A bald eagle soars in the Indiana sky. The state’s Department of Natural Resources and private land trusts often work together to preserve Indiana land and wildlife, but federal budget cuts have caused anxiety over what the future may hold.

Federal funding and budget cuts may affect the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the state’s land trusts, hindering their ability to protect Indiana’s native lands by diminishing critical federal revenue.

In light of this, land trusts like the Nature Conservancy and ACRES Land Trust are determined to do what they can in the name of preservation.

“Conservation often takes a disproportionate hit,” said Cassandra Hauswald, conservation program lead for the Nature Conservancy Indiana in regard to federal funding cuts.

The Indiana DNR receives funding from a variety of different sources, both state and federal, and the same is true for land trusts. Federal funds that go to land trusts come through the DNR for acquisitions. If those funds are diminished or cut, the process of acquiring land will slow down.

“We are expecting less federal money being available to land trusts, at least short term, for acquisition,” said Jason Kissel, executive director for ACRES Land Trust, a nonprofit that works in northeast Indiana, southern Michigan and northwest Ohio.

Land trusts or land conservancies are nonprofit organizations that work with communities and private landowners to preserve areas. Nature-based land trusts play a pivotal role in conserving natural areas from development and managing the ecosystems there. They receive funding from a variety of sources, from federal grants to fundraising, with which they can purchase and manage land.

In the Hoosier state, land trusts like ACRES and the Nature Conservancy have a strong relationship with the DNR, allowing one to step in for the other when needed.

“We have been partners for so long. It’s always been a really good partnership. We kind of share projects. … It’s a nice compliment to each other,” Kissel said.

Land trusts have local knowledge of the lands that are in need of preservation and can utilize public support through fundraising. Additionally, if land goes up for sale, they can act quicker in purchasing and holding it until the DNR can buy it back. Kissel described land trusts as being “more nimble.”

At the same time, land trusts rely on the expertise of ecologists, foresters, botanists and other experts to make informed decisions on management practices and choosing the lands they protect. The DNR can also provide state funding for land purchases through the Next Level Conservation Trust, for example.

Land trusts still use federal resources, though. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a federal source of revenue that land trusts can use for growing native vegetation and improving soil quality, water quality, and wildlife habitat. They can also use the federal and state grants obtained by Ducks Unlimited for conservation. Oftentimes, federal and state funding comes in big chunks compared to the smaller amounts obtained through fundraising and donations.

Additionally, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) provides critical conservation information through federally funded surveys and research that is utilized both by the DNR and land trusts across the state. For example, catalogues of certain species and the areas they inhabit help land trusts determine what areas should take priority in conservation.

“If there are cuts to those things, eventually we have less data, and less data means less knowledge, and so the less knowledge we have, the less informed our decisions are,” Hauswald said.

Both the DNR and land trusts could be affected by these cuts, but land trusts have more flexibility. ACRES Land Trust, the first in the state, has a history of independence from federal funds.

This flexibility, combined with the partnership with the DNR that has flourished for years, means land trusts can help out—and they are ready to in ways like purchasing and holding lands for the DNR.

“They may not be able to pay us back for years, but that’s OK because we can act in this environment when they can’t,” he said. “The state has strings and we have strings, and we can kind of help each other.”

Aside from this, land trusts can advocate, and through them, so can others.

“We love to see state lands protected, and so we’re always going to advocate on their behalf, and a lot of time, the [DNR] staff members can’t advocate—they kind of have their hands tied. We can lend a voice to support the DNR and other programs,” Kissel said. “Sometimes when people see that government funding is being reduced for a certain service, they respond with private money. It’s through land trusts that the people’s dollars can talk.”

Right now, it’s unclear what land trusts and the DNR are going to do—who is going to help who and when.

“The cuts will have cascading or trickle-down effects, but without those things having happened, it’s hard to say exactly how and where they will trickle down,” Hauswald said. “We know that 77% of people nationally say that even with the economic challenges we have, they want to keep funding for land, water and air.”

The DNR did not respond to multiple attempts for a comment by TheStatehouseFile.com.

“The effects are not felt today or tomorrow but they’re going to be felt over the years,” Hauswald said. “It’s a waiting game.”

ACRES Land Trust and the Nature Conservancy are continuing with their land acquisition goals—in fact, it has been one of the best acquisition years for ACRES. Discussions on the individual, state and federal level will continue as they push the importance of conservation.

“This is a chance for us to really speak up for nature and start to have our elected officials realize how important nature is to everyone,” Hauswald said. “I think there’s a chance for us to really put our money where our mouth is.”