Roads and trails are vital not only for conservation efforts on refuges, but also for the more than 40 million people who visit the Refuge System each year. But an assessment conducted by the Federal Highway Administration and the Department of the Interior shows a backlog of $2.1 billion in transportation infrastructure needs on the Refuge System.
In the last half-dozen years, more than $94 million worth of transportation improvements were made on refuges. The improvements increased access for the local residents and tourists, improving recreational opportunities for anglers, bird-watchers, hunters and many other people who enjoy wildlife. Equally important, the road and parking lot projects on refuges also helped provide jobs to local contractors.
Unfortunately, the $17- to $20-million annually that the Refuge System currently receives for roads, bridges and parking lots is insufficient. Instead, CARE supports transportation expenditures of $69 million per year to address the $2.1 billion backlog over 30 years, the level specified in a 2002 letter from the Department of Interior to the Department of Transportation.