WASHINGTON, D.C. —  Widespread pauses to U.S. Department of Agriculture financial assistance programs will hurt farmers and rural communities that leverage these voluntary funds and programs to recover wildlife, improve soil health and water quality, and sustainably grow their businesses. These funding freezes have caused immense confusion across rural communities, where the sudden halt in payments threatens the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers who are waiting on USDA to follow through on its legal responsibilities.

“These sudden and unprecedented freezes of congressionally directed funding for farmers and rural communities are incredibly concerning. These are not just lines deleted on spreadsheets, but rows of crops on family farms and real jobs in communities,” said Abby Tinsley, vice president of conservation policy for the National Wildlife Federation. “At a time when the farm economy is struggling, farmers need clarity and certainty more than ever. USDA should immediately unfreeze these funds and get money to the producers who keep our country fed."