Utah Open Lands is grappling with federal funding freezes that are causing uncertainty with what federal funds will and will not be available to move open lands conservation projects forward.

President Donald Trump’s January federal grants freeze made officially securing funds difficult for Utah Open Lands at first. Trump’s proposed 2026 federal budget is not helping. If approved, it would reduce spending on public lands through Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), where Utah Open Lands secures a fraction of its federal funding support. The budget would cut Natural Resource Conservation Service funding by $754 million.

Some funding for Utah Open Lands preservation projects is also funneled through the new Farm Bill, which is still a work in progress and will be a fundamental shi

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