Congress Advances Key Conservation Priorities in FY26 Funding Package

Last month, a bipartisan package of Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) appropriations bills was signed into law, funding several federal agencies central to Audubon’s priorities, including the Departments of the Interior and Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, and NOAA. The package of spending bills passed Congress with strong bipartisan support, reflecting important alignment that conservation, science, and effective stewardship of our natural resources remain essential public investments.

Most programs that Audubon identified as priorities in its FY26 bird budget received stable funding, with modest increases in some areas and slight cuts in others, providing an important foundation for continued conservation progress. This year’s appropriations process also marked a notable shift, with Congress embedding detailed funding levels directly in final bills, which strengthens accountability, clarity, and stability for agency operations.

What It Means for Birds and Communities

Several elements of the FY26 funding package stand out as clear, tangible progress for Audubon priorities.

Congress sustained investments in large-scale, watershed restoration efforts that are critical to birds, communities, and regional economies. Continued funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program, the Mississippi River Basin, Everglades restoration, and the Saline Lakes Program reflects long-standing bipartisan support for investing in America’s major watersheds that sustain birds, regional economies, and working landscapes. Additionally, the FY26 package provides continued funding for NOAA’s Coastal Zone Management Program and the Army Corps ecosystem restoration efforts, helping to protect and restore coastal wetlands, estuaries, and rivers that are essential for migratory birds and local economies.

The package also includes $4 million for the Bombay Beach Wetland Restoration Project at California’s Salton Sea. In partnership with Audubon and state and federal agencies, this project will stabilize and expand wetland habitat, improve conditions for migratory birds, and reduce harmful dust affecting nearby communities. The Salton Sea is part of an ecologically unique system of saline lakes throughout the western U.S. that provide critically important habitat for migratory shorebirds. 

Congress also protected core bird science programs, which was a particular priority for Audubon’s engagement on Capitol Hill throughout 2025. Earlier in the process, both the Bird Banding Laboratory and the Breeding Bird Survey faced proposed funding cuts with potential long-term consequences. The data from these decades-long successful programs remains foundational to understanding bird population trends and informing conservation action, from habitat threats and avian flu to waterfowl population trends for hunting. Given the importance of these programs for countless agencies, industries, and stakeholders, the funding for both programs was largely left intact after sustained outreach to lawmakers. 

Improving Budget Accountability, Certainty

One important aspect of this year’s appropriations process has received little public attention. For the first time, Congress placed detailed funding levels for federal agencies and programs directly into the final bills, rather than including them as instructions embedded in budget reports issued by Congressional committees.

That shift strengthens accountability, provides agencies clearer direction, and reduces uncertainty, which is particularly important for science-based monitoring programs and large-scale restoration efforts that depend on stable funding over time. Congress also prioritized maintaining staffing funding across federal agencies, recognizing that capacity coupled with expertise and institutional knowledge is essential for carrying out the missions of federal agencies and the programs they oversee.

Where Work Remains 

While the overall package represents a strong outcome, there are areas where Audubon’s priorities fell short. Most notably, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office experienced significant funding reductions. These cuts could slow the pace of grid modernization, which is needed to bring renewable energy projects online. It could also have long-term implications for emissions reduction goals and meeting the growing electricity needs of the U.S., which sustained investment in renewable energy projects helps support.

What Lies Ahead?

The wins from this year’s appropriations process offer renewed hope that investing in the stewardship of our nation’s natural resources and preserving our lands and waters for birds and people remains a priority. They also create new opportunities to work closely with members of Congress to secure directed funding for critically important community projects, from nature centers and natural infrastructure to critical habitat restoration projects like the investment in the Salton Sea included in this year’s budget package. Audubon will begin assembling its priorities for the next budget cycle and build on the strong progress achieved this year.