Just hours after opening our Clary Hill trails to the public, our TerraCorps Land Stewardship coordinator Mariel Hohmann learned that the Trump administration had slashed federal funding for the Americorps program that placed her with Hilltown Land Trust.
At the end of April, the federal AmeriCorps agency abruptly terminated nearly $400 million in grant program funding. This sudden termination of FY24 grants will likely shutter TerraCorps, and prematurely ends Mariel’s service three months early. TerraCorps is using non-federal funds to support service members for the next few weeks.
We’re committed to supporting the work of land conservation despite these short-sighted federal actions. HLT will privately fund Mariel’s stipend once TerraCorps funds are used up, allowing her to complete the remaining three months of her work – including mandated check-ups on our 5,000 conserved acres. This is an unexpected draw on our operating budget during already uncertain economic times. TerraCorps is also fundraising to cover this financial gap.
We can weather this storm for the time being. However, without TerraCorps members – and the federal funding provided for them – HLT will need to fill the critical land stewardship gaps the program leaves behind.
We need our community’s help to sustain the long-term health of our land stewardship work. A donation to Hilltown Land Trust will help us continue caring for the land, despite the sudden withdrawal of federal funds.
