Refuge Funding

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Inflation Reduction Act: A Win For Invasive Management, But Act Falls Short For National Wildlife Refuges

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Inflation Reduction Act: A Win For Invasive Management, But Act Falls Short For National Wildlife Refuges

President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, putting our nation on a new path to tackle the climate crisis and build a clean energy economy. This historic $370 billion package is a critical investment in our future and we applaud the diligent efforts in Congress to get this bill over the finish line. We were pleased to see the inclusion of over $121 million to address the threat of invasive species and increase the resiliency and capacity of habitats within the National Wildlife Refuge System and State wildlife management areas.

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Combating Understaffing On National Wildlife Refuges Throughout The Country

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Combating Understaffing On National Wildlife Refuges Throughout The Country

The National Wildlife Refuge Association listens to the growing concerns of refuges about how chronic underfunding is affecting their refuge, complex, and region. Due to this underfunding, staff positions are being cut, law enforcement is expected to cover thousands of acres (and in the worst-case scenario, a full state), refuges are being complexed, and important programs are being dropped.

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Request For Testimony On FY2023 Appropriations For The National Wildlife Refuge System To The Senate

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Request For Testimony On FY2023 Appropriations For The National Wildlife Refuge System To The Senate

The National Wildlife Refuge Association is requesting Refuge Friends’ testimony on behalf of National Wildlife Refuge System funding levels for the Fiscal Year 2023— this time for the Senate! Many of you already submitted testimony for the House back in March, but even if you didn’t you can still submit testimony to the Senate!

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Why Congressional Appropriations Are Important To The National Wildlife Refuge System

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Why Congressional Appropriations Are Important To The National Wildlife Refuge System

The National Wildlife Refuge System encompasses more than 850 million acres of land and waters across America’s 568 National Wildlife Refuges, including 5 Marine National Monuments. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is responsible for managing these lands and is expected to fulfill its obligation to the Refuge System’s 64 million annual visitors and diverse wildlife on a budget of a mere 61¢ per acre per year, a fraction of what other land agencies receive. For comparison, the National Park Service receives $31 per acre for land management.

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Public Witness Day Testimony for FY23 Appropriations For The National Wildlife Refuge System

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Public Witness Day Testimony for FY23 Appropriations For The National Wildlife Refuge System

Written testimony by Caroline Brouwer, Vice President, Government Affairs, National Wildlife Refuge Association, for the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies

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Statement on the House Appropriations Committee’s release of FY2022 Omnibus language

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Statement on the House Appropriations Committee’s release of FY2022 Omnibus language

The National Wildlife Refuge Association strongly supports increased funding for the National Wildlife Refuge System, the largest system of public lands set aside for wildlife in the world. Covering 95 million acres of land and 750 million acres of ocean, the Refuge System is currently funded at just under 60¢ per acre per year. Year after year, the Refuge System remains underfunded, with little traction in Congress to increase funding for habitat that serves not just wildlife species, but people as well.

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Request For Testimony On FY2023 Appropriations For The National Wildlife Refuge System To The House

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Request For Testimony On FY2023 Appropriations For The National Wildlife Refuge System To The House

I truly appreciate all the Friends and Friends Groups who submitted testimony to the House and Senate last spring. We are *still* waiting to see the results of that push for increased funding since Congress has still not passed an FY2022 appropriations bill. The House of Representatives, however, is beginning their Fiscal Year 2023 push without any final FY2022 numbers and without the release of the President’s Budget Request (which we are expecting any day).

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President Biden Signs Executive Orders on Arctic, Border Refuges, Marine Monuments

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President Biden Signs Executive Orders on Arctic, Border Refuges, Marine Monuments

On January 20, 2021, the United States of America swore in its new President, Joseph R. Biden, Jr, and its new Vice President, Kamala D. Harris. Along with the new Biden Administration, Vice President Harris also swore in three new Democratic Senators, flipping the upper chamber to Democratic control. Margins in both the House of Representatives and the Senate are razor-thin, meaning almost any legislation will require bipartisan support to pass.