Conservation policy isn’t limited to what is happening inside the Washington, DC beltway.
Across the country, Audubon’s state and regional offices work with policymakers, partners, and community leaders to protect the places birds and people depend on. This work turns Audubon’s conservation priorities into lasting protections for habitat, major public investments in conservation, and policies that produce results on the ground.
This year, some of Audubon’s biggest state policy successes show what that network can accomplish by combining local expertise, strong partnerships, and the voices of Audubon members and supporters.
Protecting Habitat at Scale
New Mexico’s 2026 legislative session lasted just 30 days, from January 20 through February 19, but Audubon Southwest emerged with several significant victories for water and wildlife. On March 11, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a state budget that included $13 million for the River Stewardship Program and $10 million for the Strategic Water Reserve, two programs that help protect and restore rivers and water supplies across the state. Lawmakers also passed legislation completing a years-long effort to modernize the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.
In neighboring Arizona, Audubon Southwest entered the 2026 budget process facing a different challenge: protecting conservation programs at a time when state finances were tight. When lawmakers completed their budget work this year, funding for the Arizona Department of Water Resources remained intact, along with $10 million for wildfire response and $30 million for proactive forest health work in high-risk communities. Protecting those investments helps safeguard forests and watersheds that communities and birds alike rely on.
Decades of sustained pressure by Audubon members in New York led state lawmakers to pass a ban on the commercial harvest of horseshoe crabs – a vital food source for some shorebirds. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act in December of 2025 and the law went into effect this year. Horseshoe crabs face many threats, including loss of habitat and overfishing, putting the shorebirds that rely on them at risk, too. Their drastic population declines especially imperil the Red Knot, which relies on horseshoe crab eggs to fuel its long migratory journey from the tip of South America to the Arctic Circle. New York joins Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey in banning commercial harvests.
In some parts of the country local action was a response to a changing federal legal landscape: Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 Sackett v. EPA decision to remove federal Clean Water Act protections from many wetlands and streams, Audubon helped build a coalition supporting a state solution. After Colorado lawmakers passed a law in 2024 creating a state program to protect waters no longer covered by federal law, Audubon worked closely with partner organizations to ensure the state developed the rules needed to make the law work. Over the course of 18 months, Audubon represented environmental organizations during the rulemaking process and provided technical recommendations on what’s required to effectively protect wetlands and streams. The Colorado Water Quality Control Commission approved Regulation 87 in early 2026, establishing the state’s new dredge-and-fill permitting program. Audubon is now helping practitioners and decisionmakers understand and implement these protections.
Securing Major Policy Investments
In Florida, Audubon’s work combined new protections for public lands and coastal habitat with continued investment in Everglades restoration. After Audubon pushed for greater transparency following a controversial proposed land swap at the Guana River Wildlife Management Area just south of Jacksonville, lawmakers unanimously passed HB 441, requiring at least 30 days’ public notice and greater disclosure before the state sells or exchanges conservation lands. Legislators also passed SB 302, strengthening protections for Florida’s aquatic preserves and encouraging nature-based approaches to coastal resilience. Finally, The state’s 2026 budget also included $645 million in full funding for Everglades restoration, maintaining substantial state support despite a smaller overall state budget and supporting projects to restore water flows, improve water quality, and protect habitat across South Florida.
Sometimes Winning Means Blocking
Not every policy victory ends with a bill signed into conservation law.
Mississippi’s 2026 legislative session saw three bills aimed at restricting onshore wind energy. Audubon provided key legislative leaders and committee staff with concise technical resources combating misinformation about the effects of wind turbines on birds and habitat. This offered policymakers the data they needed to evaluate the proposals and prevent three measures from advancing that could have created unnecessary barriers to responsibly sited renewable energy. All three bills ultimately failed.
Local Work, National Impact
While Audubon’s state policy victories of 2026 took different forms and delivered varying conservation outcomes, what connects them is Audubon’s science-guided approach to policymaking. Audubon state and regional teams bring an understanding of the political landscape, conservation needs, and communities they serve. This allows us to pursue opportunities and respond to challenges in ways that make sense for each state. Together, they reflect the same approach: advancing durable policies that protect the lands and waters birds need and delivering conservation results that last.
