Implications for Conservation Amidst Federal Freefall

As society grapples with a rapidly changing sociopolitical landscape, what does that mean for our natural world?

Across Conservation Northwest, certain words appear over and over in recent emails—layoffs, reductions in force, chaos, uncertainty. Thus far in 2025, we are witnessing unprecedented disruptions to our mission and communities: deep staffing cuts across public land agencies, unstable funding for conservation initiatives and nonprofits, the weakening of longstanding environmental protections, and threats to rural economies that rely on sustainable land management. The immediate impacts are alarming, but the long-term consequences could shape our ecological future for generations.

These challenges pose a serious risk to our ability to protect, connect, and restore Washington state’s wildlife and wild places. Left unchecked, they threaten to undermine the legacy we’ve spent more than 30 years building. These same risks extend to the communities we work with, many of whom will directly feel cuts to federal funding and staffing for agriculture, energy, timber production, and the clean air and water we all depend on.

“Perhaps there are functions for which smaller government is more efficient, if not better. This is not true for land and water conservation. AI cannot patrol for poachers, restore a stream or forest, or manage a prescribed or wild fire. The federal firings strike deep at the expertise and capacity for our public lands and ecosystems to retain their health and wildness.”

-Mitch Friedman, Executive Director

We won’t let that happen. The need for our work is greater than ever, and we are committed to meeting this moment with resolve. At Conservation Northwest, we are doubling down on our mission—reinvesting in the strategies and partnerships that drive tangible conservation outcomes. We will adapt and refocus our work to maximize benefit for wild and human life. We will continue to invest at the state and local levels, ensuring that even in the face of national uncertainty, we continue delivering meaningful results for Washington’s landscapes and communities.

Over the coming weeks, staff from across Conservation Northwest will contribute to this blog series, sharing their analysis and informed perspectives on how recent actions and policies are impacting our shared environment. Each post will include a specific call to action—sometimes through Conservation Northwest, other times by amplifying the efforts of our partners. Where opportunities for advocacy and engagement arise, we will bring them forward to ensure our collective voice is heard and our impact is maximized.

To be effective, we must start with objective reality. The news cycle shifts rapidly, but we must remain grounded in the fundamental truths of this moment. The following blog in this series will lay out those realities—what is happening and what is at stake. We hope you’ll continue reading, take action when needed, and stand with us in defending the wild places we all cherish.