CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte nonprofit said it's concerned about the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to environmental funding.

Just last week the White House announced plans to cut 65% of the Environmental Protection Agency’s funding.

Local environmental advocates like Sustain Charlotte fear the cuts could be felt at home.

What You Need To Know

  • Sustain Charlotte fears of environmental impacts amid Trump administration mandates

  • Last week the White House announced plans to cut 65% of the Environmental Protection Agency’s funding

  • The EPA fired 2.5% of its workers earlier this month

Since 2007, Sustain Charlotte has made it a mission to make the Queen City more environmentally conscious. 

Sustain Charlotte Director of Engagement and Impact Meg Fencil's love for the environment began early in her life.

"I grew up with a deep connection to the environment. I was the kid who always wanted to play outside and save the worms that were dying on the sidewalk after the rainstorms. I've always understood the value of having a healthy environment," Fencil said.

Fencil believes a healthy environment is now at risk after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to freeze environmental funding. This came after the EPA terminated 2.5% of its workers earlier this month.

Sustain Charlotte worries the reductions could jeopardize critical programs. Some of the funding has been unfrozen, but Fencil said there's still cause for concern.

"Hurricane Helene downed a lot of trees in western and central North Carolina ... those trees are now firewood, and we're already seeing just what the past couple of days of very dry weather, forest fires in South Carolina, North Carolina and places we haven't traditionally seen them, and yet federal workers who would have been involved in helping to ensure that those areas remain safe are at risk of losing their jobs and some have lost their job," Fencil said.

Fencil believes the lack of funding could hurt low-income neighborhoods of west Charlotte, which already struggle with heat concerns being built in an industrial area.

"Some of the federal funding would have allowed for increasing tree canopy in west Charlotte and other parts of the city that don't have that tree canopy. Also, when we think about human health, if we layer heat that can be improved by tree canopy onto the disparities in health outcomes, we know that there are more people that are suffering from diseases that are worsened by heat," Fencil said.

The cuts have been part of a larger attempt to bring down federal spending as a whole.

In an interview last month, new EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said it’s important for the agency to cut out what it deems unnecessary spending.

"Eight entities receive $20 billion and then they distribute to recipients all over the darn place ... that is not a process that is accountable to the EPA, to the government, to the taxpayer," Zeldin said.

Even with the cuts, Zeldin said the EPA will continue its work to protect the environment.

"It's important for us to urgently do everything in our power to make sure that Americans have the cleanest air, land and water," Zeldin said.

Sustain Charlotte also released a statement after the cuts, saying it's "appalled" by the latest actions.