Protecting What Matters Most: A Common-Sense Agenda for 2025-26
For more than a century, the Izaak Walton League of America has worked to safeguard the lands, waters and wildlife that define our outdoor heritage.
With the change in presidential administration and the new Congress, the urgency to act has never been greater. Decades of hard-fought conservation victories are under constant threat. Attempts to dismantle bedrock environmental laws, divert conservation funding and open protected lands to development jeopardize the progress we’ve made over the last 100 years.
The power to protect our environment rests with individuals willing to take action. Here’s how you can contribute:
Be an advocate: Call your representatives, use League action alerts and make your voice heard on key conservation policies.
Monitor water quality: Join the League’s network of volunteer scientists working to track and address pollution in local streams and rivers.
Engage with your local chapter and partners: Whether it’s restoring habitat, advocating for policy change or educating your community, your involvement matters.
Transforming agriculture for future generations
Farming is at the heart of America, but without sustainable practices, our land and water resources suffer. The Farm Bill is more than an agricultural policy; it’s really a clean water, wildlife and climate mitigation bill. By implementing policies that support healthy soil, clean water and resilient landscapes, we can create a system that benefits farmers, consumers and the environment.
Action:
We must push for conservation incentives. Two examples: the “Good Farmer Discount” that encourages practices that build healthier soils and reduce water pollution and a State and Tribal Soil Health Grant Program that helps producers transition to more regenerative farming practices.
Protecting and improving drinking water
Water sustains all life and is the north star for the League’s conservation efforts. Yet pollution from industry, agriculture and urban development continues to compromise drinking water across the nation. Recent court rulings, such as Sackett v. EPA, have stripped protections from vital wetlands and tributary streams, leaving the drinking water for millions of Americans vulnerable to life-threatening pollution.
Action:
We need congressional action to restore the Clean Water Act’s authority, ensuring that all waterways remain protected and safe for human consumption and wildlife.
Conserving fish, wildlife and their habitat
From the songbirds in our backyards to the game species that define our hunting traditions, wildlife populations are struggling. More than 12,000 species are at risk due to habitat destruction and climate change. Without intervention, we risk losing the biodiversity that keeps ecosystems healthy and resilient.
Action:
Advocate for the passage of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, which would provide dedicated funding to state wildlife agencies for proactive conservation efforts.
Support new legislation focused on grassland conservation and restoration, ensuring these endangered ecosystems can continue to provide unmatched carbon sequestration and wildlife habitat benefits.
Tackling the climate crisis with natural solutions
Climate change threatens every aspect of our environment, from rising sea levels to extreme weather patterns. While reducing emissions is essential, so is harnessing the power of nature to mitigate climate impacts. Wetlands, forests, grasslands and healthy soils act as natural carbon sinks, absorbing harmful emissions and providing resilience against climate disruptions.
Action:
Advocate for investments in renewable energy infrastructure that prioritize ecosystem- and wildlife-friendly siting.
Expand conservation efforts to protect and restore wetlands and grasslands, maximizing their ability to capture carbon and safeguard biodiversity. Grow the adoption of regenerative farming practices that leave carbon in healthy soils instead of releasing it into the atmosphere every planting season
Preserving America's iconic ecosystems
Some of our most cherished landscapes are under siege—from pollution, invasive species and the relentless push for development. The Mississippi and Ohio rivers, the Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes are ecological treasures and economic powerhouses, yet they remain at risk. America’s 640 million acres of public lands are under attack—from underfunding of management programs to undermining the legitimacy of these national treasures.
Action:
Secure long-term funding for restoration initiatives in key watersheds.
Defend federal public lands from efforts to transfer ownership to state or private entities, ensuring continued public access and conservation protections.
Your kit will include a bottle containing 25 nitrate test strips which you can use to test your water source(s) throughout the year. You’ll also receive postcards explaining how to use your nitrate test strips and how to share your Nitrate Watch results on the Clean Water Hub.
Your kit will include four test strips so you can test your waterway throughout the season. You’ll also receive a chart to help you interpret your results and a postcard with instructions for completing a Salt Watch test and reporting your findings.