially earmarked pass-through funds.Meanwhile, other conservation funding is likely to be paused. That includes unappropriated funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and Inflation Reduction Act, passed by Congress during the Biden Administration. Large grants from those funds have been used by conservation non-profits, including the <a href="https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/usfs-grants-millions-nwtf-forest-management/" target="_blank">National Wild Turkey Federation</a> and <a href="https://muledeer.org/news/mdf-announces-major-new-partnerships-usfs-and-blm/?srsltid=AfmBOorXAmJ5lDS7W_YsZ-szu6qlbe1tQcc2jBvfhuVpc7Ptr-GyjT9p" target="_blank">Mule Deer Foundation</a>, for stewardship work historically performed by federal agencies.NDA, the discussion is about contracts awarded to non-profits. National Wildlife Turkey Federation and some others were to receive $100 million dollars to clear trees and underbrush for fire control. Poor idea or good idea?“It’s our understanding that’s all being paused, at least the unobligated dollars,” said a source close to the administration who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they didn’t have authority to speak on the record. “Funds that have been spent, or have been transferred to NGOs [non-governmental organizations] and earmarked for specific projects, are not affected by the pause.”<h3></h3>It’s less clear if funds distributed through the <a href="https://www.doi.gov/lwcf" target="_blank">Land and Water Conservation Fund</a>, collected through a federal tax on off-shore oil and gas sales and distributed to states and local governments for outdoor recreation, open-space acquisition, and access projects, will be affected.NDA, the discussion about the Land Water Conservation Fund was passed 1964 at $90 million. It was only fully funded twice. Orgs and government had to make requests every year. They wanted ninety million permanent for themselves to spend. I don't know why the first Trump administration gave it to them with an asterisk they couldn't use it to purchase land. When Biden got in, they line itemed the part cannot purchase land right out of there.“Everything is so uncertain right now. This is an unprecedented situation and we are waiting for guidance just like everyone else,” says Ariel Alberti Wiegard, vice president of government affairs for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. “We haven’t yet gotten clarity from our agency partners and we also haven’t gotten clarity from Congress. We’re just in wait-and-see mode, like so many others in the conservation and hunting community who utilize these programs.”<img src="https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/walk_in_access.jpg?strip=all&quality=85&w=2000" alt="A CREP sign." class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />State walk-in-access programs around the country are funded through programs like the Farm Bill and hunter license dollars, which are tied to Pittman-Robertson funds. Photo by Natalie KrebsWhen Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, it included an additional $19.5 billion for Farm Bill conservation programs. As of Spring 2024, about $14 billion of that nearly $20 billion had not yet been spent. Monday’s executive order likely freezes those funds, since the IRA is widely considered by Republicans part of the Green New Deal referenced in the memo. NDA, Biden's Inflation Reduction Act made farm agencies like the Natural Resources Conservation Service flush with cash. Come get some free grass seed. If there was $14 Billion unspent, take it back and don't spend it. That kind of spending causes inflation.“There are a couple possibilities for those IRA dollars. One, they could get cut or rolled back through the OMB effort,” says Wiegard, referring to the memo. Other possibilities include returning the funds to the Treasury, reallocating them, or leaving them to support another five-year Farm Bill.Much of the habitat work being outsourced to conservation groups represents an important way to deliver vital stewardship while responsibly using public funds, says Katie McKalip, vice president of communications and marketing for the Ruffed Grouse and American Woodcock societies, which delivers some of that federally directed conservation work.“Our work is the very definition of government efficiency, and outputs and outcomes from this work — and from our national forests — support communities all across the country,” says McKalip. “We’re committed to seeing this crucial habitat work advance, and we look forward to working with the administration to continue to create and build healthy forest landscapes.”In addition to supporting key conservation projects, federal grant money also helps fund some staff salaries at organizations like the National Deer Association.NDA, The National Deer Association is a non-governmental org NGO. If they are receiving federal money to make payroll, then wouldn't they be a GO or Governmental org? “People are wondering if they have jobs, if they don’t have jobs,” says NDA president and CEO Nick Pinizzotto. “Initially we had concerns [since] our state agencies get a certain amount of funding from Pittman-Robertson and [staff] positions that we would have are also tied to that money. So that would be a huge impact not only to us, but many of our partners.”NDA, this article is a little dated but gives insight into Trump and DOGE. USAID was low hanging fruit because the non-profit was offshore and blatant. As DOGE turns inward or looks inside the U.S. the non-profits are going to get more vocal to guard their share of the spoils. </blockquote>

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