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The National Wildlife Refuge System Is in Crisis — Here’s How You Can Help
📷 Golden-winged Warbler | USFWS
Across the United States, the National Wildlife Refuge System protects more than 850 million acres of lands and waters where wildlife comes first. These refuges are places where endangered species find sanctuary, birds migrate safely, and families connect with nature.
But today, that system is in crisis.
Since the beginning of 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—tasked with managing national wildlife refuges—has lost more than 20% of refuge staff due to early retirements, vacant positions, and administrative restructuring. Many offices have closed. Remaining staff have been issued credit card limits as low as $1, making even basic operations—like pumping a septic tank or keeping the lights on—nearly impossible.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may lose up to 40% of its workforce by the end of April, including a major portion of its refuge personnel.
These departures mean more than a shrinking staff list—they represent a conservation brain drain: the loss of decades of knowledge, care, and commitment. The people leaving have dedicated their careers to maintaining habitats, leading visitor programs, monitoring endangered species, and building deep ties to communities. Losing them threatens the very foundation of how our national wildlife refuges function.
Closed sign at a national wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | USFWS
Some national wildlife refuges have already suspended visitor services. Others, like Camas National Wildlife Refuge in Idaho, are facing legislative efforts to transfer federal conservation lands to state control, putting them at serious risk of mismanagement or development.
While the Camas NWR proposal threatens to unravel the foundations of refuge protection from within, another crisis is unfolding far offshore.
Johnston Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, a remote island more than 800 miles southwest of Hawai‘i, is home to millions of nesting seabirds. Now, it’s under threat from plans by the U.S. Air Force and SpaceX to use the atoll as a rocket landing site—putting critical habitat at risk of disruption or destruction.
In recent weeks, the Refuge Association has spoken out about this alarming proposal in both Reuters and The Washington Post. In Reuters, Refuge Association President & CEO Desirée Sorenson-Groves underscored just how vital—and vulnerable—these remote islands are:
““These little remote oceanic islands are all that’s left for them. We’ve invested a lot of money as a country to bring back wildlife to these places.””
What’s happening at Johnston Atoll and Camas NWRs may seem worlds apart, but both reflect a broader unraveling of the National Wildlife Refuge System—where protections once seen as bedrock are suddenly negotiable.
Habitat protection, species monitoring, and public access are already being impacted—and things could get worse without immediate action.
We’re Fighting Back—But We Need Your Help
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is leading the response to this unprecedented crisis:
We've helped generate hundreds of media stories nationwide exposing the threat.
We're briefing members of Congress and the Administration on real-time impacts.
We're organizing Refuge Friends groups and partners across the country to take action and defend their refuges.
But this work takes resources—and we can't do it alone.
As we approach Earth Day, we're asking our community to help raise $100,000 to power this urgent response.
Here’s How You Can Help Today
Make a Donation — Your gift helps us amplify the alarm and lead the national fight to protect the Refuge System.
Share This Blog — Help us reach more people who care about wildlife, conservation, and public lands.
Stay Connected — Sign up for updates and advocacy alerts through our website.