At the end of April, some America the Beautiful for All coalition members gathered to reflect on our coalition members’ experiences at the 100 day mark of the Trump administration. Even though we knew what to expect based on our experiences from 2017, the speed, severity and cruelty is shocking. DOGE cuts have caused some coalition members to lose important government grants and abruptly cut short Americorps volunteers’ service year. Together we will support one another, while holding fast and urging our champion policymakers not to give up an inch of the gains. To strengthen our collective action, we invite you to fill out a coalition asset mapping survey. The results of our asset mapping process will help coalition leaders match coalition opportunities to you and your organization’s goals. If you need support and assistance, we outline some opportunities and spaces to gather as well. As always, we invite you to reach out with items you’d like to see highlighted in the newsletter. Our coalition exists to foster stronger collaborations among our members, and we want to spread the word on what you are doing.

In solidarity. 

Shantha Alonso and Team ATB4A

GET ENGAGED 

House budget reconciliation slashes conservation. The massive budget bill slashes conservation, undoes resource management plans, requires selling off 500,000 acres of public lands and  large-scale extraction revenues from leasing public lands and waters. “Instead of investing in improving our country’s ecological health, House Republicans are proposing to exploit our public lands and waters to raise around $15 billion in new revenue to help pay for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts for billionaires,” the coalition said in a press statement. The approach is deeply out of step with voters according to a poll released by the National Wildlife Federation finding that Westerners overwhelmingly oppose the rollback of ecosystem safeguards.

Urban parks and greenspace webinar to focus on local stories May 30th. Our 4-part webinar series explores the rising threat of extreme weather and how it disproportionately affects underserved communities. Discover how equitable access to parks and greenspaces can be a powerful solution for cooling cities, mitigating storm impacts and building climate resilience. Join us for our next webinar on 5/30 which will feature local stories and community-driven solutions with our partners Nature for All, WE ACT, and AZ(Land). You can register to attend one or several of our series of webinars here. If you missed our April 25th webinar which sets the context for this important topic, you can view that here.  

Coalition members’ sharing & listening space. April 21-June 16, AtB4A Coalition is hosting open conversation among coalition members on how to stay brave and safe during these challenging times. Drop in when you can. The goal among participants each week is to build mutual understanding and connect coalition members to one another. This is primarily a listening space, not a problem-solving space. However, we hope useful connections and ways forward emerge organically from these conversations. Sign up here to get the calendar invitation.

Fixing the So-Called “Fix Our Forests Act.” The Fix Our Forests Act attempts to address the most pressing issues facing our forests, but even many groups that support passing a bill like this say it bypasses critical environmental laws, stifles science-based decision making and muzzles the public’s voice.  It would be especially harmful to endangered species. Many coalition members are sounding the alarm, even as the bill steams along in the legislative process, receiving a Senate hearing in recent days.

NEWS BRIEFS

Attacks on monuments begin, Pacific Islands monument shrinks in what could be the first of many. Last month President Trump signed an order shrinking Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to those set in 2009. Angelo Villagomez, ATB4A’s ocean’s co-lead told the New York Times the move “sets a dangerous precedent that our public lands and waters are for sale to the highest bidder.” Those words are proving prophetic as days later the Washington Post reported six national monuments are being considered for elimination. Meanwhile, yet another new poll shows about three-quarters of Americans support protecting public lands versus opening them up for extraction. 

RESOURCE RADAR 

• Integrating Wellness Into Our Professional Lives. The work of protecting our planet and people is urgent and essential, but demanding on the people who lead it. Environmental staff can face limited resources, uncertainty, and emotional strain, all of which contribute to burnout. Join a discussion that helps prioritize well-being to stay effective over the long haul. The session is sponsored by Green 2.0 and Climate Critical on Tuesday, May 20th at 1PM ET.  Register here.

• Updates from the States: Some are Strengthening their Wildlife Agencies in 2025 and Staying Focused on 30x30. Policy Priorities and Campaigns Committee Co-Chair Kate Burgess presented to the America the Beautiful for All coalition about our options to focus on certain states as a coalition to continue making progress. Kate works for the National Council of Environmental Legislators (NCEL), which tracks how state wildlife agencies are expanding their funding sources outside of traditional hunting and fishing fees, while serving audiences beyond sportsmen, and diversifying their qualifications for commissioners and related appointments. Read more from their recent blog here. And on a related topic, NCEL is tracking how states are meeting 30x30 goals, even as the Trump administration does  the opposite, focusing on extraction and development and rolling back protections. Read the NCEL 30x30 blog here. 

• White House Wants a List of Lands to Mine. A new report from CAP finds President Trump’s “mine everywhere” executive order could endanger national monuments, the Arctic, national forests and other public lands. Trump's order calls for a list of national public lands with potential mineral deposits and the prioritization of mining on those lands. Read the report here. Relatedly, Interior is reportedly looking to create a sovereign wealth fund to goose mining interest in lands and waters that the department oversees. 

• Experiential Learning Trips this Summer - New Community Project is hosting trips to Lybrook, NM and to Denali/Kenai Fjords, AK. Learn more and sign up at the links.

• Most marine waters remain unprotected. The Center for American Progress and several ATB4A member partners released a new report, Nearshore Ocean Progress: State and Local Leadership That Works for People and Ecosystems. The report finds that while less than 1% of Americans live in Hawaii and the Pacific territories, these areas are home to  99% of U.S. Marine Protected Areas, leaving much of the continental U.S. unprotected. Kudos to report co-author Angelo Villagomez who was just named to Washingtonian’s most influential people list!

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

Free access to Candid Foundation Database for small organizations that lost federal funding According to Candid, at least 30% of U.S. nonprofits receive government grants, and for more than 35,000 of them, those grants make up over half of their total revenue. We know quite a few are in our Coalition. We hope the free access to the Candid foundation database can help. Learn more. 

Financial support for Tribal conservation easements. First Nations is now accepting applications under their Stewarding Native Lands program to support tribal acquisitions of conservation easements. The grants will provide Tribes with resources necessary to build capacity to hold conservation easements for land protection, community access, and stewardship. First Nations expects to award six grants up to $50,000 each to eligible Tribes. Applications are due June 11th. Apply here. 

Place-based landscape conservation collaboration funding. The Network for Landscape Conservation is currently accepting proposals for the 2025 funding round of the Catalyst Fund. Interested applicants should review the RFP and the Applicant Guidance Document to best understand how to submit a strong proposal. These FAQs may also be helpful in clarifying any questions. Applicants may submit proposals via the Network’s online application system through Friday, May 16, 2025.

Rapid response grants for trans-led work. The Action for Transformation Fund is accepting applications on a rolling deadline. The grants will average $10,000 and are one-time. Click here for details.  

NFWF landscape conservation proposals. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation accepting pre-proposals in their Acres for America program to advance landscape conservation and protect critical habitat. The pre-proposal submission deadline is May 20th. More information is here. 

If you have events, training opportunities, or advocacy actions you would like included in future monthly newsletters, please contact our newsletter editor Tony Iallonardo.