THE NATURE CONSERVANCY • April 7, 2026
President Trump just released his annual proposed budget, which includes severe cuts to conservation and climate programs. These significant cuts to safeguarding nature are similar to drastic reductions proposed to many of these programs last year. And we simply can't let them happen. Especially since we now have hard data showing that investing in nature is one of the smartest investments our government can make because of the tangible benefits it creates. The next steps in setting the federal budget now sit with Congress. We need to show them that the return on investment in conservation programs is huge — an average return of $4 for every $1 spent. In some cases, it's even higher, like saving $7 in future disaster costs for every $1 spent on conservation.