WASHINGTON — Advocacy groups are raising concerns about the proposed cuts to the city’s Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) included in Mayor Muriel Bowser’s 2026 budget proposal, which they say jeopardize the environmental advancements that the District has made. Bowser’s budget proposal, released in May, cuts DOEE’s 2026 funds by 24.1 percent compared to the 2025 budget. 

Over a dozen environmental groups rallied outside the John A. Wilson building on Monday telling the DC Council to prioritize climate and environmental programs. 

“This has been one of the worst budgets we have seen in D.C.,” said Jamoni Overby, a conservation advocate with the group Nature Forward. “These are real issues that are impacting real people. We are talking about saving money on energy, we talk about having access to clean water, and being able to enjoy your parks and green space.” 

Several of the speakers argued that cuts to DOEE could mean relaxing the enforcement and regulatory power that the District has over water and air polluters. 

City officials say the agency is charged with improving the quality of life in the District by, “protecting and restoring the environment, conserving our natural resources, mitigating pollution, increasing access to clean and renewable energy, and educating the public on ways to secure a sustainable future.”

Advocates say the $1.5 billion plan to replace the District’s lead pipelines by 2030 is in jeopardy if the mayor’s plan moves forward as proposed. Bowser has allocated $356,000 for this program in next year’s budget, which environmental groups say is not enough to replace the pipelines on private properties. Bill Washburn with the Campaign to Reduce Lead and Asthma, warned of the long-term effects during Monday’s event. 

“Those hazards are reflected years after the fact in children who suffer from lead poisoning who are unable to achieve in school, who often have emotional and developmental issues,” he said. 

Riverkeeper Trey Sherard says he’s worried about keeping the Anacostia River clean. He says the mayor is proposing slashing $1.9 million collected from the Anacostia River Cleanup Fund, also known as the five cent plastic bag fee. Sherard says that 55% reduction would cut environmental education programs, boat tours, and would halve the funding for trash traps on the Anacostia River. 

“We would expect significant noncompliance and groups like Riverkeeper and other nonprofits here would find themselves needing to sue the District government,” Sherard say each violation could cost the D.C. government up to $35,000 a day.

Following the release of her budget, the mayor’s office highlighted environmental investments including $11 million proposed to support the dredging and clean up of the Anacostia River. 

“This is the worst budget I have seen on climate, energy, and our environment and we have to reverse it,” Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen said during the rally. 

Allen, who chairs the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, took aim at the mayor’s decision to cut utility assistance programs. 

Bowser’s office says she is making investment in a clean D.C., including $4.6 million dollars proposed to the city’s Clean Corridors initiative, which would provide the District’s Department of Public Works with 80 staff members focused on the the cleanliness of commercial corridors. The mayor has also allocated $5.1 million for stormwater management infrastructure like green roofs, meadows and medians.

Ward 3 Councilmember Matt Frumin said the funding for stormwater management is simply not enough to meet the demand that exists in his ward and the city. 

“You know you have fewer revenues so you’re going to have to make some tough decisions,” Bowser said during the release of her budget. 

She has insisted that city officials must make difficult cuts as the District faces an uncertain economic future amid the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal workforce. DC’s Chief Financial Officer estimates the city will lose 40,000 jobs and over a $1 billion in revenues over the next three years as the federal government continues it’s efforts spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

The DC Council is expected to hold its first vote on the 2026 budget on July 15, according to Chairman Phil Mendelson.