The US Congress is crafting legislation for the Farm Bill, a multi-year law bolstered by Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provisions. The IRA allocated US$15 billion for oversubscribed conservation initiatives, including $300 million for research needed for effective nature-based climate solutions. This crucial research funding is now under threat of reallocation (see go.nature.com/3rjx7uy), which would severely undermine the nation’s ability to steward its land wisely.