Federal Budget Cuts Impact on Massachusetts' Climate Efforts—Read More in the Boston Globe

On April 1, 2025, CRWA Executive Director Emily Norton spoke before fellow environmental leaders and state Senator Cynthia Creem at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming.

She outlined how federal budget cuts are impacting CRWA, “At the Charles River Watershed Association, executive director Emily Norton said that the organization won’t be receiving a million dollars in federal community project funding it had been expecting, nor will it get the $30,000 from the EPA it had applied for after the entire grant program was eliminated,” writes Sabrina Shankman, the Boston Globe reporter who covered the hearing.

Shankman writes, “Since President Trump took office, some $1.1 billion in climate-related grants for the state or region have been frozen — and almost all of it has been subsequently freed up, following legal challenges. Offshore wind development has been delayed, while progress continues on some projects. Federal jobs have been slashed, others remain vulnerable. And funds for local and regional projects — to protect watersheds, restore wetlands, and more — have been eliminated or are at risk.” We’re thankful to the Boston Globe for covering this important story.

Watch Emily Norton’s statement before the Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming