Federal Cuts Devastate Umpqua Watersheds AmeriCorps Environmental Education Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Federal Cuts Devastate AmeriCorps Environmental Education in Douglas County
Umpqua Watersheds Calls on Community to Stand with Umpqua Community Action Network, (UCAN), Students, Service Members, and Our Planet
Roseburg, OR – May 2, 2025 — In an abrupt and devastating move, the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has terminated over $400 million in funding for AmeriCorps programs nationwide, dismantling the infrastructure of national service that has empowered communities and inspired young leaders for decades. The decision, made by DOGE and endorsed by the federal Administration, has had an immediate, damaging impact—especially on grassroots organizations like Umpqua Watersheds (UW) and the youth they serve.
In Douglas County, the fallout is already being felt. Just as UW prepares for its Eastwood Nature Days—a beloved annual environmental education event that brings over 500 third graders together to connect with the natural world—funding for its AmeriCorps member was cut off without warning. The member, who has worked for months to prepare this event, now faces the premature end of her service due to federal action. To make matters worse, this decision constitutes a breach of contract. UW and other local host sites each paid approximately $12,000—half of the AmeriCorps member’s annual stipend—under a formal 11-month agreement. With the program now terminated three months early, the funding commitment made in good faith has been undermined without recourse.
“AmeriCorps has been the lifeblood of our Environmental Education program,” said Kasey Hovik, Executive Director with Umpqua Watersheds. “Over the past decade, we’ve mentored extraordinary young leaders who’ve laid the foundation for one of Oregon’s most successful environmental education programs. To see it dismantled by a bureaucratic decision with no accountability to those it affects is unconscionable.”
Although DOGE has halted the funding, UW will not let the program die. Their current AmeriCorps member, exemplifying the spirit of service, has offered to continue working without pay. UW leadership, will be utilizing emergency funds to cover the amount of her stipend by bringing her on as an employee.
“This isn’t just about funding,” Hovik said. “It’s about our duty—to our children, our land, and our collective future. We will not let this decision, made in a federal office far from here, extinguish the light of education and service in our community.”
Umpqua Watersheds urges the public to:
• Contact federal representatives and demand the reversal of this harmful decision by DOGE
• Support local AmeriCorps host organizations and their members
• Donate directly to Umpqua Watersheds’ Environmental Education Program and to support the UCAN AmeriCorps programs to help fill the funding gap and sustain programming through the summer.
Despite the blow dealt by DOGE and the Administration, the resolve in Douglas County remains firm. “We are calm, focused, and determined,” Hovik added. “The loss is real, but so is our courage. We’ve weathered storms before—and we will rise to meet this one, together.”
