By Michael Kensinger, Juniata Valley Audubon Society

This guest essay first appeared in the Altoona Mirror on March 8, 2025--

As President of the Juniata Valley Audubon Society, I stand with many who believe in protecting the natural world we depend on — our parks, wildlife and air.

In my experience, this is a shared value of both my Republican colleagues and Democrat colleagues.

These wonders must be preserved, yet today, they face unprecedented threats due to regulatory rollbacks under the Trump administration.

Conservation is a human issue, not a political one. Our environment affects our health, economy and quality of life.

Many of my Republican and Democrat friends can agree on this.

Unfortunately, the current administration has undermined key environmental protections, risking decades of progress.

Rollbacks are threatening our future.

The Trump administration has taken actions that endanger our parks, wildlife, and public lands:

— The Clean Power Plan rollback increases pollution and climate change risks.

— The Endangered Species Act has been weakened, removing protections for at-risk species.

— Public land protections have been reduced, allowing destructive drilling and mining.

— The Migratory Bird Treaty Act protections are undercut, threatening bird species already in decline.

— Water pollution protections have been diminished, endangering our drinking water and ecosystems.

These changes have real-world consequences, threatening biodiversity and putting communities living near polluted sites at risk.

The rollback also hurts the people protecting our environment.

Budget cuts have led to job losses for park rangers and environmental staff, leaving national parks underfunded and understaffed.

These professionals safeguard our national parks, monitor ecosystems and protect endangered species, but many are facing layoffs and pay cuts.

As jobs are lost, our parks grow more vulnerable to industrial exploitation.

But, this administration has made it perfectly clear (even in their first term) that this is the point of the cuts.

We cannot afford to lose this fight.

The rollbacks pose an existential threat to our planet and the livelihoods of those protecting it.

To help, residents can join local conservation groups and become part of the movement to advocate for stronger conservation policies.

Advocate for stronger regulations by writing to your representatives, demanding accountability for harmful environmental decisions.

Support conservation workers by standing with park rangers and environmental staff, calling for fair treatment and restored funding.

Stay informed and share the facts.

Michael Kensinger of Altoona is president of the Juniata Valley Audubon Society.

NewsClips - Federal Cuts, Freeze In PA:

-- TribLive Editorial: President’s Decisions Have Real Impacts On Real People 

-- Guest Essay: Life Depends On Protecting The Natural World, Federal Rollbacks Are Threatening Our Future - By Michael Kensinger, Juniata Valley Audubon Society  [PaEN]

-- Frozen Hoping For A Thaw: Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation Project To Repurpose Fmr Coal Waste Plant Site Into Solar Energy, Mine Water Pool Energy Storage, Cooling Facility In Schuylkill County [PaEN]

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Federal Funding For Cleaning Up Abandoned Mines In PA Must Be Protected - By Eric Dixon, Ohio River Valley Institute

-- PennLive: DOGE Cutting Harrisburg-Area USDA Farm, Rural Development, USGS Water Research Center, Other Offices After Pushing Employees Out 

-- PASA Sustainable Agriculture Starting Employee Furlough Due To Continuing Federal Funding Freeze  [PaEN]

-- WITF/StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Farmers Lose Climate Assistance As President Freezes, Cuts Funding

-- Lancaster Farming: Farmers Feel Loss Of Climate Project Funding After Freezes

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: Lancaster County Farmers Face A Triple Whammy Of Threats: Tariffs, Bird Flu And Federal Funding Cuts 

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Advocates Urge Congress To Keep Funding Chesapeake Bay Cleanup

-- TribLive: Flight 93 Memorial Supporters In Somerset County Step Up Fundraising As Potential Job Cuts Loom 

-- Republican Herald: DOGE May Close Frackville Mine Safety Office

-- Utility Dive: FirstEnergy, Other Utilities Warn They Could Be Hurt By Tariffs: Negatively Impacts Finance Condition, Supply Chain Disruption Delay Building, Maintaining Infrastructure

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Eos Energy Battery Storage Company Touts American-Made Tech Amd Federal Funding Uncertainty

-- WHYY: Montgomery County Residents Protest DOGE Cuts In Aftermath Of SPS Industrial Fire, Environmental Oversight Is Crucial: “Who’s Going To Be Keeping An Eye Out For Us?’

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: If A Catastrophic Flood Hits Pittsburgh, FEMA Won’t Help Enough - Kelly McKinney, NYU Langone Health

-- AP: $75 Million Was Awarded To Plant Trees In Places That Badly Need Them; In Anti-DEI Push, That’s Over

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: President Freezes $12 Million Meant To Help Philly Plant Thousands Of Trees

-- WHYY: Philadelphians Push City To Do More To Plant, Protect Trees; $12 Million Federal Grant Frozen

-- AP: New EPA Guidance Says Spending On Items Greater Than $50,000 Must Get DOGE Approval

--  Wall Street Journal: 2nd Federal Judge Blocks President’s Funding Freeze Indefinitely Saying Cutting Off Funds To State Governments ‘Fundamentally Undermines’ Democracy

-- American Gas Association: President’s Tariffs On Canadian Natural Gas Will Cost US Consumers At Least $1.1 Billion A Year

-- Beaver Times: President’s Tariffs On Imports Could Cost Pennsylvania $5.3 Billion 

-- AP: President Changes Course And Delays Some Tariffs On Mexico And Canada

-- AP: Canada’s Tariffs To Remain Despite President Postponing Tariffs On Many Impacts From Canada For A Month

[Posted: March 8, 2025]

3/10/2025