An undated provided photo of the Taylor's checkerspot butterfly, which the Institute for Applied Ecology in Corvallis has been working to restore. The organization recently had to suspend its work on the endangered butterfly population after the Trump administration canceled all of its grants through the Department of the Interior.
Courtesy of the Center for Biological Diversity
This fall, the U.S. Department of the Interior canceled nearly 80 grants to organizations that focus on habitat restoration, species conservation and other ecological work. According to a social media post from the Department of Government Efficiency, the cuts were made because the organizations supported diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
More than a third of the grants canceled were awarded to the Institute for Applied Ecology, based in Corvallis. The nonprofit received 30 termination notices on Sept. 23, totaling more than $3.5 million. The Lomakatsi Restoration Project, based in Ashland, also lost $2.4 million across eight grants.
Tom Kaye is the founder and chief scientist at the Institute for Applied Ecology. He joins us to talk about how the funding cuts will hinder conservation efforts in the Pacific Northwest.
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