Over the last few months, many of you have reached out to see if recent federal actions have had an impact on our organization and our cherished James River. We have been closely monitoring these major changes as they’ve been announced and working to understand how they impact our work to protect the James River and connect people to it.
First, JRA and our partners across the Chesapeake Bay rely heavily on the work of federal agencies that have experienced major cuts. From the weather and water data provided by partners like NOAA and USGS, to the field staff at USDA who work with farmers to install conservation practices, to the regulatory programs overseen by the EPA, significant cuts to these agencies have already and will continue to impact JRA’s work and the James River.
Secondly, JRA has been affected directly by the federal funding freeze. As federal agencies paused the administration of already-awarded grants to review them for alignment with the President’s Executive Orders, our programs had to stop work. One significant grant that is critical to our restoration programs remains frozen.
We are also monitoring how federal cuts are impacting Virginia’s state budget. JRA has worked for years to increase state investments in clean water programs – and we’ve seen some great progress. However, as this legislative session wraps up, we are seeing $72 million for clean water programs removed from the state budget in order to add to the state’s rainy day fund.
All of these changes at the federal level make our work at the state and local level even more important. Despite these challenges, we are continuing the fight to restore the James River and advocate for the funding and policies that protect it.
This also means that your support and engagement are more important than ever. I hope you’ll volunteer, join our Action Network, or support our work with a sustaining gift.
We will continue to keep you apprised of our work for the river in this critical time.
Sincerely,
Bill Street
President & CEO, James River Association
