Previous Funding Updates and Historical Chart

This page includes an archive of funding-related alerts featured on the Alliance's public funding webpage. This page also features a more complete historical chart of funding levels for key programs.

Looking for Farm Bill Updates? They're located on a special page.

Archive of Funding Updates

• February 21, 2013: Honeymoon's Over: Land Trust Priorities at Risk in Washington
• January 2, 2013: Fiscal Cliff Deal Delays Sequestration

• September 17, 2012: Sequestration Would Cut Most Domestic Spending by 8.2 Percent
• September 11, 2012: 6-Month Funding Bill Boosts Most Programs -- Except for Ag Easements

• June 28, 2012: Transportation Bill Drops LWCF, Funds Gulf Coast Restoration

• May 30, 2012: $2.8 Billion for Land Conservation? Act Now for LWCF and Farm Bill Programs
• March 8, 2012: Victory -- Senate Passes Dedicated LWCF & Gulf Coast Funding!

• February 15, 2012: President’s Budget Would Fully Fund FRPP, Boost LWCF
• December 20, 2011: Surprisingly Strong Conservation Funding for 2012
• November 20, 2011: FY 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Enacted with Smaller GRP Cut

• November 1, 2011: Senate Appropriators Restore Funding for Interior Programs
• September 21, 2011: FRPP, GRP and Charitable Deduction at Risk
• August 5, 2011: Small Victories Amidst the Budget Cutting Fervor
• July 20, 2011: Don't Let Conservation Funding Wither in the Summer Heat
• June 9, 2011: House Cuts Farm Bill Easement Programs
• April 14, 2011: Budget Deal Restores Most Conservation Funding

• February 18, 2011: House Republicans, President Obama Battle Over Budgets
• July 2, 2010: House Restores Ag Conservation Funding, Action on LWCF, New Listening Sessions
• February 5, 2010: Budget Includes Big Gains for LWCF, Cuts to Ag Programs
• December 23, 2010: Time Runs Out for LWCF Bills, FY 2011 Appropriations
• November 3, 2009: Appropriations Bills Signed Into Law with Big Gains for Conservation
• May 8, 2009: President Obama's Budget Would Grow LWCF, Cut FRPP

• March 9, 2009: Budget Would Triple LWCF, House Letters Attract Cosponsors

• February 25, 2009: House Passes FY 2009 Appropriations Bill with Modest Gains for Conservation

• February 13, 2009: Stimulus Bill Funding, Congressional Recesses

Historical Summary Table of Recent Funding Levels for Key Conservation Programs

The following are recent funding levels for the programs we follow most closely. All amounts are in millions, rounded to the nearest $100k. Please let us know if you're looking for additional details. Federal budgeting is an extremely complex process, so please let us know if you think we've gotten any of these numbers wrong. Email policy@lta.org

Fiscal Year 2011 to Present

Fiscal Years 2008 to 2011

¹ After Congress failed to enact FY11 appropriations in 2010, the incoming Republican House proposed severe cuts in a bill designated H.R. 1. The marked improvement in the FY 2012 House Interior bill demonstrates the impact of our education efforts.

² These FY 2012 House numbers include $29 million restored to LWCF through successful amendments proposed by Reps. Hinchey, Hayworth, Bass and Tipton (including $7 million for Forest Legacy). The House Interior bill never passed in its amended form.

³ These LWCF totals include the italicized programs below, LWCF Federal acquisition, LWCF State Grants, Forest Legacy Program, and Section 6 Land Acquisition.

⁴ This subtotal includes acquisition funding directed to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and National Park Service (NPS), along with funding for the Office of Valuation Services (OVS). For breakdowns by agency and project, see our LWCF & Forest Legacy page.

⁵ Most of these numbers reflect only the portion of Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation grants derived from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for land acquisition. President Obama's budget requests have drawn all Cooperative Endangered Species funding from LWCF, and thus should be compared to the program totals. Total enacted funding for FY10, 11 and 12 was $85 m, $59.9 m, and $47.8 m respectively.

⁶ With continued authorization of the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) uncertain, the President's request includes only minimal funding for existing agreements and ongoing stewardship.

⁷ Spending for the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) is governed by increasing or decreasing the program's acreage cap. Dollar figures for current or future years are estimates in cases where the committee provides a summary table. The FY13 Senate Ag Approps bill is silent on GRP and it's summary table estimates a $30 million increase over last year's funding level of $86.7 m. That implies a level of $116.7 m, but it's unclear if that's their ultimate intent. The House cap of 23,000 acres represents a major reduction, but we're lucky to be adding acres at all since the program's authorization had been slated to expire. In light of the Farm Bill extension and sequestration, it's not yet clear how much funding will be available.

⁸ While a severe cut, it should be noted that $68 million is actually an improvement over the House's original proposal for FY12. The $90.8 m reflected on this chart includes $29 million restored by subsequent amendments.

⁹ Agency breakdown for Federal LWCF: BLM - $6.7m, FWS - $15.0m (including $4 m for Highlands), NPS - $13.3 m (including $2 m for battlefields), and USFS - $16.5.

¹⁰ CELCP has received some of it's funding from GLRI in recent years: $5 m in FY10, $1 m in FY11 and further GLRI funds are expected in FY12. Thus there is some double-counting in these items.

¹¹ The Continuing Resolution funds the government through March 27, 2013, a .6% increase over FY 2012 appropriations. Sequestration will cut those levels by 8.2% for non-defense discretionary spending and 7.6% for mandatory programs like FRPP. The CR and sequestration are only expected to apply for parts of FY13, but for purposes of comparison, the spending levels are annualized as if they covered a full year.