Why It Matters

The National Audubon Society is fighting to protect bird populations facing existential threats in a rapidly shifting political landscape. North America has lost 3 billion birds since 1970, with a third of remaining species now requiring urgent conservation action.

Audubon’s core legislative tools are under siege: the Migratory Bird Treaty Act faces regulatory uncertainty, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been opened to oil and gas drilling, and 80 percent of the nation’s protected wetlands may lose federal protection under a new EPA rule.

Audubon’s Q4 2025 lobbying push centers on legislatively enshrining protections that regulatory rollbacks are stripping away—securing appropriations for the National Wildlife Refuge System and passing the bipartisan Migratory Bird Protection Act.

By the Numbers

The National Audubon Society spent $124,787 on in-house lobbying in the last quarter of 2025. The organization has filed 179 lobbying disclosures since 2003, totaling $3.6 million in cumulative spending.

The organization’s lobbying team consists of Jesse Lemuel Walls, who has been with Audubon since April 2019 with Capitol Hill experience in Republican offices, and Zachary Noah Spencer, who joined in April 2024 with Senate Indian Affairs Committee experience.

Budget appropriations for wildlife refuges rank highest among advocacy topics (86 instances historically), followed by natural resources (75 instances) and environmental issues (65 instances).

The Agenda

Audubon’s last quarter efforts focus on budget and appropriations for National Wildlife Refuges, wildlife conservation, and migratory bird protection. The organization is also advocating on farm bill provisions, natural resources legislation including the America the Beautiful Act, wetlands and coastal protection, and offshore energy development impacts.

The group lobbied on specific issues including cormorant and vulture management, Alaska Native bird concerns, and the Local Communities and Bird Habitat Stewardship Act. This reflects Audubon’s consistent two-decade lobbying focus on conservation funding and habitat protection.

Broader Context

Congressional action on bird conservation is accelerating even as regulatory protections weaken. The Migratory Bird Protection Act, introduced by Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), advances bipartisan efforts to clarify incidental take protections. The 2025 reconciliation farm bill increased conservation funding by $38.8 billion.

However, significant headwinds remain. The Trump administration opened the entire Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas leasing, and the House Appropriations Committee cut National Wildlife Refuge System funding by 4 percent.

Between The Lines

Congress is actively deliberating on issues central to Audubon’s agenda. The Migratory Bird Protection Act of 2025 addresses "incidental take" provisions—a cornerstone of Audubon’s advocacy. The Local Communities & Bird Habitat Stewardship Act establishes an Urban Bird Treaty Program matching Audubon’s lobbying priorities.

Committee activity reflects serious engagement. The House Natural Resources Committee held markups on the Cormorant Relief Act and Black Vulture Relief Act, directly corresponding to Audubon’s wildlife management lobbying.

Competitive Landscape

Audubon operates within a broader coalition of environmental groups advancing similar legislative agendas. The American Bird Conservancy maintains parallel advocacy on Farm Bill reform, grasslands conservation, forest management, and habitat restoration on public lands.

This creates a concentrated conservation community effort on Capitol Hill, amplifying collective voice on shared legislative priorities. Both organizations engage on migratory bird protection and wildlife refuge appropriations, suggesting coordinated rather than competing advocacy.

The Bottom Line

The National Audubon Society’s Q4 2025 lobbying filing reflects a well-established advocacy operation with genuine legislative traction. The organization’s agenda aligns with active bipartisan legislation and recent committee hearings. Recent developments including the Migratory Bird Protection Act of 2025 and farm bill conservation funding increases suggest congressional receptiveness to Audubon’s priorities, though headwinds remain on appropriations and wetlands protections.

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