March 15, 2017
President Trump's proposed cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency were released Thursday, and the news doesn't look good for North Carolina.
The state's environmental programs and laws already are strapped for cash after six years of funding cuts by the Legislature. The proposed EPA budget cuts, as outlined in media reports, could be devastating to programs that protect our water, air, natural areas, coastlines and more. The impact would be especially felt in the loss of enforcement of environmental laws.
The cuts would also affect environmental research at universities across the state. For example, there is speculation that Trump's budget proposal would cut all funding nationwide for the Sea Grant program. The N.C. Sea Grant program, housed at N.C. State University, has been doing research and providing extension services on coastal issues such as erosion, fisheries and aquaculture for almost half a century.
To help you understand what all this means the NC Sierra Club's chapter has prepared a memo that details the potential impact on our state programs from Trump's anticipated proposed cuts. Click here to download the memo.