Policy

The Decade to Deliver

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Dramatic view of a mountain pass under dark clouds in Alaska.

Government investments in climate action and conservation are at an all-time high. We need to keep that momentum going.

Polychrome Pass What we do between now and 2030 will determine whether we avoid the worst impacts of climate change and protect our land, waters and species. © KC Sandidge/TNC Photo Contest 2019

The actions we take this decade will significantly influence our ability to slow the loss of plant and animal species and put us firmly on a path to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the level scientists agree will avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

The decade got off to a great start. In the United States, we saw the passage of the federal Inflation Reduction ActInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Great American Outdoors Act  and dozens of state ballot initiatives that, collectively, provide hundreds of billions of dollars in investments and tax incentives to protect people and the planet.

TNC ensures U.S. conservation policy is implemented strategically by focusing on the people who benefit.

TNC actively works behind the scenes to ensure these policies are implemented with nature and people top of mind. We also partner with federal and state agencies to determine how to effectively and efficiently invest funding included in the legislation. Funding from the IRA and IIJA, for instance, already is being used to accelerate clean energy projects in Kentucky, support stream restoration projects in Maine and plant more trees in Pennsylvania. 

We also jump into defense mode when it appears that conservation and climate policies are going to be scaled back. We do so, in part, by sharing stories about farmers, fishermen, forest landowners and the many other people who benefit from government policies.

Wins at all levels of government are meaningful. What is most important between now and the end of the decade is to keep the momentum going by continuing to help create, implement and defend policies that make conservation and climate action possible.

Climate and Conservation Policies for the Win

  • Icon of freshwater.

    $200B

    The IIJA provides billions for over 100 new climate, energy and environmental projects including conservation and natural infrastructure work

  • Icon of people with leaf icon.

    $370B

    Billions from the IRA will go towards increasing clean energy and climate investments and tax incentives over the next 10 years

  • Icon of mountain and tree.

    $2.88B

    The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) provides over $2B a year to help conserve our natural areas and support public lands maintenance

People Who Have Benefited from the Inflation Reduction Act

Jennifer Van Vrancken in front of a marsh
Bucktown Marsh Jennifer Van Vrancken poses with a restored marsh © Kathleeen Flynn
Two people posing for a picture in front of a car.
Heat Mapping Meeka Outlaw and her son in Philadelphia
Man smiling and holding a picture in front of a house.
Powering Change Bobby Stallard, a former coal miner, installed solar. © Mike Wilkinson
Person walking through prescribed fire.
Drip Torch Burning Fire practitioners complete a prescribed burn © TNC/Roberto Rosales
Jennifer Van Vrancken in front of a marsh
Bucktown Marsh Jennifer Van Vrancken poses with a restored marsh © Kathleeen Flynn

IRA

Bringing the marsh back to Metairie, Louisiana

From the day she took office, councilwoman Jennifer Van Vrancken was determined to revive the Lake Pontchartrain waterfront. Now, aided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, construction is underway for a mile-long restored wetland in Van Vrancken's hometown. The project will beckon not only human families, but also birds, fish and other wildlife looking for a safe place to raise the kids.

Two people posing for a picture in front of a car.
Heat Mapping Meeka Outlaw and her son in Philadelphia

IRA

Reducing Summer Heat in Philadelphia

Growing up in South Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry neighborhood, Meeka Outlaw remembers her grandmother chasing the shade when the summer heat would make her neighborhood unbearable. To address worsening urban heat, the Inflation Reduction Act recently awarded millions to Philadelphia and communities across the country to expand their urban tree canopies, especially in historically underserved neighborhoods and communities of color.

Man smiling and holding a picture in front of a house.
Powering Change Bobby Stallard, a former coal miner, installed solar. © Mike Wilkinson

IRA

Helping a Former Coal Miner Install Solar Power

The Appalachians have long been known for coal and the proud heritage of the people who mined it. But after flooding devastated eastern Kentucky in 2022, Bobby Stallard, a former coal miner, is embracing a different form of energy: solar power. Discover how solar energy and federal policies like the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides tax incentives to people who install solar on their homes, are helping shape a more sustainable future, creating job opportunities and empowering people in the region.

Person walking through prescribed fire.
Drip Torch Burning Fire practitioners complete a prescribed burn © TNC/Roberto Rosales

IRA

Improving Ecosystem Health In New Mexico

Inflation Reduction Act investments are helping TNC and the U.S.D.A. Forest Service expand our collaboration on the proactive use of fire to reduce risks to communities and nature. A prescribed fire completed by TNC and the Forest Service in the Gila National Forest in New Mexico is the first of many IRA-supported projects on National Forest Lands.

People Who Have Benefited from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Aerial image of the Maybell ditch.
Maybell ditch Aerials of the Maybell ditch on the Yampa River in northwest Colorado. © Unknown
Two people wearing bright orange vests wade in a river.
Rivers Reborn Dan McCaw searches for Atlantic salmon redds. © Dan McCaw
Bird sitting on bush.
Juvenile ‘I‘iwi The ‘I‘iwi is endemic to Hawai‘i. © Zach Pezzillo/TNC Photo Contest 2019
Person on dock in blue shirt holding blue crab.
Crabbing Tia Clark runs “Casual Crabbing with Tia" © Joy Brown
Group of people reeling in fish.
Reeling In Commercial Fishing on Lake Erie © TNC
Aerial image of the Maybell ditch.
Maybell ditch Aerials of the Maybell ditch on the Yampa River in northwest Colorado. © Unknown

IIJA

Upgrading Irrigation to Support Fish and Ranchers

When severe drought hit his ranch in Maybell, Colorado, Mike Camblin was forced to sell his entire cattle herd. The Maybell community depends on an 18-mile irrigation ditch that draws its water from the Yampa River. Now, that ditch is getting a multimillion-dollar upgrade, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will protect endangered fish in the Yampa River and give the community of Maybell a new lease on life.

Two people wearing bright orange vests wade in a river.
Rivers Reborn Dan McCaw searches for Atlantic salmon redds. © Dan McCaw

IIJA

Rivers Reborn: Maine's Alewives Return Home

Dan McCaw, fisheries biologist for the Penobscot Nation, has reason to celebrate as alewife fish populations continue to make a remarkable recovery in Maine's Penobscot River. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is boosting this effort by helping to reconnect and restore fish passages throughout the watershed.

Bird sitting on bush.
Juvenile ‘I‘iwi The ‘I‘iwi is endemic to Hawai‘i. © Zach Pezzillo/TNC Photo Contest 2019

IIJA

Saving Native Forest Birds in Hawai'i

Hawai'i's native forest birds are facing extinction largely due to avian malaria spread by mosquitoes that were introduced to the island in the 19th century. A new pilot study is now pitting mosquitoes against mosquitoes in hopes of reversing this tragic decline in the state's native birds. That partnership effort recently received a significant boost from the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Person on dock in blue shirt holding blue crab.
Crabbing Tia Clark runs “Casual Crabbing with Tia" © Joy Brown

IIJA

Protecting Coasts and Culture in South Carolina

South Carolinian Tia Clark is bringing national attention to the state's coastline through her business "Casual Crabbing with Tia". Federal Investments through legislation including the IIJA are helping ensure these pristine coastlines are protected for years to come.

Group of people reeling in fish.
Reeling In Commercial Fishing on Lake Erie © TNC

IIJA

Restoring Sandusky Bay for Fish and People

John Buehler's commercial fishing business has endured increasingly severe and frequent storms and toxic algae blooms in recent years that have impacted his ability to operate on Lake Erie. Now, new federal funding from the IIJA is boosting TNC efforts to restore Sandusky Bay's habitats and fisheries to its former glory.

People Who Have Benefited from the Farm Bill

Two people farming in a high tunnel
The Martins Erin and her daughter farm in a high tunnel © Morgan Heim
Grant Victor stands in a pasture with a herd of cattle
Farm Bill Grant Victor stands in a pasture with a herd of cattle. © Nicol Ragland
Woman standing in green jacket in an agriculture field.
Farm Bill Claudia Hauser stands on her farm in Camp Verde, AZ © Morgan Heim
Person smiles at camera in front of avocado tree.
Person walking through the forest.
Increasing Forest Resilience Dr. Salem Saloom walks through his tree farm © Neon Raven
Person on horseback surrounded by cattle.
Cattle Ranch Treg Hatcher runs a calf-cow operation in Syracuse, Kansas. He's been ranching all of his life. © Morgan Heim
Two people farming in a high tunnel
The Martins Erin and her daughter farm in a high tunnel © Morgan Heim

Farm Bill

Sowing Seeds of Change

The Martin family has been farming their land in Mt. Olive, N.C. for more than 140 years. Over the decades, they've learned that surviving as a small-scale farmer is no easy task. When they wanted to build a new high tunnel to lengthen their growing season, they turned to the Farm Bill. The legislation provided funding and a water management plan, but they believe it can do even more to support small-scale farmers in the future.

Grant Victor stands in a pasture with a herd of cattle
Farm Bill Grant Victor stands in a pasture with a herd of cattle. © Nicol Ragland

Farm Bill

On Victor Ranch, Caring for Land and Community

With the help of Farm Bill programs, Grant Victor has transformed his land into a lush place where cattle, crops and nature can thrive. Now, he’s using his decades of expertise to help underserved farmers get in on the conservation game.

Woman standing in green jacket in an agriculture field.
Farm Bill Claudia Hauser stands on her farm in Camp Verde, AZ © Morgan Heim

Farm Bill

A Green Future on the Hauser's Farm in Arizona

Water scarcity and a looming land sale threatened Claudia Hauser's family farm—until opportunity knocked. A new relationship with TNC in Arizona led her to the Farm Bill which helped protect her farm from development through conservation easements and funded projects that made her farm more resilient to drought.

Person smiles at camera in front of avocado tree.

Farm Bill

Farm Bill Helps Maui Farmer Rise from the Ashes

On August 7, Anne Carter and her daughter evacuated their 6-acre farm in Maui, Hawai'i just as a wildfire was starting to burn the tall eucalyptus trees that bordered her farm. Her family and house fortunately survived, but the fire caused significant damage to her certified organic farm destroying her extensive irrigation system and fencing. The repair costs were daunting until she received help from the Farm Bill which provided funds to help her rebuild.

Person walking through the forest.
Increasing Forest Resilience Dr. Salem Saloom walks through his tree farm © Neon Raven

Farm Bill

Restoring Salem Saloom's Tree Farm in Alabama

In 2004, Hurricane Ivan devastated Dr. Salem Saloom’s tree farm. Faced with what to do next, Salem turned to the Farm Bill. He used resources from the bill to replace his downed tree stands with longleaf pine, a native tree species that is more resilient to wind from hurricanes.

Person on horseback surrounded by cattle.
Cattle Ranch Treg Hatcher runs a calf-cow operation in Syracuse, Kansas. He's been ranching all of his life. © Morgan Heim

Farm Bill

How the Farm Bill Saved the Hatcher Family Ranch

For Treg Hatcher, his ranch in Kansas means everything to him. So, when severe drought and a prairie dog invasion left him on the verge of selling the ranch, he was devastated. But assistance from the Farm Bill’s EQIP program funded improvements that saved his cattle and land. Now, it's thriving.

More Federally Funded Conservation and Climate Projects

Click on a photo below to learn about the projects.

With the twin challenges of climate change and species loss, now is the time to do more, not less. These investments by Congress have put solutions within reach. 

Scuba diver diving through coral reef surrounded by fish.
Underwater exploration The IIJA is supporting TNC restoration projects in St. Croix where we're restoring 90 acres of corals. St. Croix has five species of coral that are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act © Jeff Yonover
Two people wading in lake with nets.
Setting Fish Traps The IIJA is also funding a TNC project rebuilding shoreline habitat along Lake Erie in Ohio © Ariana Lindquist

What Happens Now? Our Call to Action

The Nature Conservancy urges Congress to:

  1. Protect these vital programs and incentives from potential cuts, rollbacks or reprogramming
  2. Expand and support these policies through the budget process and in other legislation, such as the Farm Bill, historically one of the most potent conservation tools.

To unlock the full potential of these policies, Congress should also identify opportunities for reforming the energy permitting process and addressing institutional barriers that have prevented communities from accessing conservation and climate programs in the past. 

Sunrise on a beach with palm trees.
Waianapanapa Sands The black sand beach of Waianapanapa Sands near Hana, Maui in the Hawaiian islands. © Patrick Smith