Trump cancels $45 million in federal funds for conservation in Massachusetts
'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.'
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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
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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,
In December 2022, over 190 countries joined the United States and made
On his first day in office, Trump
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
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