Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee advanced its Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies spending bill— and while it wasn’t the slash-and-burn bill the President had proposed, it would still deliver a severe setback to the National Wildlife Refuge System. The bill proposes a $22 million cut to Refuge System operations and includes a range of dangerous policy riders that would undermine wildlife conservation across the country. On a good note, the bill maintains funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, one of the most important tools for land acquisition.