Federal funding for the Tribal Alliance for Pollinators at the Euchee Butterfly Farm is frozen. The paused funds are from through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service.
The non-profit organization assists mostly Indigenous producers and people interested in restoring native plants to improve pollinator and soil health and to support ecosystems. It’s another on a long list of institutions impacted by massive federal funding freezes.
Jane Breckinridge, director of the farm and co-director of the alliance, said the funding allows the organization to work in rural communities without a strong participation in conservation efforts. She said there are strict rules on how funds should be used, with levels of controls and reporting.
“So it's not like anybody's playing fast and lose with this money,” Breckinridge said. “And this money is going out doing things that benefit, actually truthfully, all Oklahomans and so it feels perplexing about why those funds would be frozen.”
Although she could not provide a total of the frozen funds, Breckinridge said it’s significant because it's not just money for work since the Trump Administration took office but also for work approved earlier.
She said funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for the Southern Plains Grassland Program, which gets money through NRCS, is also frozen. She’s been advised to cease project activities. Breckinridge said other grants are also frozen but has not received a stop work order and is working to get more information.
In a statement, a USDA spokesperson said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins released the first tranche of Inflation Reduction Act funds, which were under review, and more announcements are underway.
“USDA is reviewing projects to ensure they are aligned with the President’s directives and that they are focused on supporting farmers and ranchers and rural communities, not far-left climate projects or DEIA initiatives,” the USDA spokesperson said.
Breckinridge said her organization serves thousands of people annually.
She said her organization fills a niche in the state that is in high demand. She said there is a waiting for its services, everything from the information and assistance with restoration projects, to plants and seeds.
“I don't really understand because the programs we're working on aren't controversial, you know?” Breckinridge said. “No matter what your political stripe is, I think we can all agree we need good soil health here in Oklahoma. Man, we were the home of the Dust Bowl, right? If anybody should be behind good soil health, it's us.”
