A report released today by the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE), a diverse coalition of sporting, conservation and scientific organizations representing 15 million Americans, warns that unless Congress abandons the automatic “sequestration” cuts scheduled to occur in January, the Refuge System could be forced to close refuges and eliminate popular recreational opportunities which many communities depend upon as economic drivers.

Evidence of sea level rise at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware. Photo taken in early spring of 2012 — before Hurricane Sandy. Credit: Bentley Johnson

1. Closed refuges and visitor centers;
2. Loss of hunting and fishing opportunities;
3. Volunteers turned away;
4. Lost revenue to local economies;
5. Increased poaching, vandalism and drug smuggling;
6. Lost opportunities for birding and wildlife watching;
7. Spread of invasive species;
8. Halted habitat restoration and fire management;
9. Delayed response to natural disaster devastation; and
10. Terminating a newly initiated inventory and monitoring program.

Already we are seeing wildlife refuges struggle to keep up with existing challenges, such as sea level rise and damage from extreme weather as a result of climate change (check out this story from the Washington Post on how Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on East Coast refuges). Any further cuts will leave refuge managers with hard decisions and no-win scenarios. Refuges aren’t alone: the conservation of wildlife and America’s public lands in general (including National Parks) is at risk.

Banking on Refuges

Wildlife refuges don’t just provide habitat for migratory birds or endangered species: they are drivers for our economy.

“The 560 national wildlife refuges that make up the 150-million-acre Refuge System generate more than $4.2 billion annually for local economies and create nearly 35,000 U.S. jobs annually.” says David Houghton, President of the National Wildlife Refuge Association and Chair of the CARE coalition.

Connecting People to Nature

Much of this economic activity is generated by the refuge system’s nearly 45 million visitors each year.  Activities like wildlife-watching, hunting, fishing, photography, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and environmental education programs may be curtailed if America’s refuges go over the Fiscal Cliff.  As Larry Schweiger, National Wildlife Federation’s President & CEO, gave a sense of urgency to the sequestration situation after the CARE report was released:

“Wildlife refuges give Americans fantastic opportunities to get outside and connect with nature as well as providing critical habitat for wildlife, which is vital in a warming world. Continued investment in our refuges will also drive our recreation economy through activities like hunting and fishing. The CARE coalition’s Fiscal Cliff report details the potentially devastating consequences to America’s wildlife refuges if our elected leaders do not put aside differences and agree on a budget solution. It’s critical that we all work together to conserve and protect wildlife for future generations.”

You can make a difference to help prevent the budget crisis from devastating wildlife and our shared National Wildlife Refuge System by clicking on the link and sending a message to your elected official now.

To learn more about the sequestration process AND look at adorable wildlife photos at the same time, check out this blog post in which wildlife complain about the fiscal cliff budget cuts: http://bit.ly/T5qywI

We Need Your Input

The National Wildlife Refuge System is unique in that there is a Refuge within an hour’s drive of most major U.S. cities in every state, all set aside specifically to conserve America’s fish, wildlife and plants. In fact, the system’s 553 refuges and 150 million acres are recognized as the world’s premier network of wildlife habitats, protecting more than 750 animal and plant species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is crafting a new “vision” for the National Wildlife Refuge System and they need bold ideas for the future of wildlife conservation.  FWS is teaming up with the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA), an independent non-profit organization, to spearhead a 21st century public engagement effort to shape this process.

A draft “vision document” was released earlier this year to outline the problems facing the Refuge System and to explore the possible solutions to those problems.  After public input and revisions, the vision document will be adopted at a July 2011 conference in Madison, WI.  National Wildlife Federation is playing an important role to give feedback to administration officials and NWRA, but we need your ideas and creativity in order to tackle the challenges facing wildlife in the coming decades.

There are a few ways you can participate in the feedback process, but one innovative way is commenting on the draft vision and sharing ideas on the americaswildlife.org website, set up by FWS and NWRA. It doesn’t just have to be technical comments; photos, video, stories and insight are all encouraged as part of the conversation.

Important challenges that are important to consider: how can refuges play a role in helping facilitate the movement and adaptation of plants and animals in a warming world? How can the refuge system reconnect people with the nature and nurture the next generation of conservationists by getting children outside? Are there certain refuges that are threatened by special circumstances, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, that warrants special attention and protection?

Join the conversation to help National Wildlife Federation and our partners develop a bold vision and a stronger National Wildlife Refuge System.