Audubon’s 2023 Bird Budget: Federal Funding Priorities to Restore Birds

By Fluff Love Pets Last updated Jul 23, 2022

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The birds are telling us that we should do more to invest in their future. Federal funding is key to restoring birds from a decline of 3 billion birds since 1970, by investing in climate solutions, conserving natural resources, building resilient communities, and protecting to birds. As Congress considers the FY23 budget proposal from President Biden, Audubon is urging increased investment for federal agencies and programs that will reduce carbon emissions, conserve our lands and waters, and restore of bird population.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed into law in 2021, made a historic five-year investment in many conservation areas. Congress must build on this success by ensuring that annual appropriations for conservation programs continue to increase, to rebuild staff and operations from four years of budget cuts. IIJA funding should be considered a down payment to begin rebuilding our bird populations; but annual investments through the appropriations process are still critical.

As the climate crisis continues to affect communities across the country, Congress must seize this opportunity to address the many, ongoing challenges we face – extended droughts and wildfires in the west, billion-dollar hurricane events that wreak havoc in coastal communities, the toxic spread of invasive. species, and negative human health impacts related to systemic underinvestment. Federal dollars should prioritize poor communities; ensuring that federal funding helps the people who need it most and repairing historic underinvestment.

Audubon supports the following investments in FY23 appropriations bills:

$725 million for Everglades restoration efforts and $15 million for Everglades operations and maintenance within the US Army Corps of Engineers
$55 million for the Upper Mississippi River Restoration program within the US Army Corps of Engineers
$20 million for the WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program within the Bureau of Reclamation
$15 million for the aquatic ecosystem restoration program within the Bureau of Reclamation
$535 million for the EERE Solar Program within the Department of Energy
$345 million for the EERE Wind Program within the Department of Energy
$100 million for the Office of Electricity: Energy Storage within the Department of Energy
$750 million for ARPA-E within the Department of Energy
Full funding and staffing of Renewable Energy Coordination Offices (RECOs), which are essential to the realization of our renewable energy and conservation goals.

$74 million for Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation
We strongly urge Congress to exclude the Greater Sage-Grouse rider, prohibiting DOI from using any funds to make decisions about greater sage-grouse listing. sage-grouse as threatened or endangered.
$7.9 million for NMBCA
$712 million for the National Wildlife Refuge System Refuge Operations and Maintenance
$60 million for NAWCA
$90 million for State and Tribal Wildlife Grants
$74.3 million for Migratory Bird Management
$19.9 million for Migratory Bird Joint Ventures
$5 million for Saline Lakes Integrated Water Availability Assessment at USGS
$15 million for the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program
$15.4 million for USFS International Programs
$74.5 million for USGS Species Management Research

Environmental Protection Agency

Full funding for EPA Geographic Programs, including:
$400 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)
$1 million for the Chesapeake Bay program
$50 million for the Puget Sound program
$50 million for the National Estuary Program
$10 billion for the Clean Water SRF
$10 billion for Drinking Water SRF

Commerce, Justice, and Science

$50.45 million for CZM and Services
Including $10 million for Regional Ocean Partnerships
$132 million for Coastal Management Grants
$60 million for the National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund
$140 million for the National Sea Grant College Program
$42 million for NERR system
The NERR program shall fund $32 million for NERR system operations and $10 million for acquisition, acquisition, and construction of the NERR System.
$84.5 million for Sanctuaries and Marine Protected Areas
$78.2 million for NASA Applied Sciences

State and Foreign Operations

$150.2 million for the GEF and $41.5 million for the InterAmerican Foundation
$1.5 million for Migratory Birds

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