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Survey: Impacts of Federal Orders

Summary

March 2025

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About this survey

  • TOGETHER Bay Area is a regional voice for the resilient lands and watersheds that are integral to a thriving Bay Area and all people who live here.
  • In February 2025, we surveyed TOGETHER Bay Area members and partner organizations about the real and potential consequences of recent executive and secretarial orders.
  • 28 organizations responded to the survey.
  • All of the respondents are on-the-ground implementers of climate resilience projects and programs working in the San Francisco Bay Area. They are place-based organizations working for healthy lands, waters, and communities.

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Summary of findings

  • There is a significant financial impact. There is at least $60 million in funding for local projects that is currently threatened, but many organizations do not yet know how they will be impacted. The orders about federal funding are slowing down critical work for climate resilient lands, waters, and communities.
  • There is a significant community impact. Orders about federal funding and policies are causing fear, anxiety, and concern for people’s safety and livelihoods.
  • Respondents called for regional collaboration to develop and deliver local solutions.

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Financial Impact

  • Respondents reported uncertainty about at least $60,290,000 of federal funding which is pausing or stopping projects.
    • The types of paused projects include catastrophic wildfire prevention, water quality, healthy forests, sea level rise adaptation, watershed and stream restoration, flood protection, urban forestry, and more.
    • Sources of funding include the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
    • Granting agencies include US Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, US Forest Service, National Park Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and others.
  • Respondents reported receiving conflicting and changing interpretations about the rules for grants and contracts.
  • Respondents reported confusion within their organizations about how to proceed, how other grants will be impacted, what it means for staffing, and how to plan for the short and long term.

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“We were directly affected by the "freeze" of 2 federal grants that were already under signed agreements but we were unable to withdraw funds for past few weeks.”

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“We have significant active grants underway from federal sources that would help to build a more resilient future for forest habitat in the region and help to protect neighboring communities from future mega-fires. At this time we have been told by our funders to continue spending, but we are anxious about a change that could happen at any moment to this funding.”

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Community Impact

  • There is fear of ICE and immigrations enforcement being felt within organizations and from community members.
  • There is concern for public safety because of increased risks for catastrophic wildfires and sea level rise without the projects funded by the federal government.
  • Organizations are experiencing low morale including fear, anxiety, despair, stress, and distraction.
  • Organizations are breaking their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) - at least publicly - in order to minimize the risk of losing federal funding.
  • Organizations are considering potential furloughs and layoffs without anticipated federal support or other sources of funding.
  • There is concern about speaking out because of fear of retaliation.

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“...some park visitors are not coming to programs for fear of immigration enforcement. Staff is worried about park visitors and clamoring to understand how they should/can interface with ICE. Everyone is shell shocked and experiencing PTSD on so many levels.”

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“Staff morale is low, as people are anxious about losing their job and feeling like we compromised our DEI commitments, at least externally.”

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Call for Regional Collaboration and Local Solutions

“I hope we can come together and support each other.”

“We are stronger together! I hope as a region this crisis forces us to find new ways to collaborate and stand in solidarity with each other.”

“I hope our local community will support the organizations and services they'd like to see continue.”

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Contact: Annie Burke

annie@togetherbayarea.org

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Learn more and get involved:

www.TogetherBayArea.org/TogetherNow

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