Nearly 1,100 staff positions have been lost from the National Wildlife Refuge System since FY2010 when the budget was funded nearly the same as it is today–an enormous 25% loss in capacity. No refuges are fully staffed, and more than half of refuges have zero staff on site. A shortage of staff on wildlife refuges means that refuges are not prepared to make the habitat and management changes that will be needed in the future. We are already witnessing apparent changes to our ecosystems as a result of climate change. Without staff on refuges to do maintenance work, welcome visitors, remove invasive species, protect wildlife species from poaching and harassment, and plan for the future, the National Wildlife Refuge System will be unprepared to tackle the climate emergency.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association recognizes the important steps this bill takes and is grateful to leaders in the House and Senate for acting on climate. Now, it is critical for Congress and the Administration to support the National Wildlife Refuge System with meaningful increases in funding and to address the shortage of staff needed to maintain the world’s largest system of public lands and waters dedicated to wildlife conservation.
