Refuge Friends: Urge the Senate to Support FY26 Refuge System Funding

Deadline: Thursday, June 12 at 11:59 PM ET

The National Wildlife Refuge System is facing devastating budget threats, with a 30% proposed cut to the Department of the Interior. We’re calling on Refuge Friends groups to urge the Senate to fund the Refuge System at $731 million for FY2026—restoring capacity and protecting the wildlife, habitats, and community programs we all depend on. 95 Friends groups signed the House letter and have been automatically added—please check the letter to confirm your organization is listed.

FY2026 Refuge System Budget Cuts—Urge Congress To Fully Fund Refuges

The President’s FY2026 budget proposes a devastating 22% cut to the National Wildlife Refuge System—a system already stretched thin by years of chronic underfunding and staffing losses. These cuts would mean fewer staff on the ground, less habitat management, and more refuges left unstaffed entirely. Our refuges protect wildlife, provide climate-resilient habitats, and offer public access to nature for millions of people each year. We cannot allow these critical conservation lands to fall further into crisis.

Refuge System Employees on the Chopping Block - Your Help Needed!

The Trump Administration has made it clear that they intend to slash the federal workforce - and this means the staff of the National Wildlife Refuge System - unless we push back!

Your Help Is Needed - The Refuge System Is In Crisis!

We need your help! Dramatic funding cuts by Congress have resulted in closed refuges, lack of work to protect biodiversity and imperiled species, and loss of staff to provide programs and even law enforcement. That coupled with the damages from natural disasters like Hurricanes Helene and Milton and fires, tornadoes and flooding is crippling the entire System. Congress must address this crisis!

Urge Your Members of Congress to Join the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus

We need your voice to protect our national wildlife refuges. The National Wildlife Refuge System is facing a crisis. Years of chronic underfunding and, as a result, understaffing have hampered its ability to protect the precious ecosystems and wildlife we all cherish. Your voice matters! By contacting your Representatives and raising awareness, you can help ensure that the National Wildlife Refuge System flourishes for generations to come.

Stand Up To Protect Endangered Species In National Wildlife Refuges

We need your voice to protect our nation's endangered species that call our national wildlife refuges home. These precious refuges are critical sanctuaries for our native threatened and endangered species, providing them with safe havens to thrive and recover. However, these refuges are under threat, and the species they protect need your help.