Today, 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.
Volunteers remove invasive verbesina encelioides (golden crownbeard) plants at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the Pacific | USFWS
While this bill is a monumental achievement and sets us on the right track, it, unfortunately, falls short of an ideal solution for combating climate change and is ultimately a result of compromise, leaving several critical provisions on the table while including some harmful policies on America’s public lands and waters.
We are particularly disappointed that a provision to repeal the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil and gas leasing program was removed from the final bill. The Arctic is experiencing a warming climate at four times the rate of the rest of the world, and the failure to stop this destructive policy undermines the Administration’s climate goals and commitment to environmental justice. The National Wildlife Refuge Association will continue to advocate for the protection of the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge–an area of incredible ecological importance considered sacred by the Gwich’in Nation.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association also made efforts to include an amendment that would have provided additional funding to address the dire staffing shortages within the National Wildlife Refuge System. This amendment would have mirrored a provision that was included in the bill allocating $500 million to the National Park Service to hire more employees. Unfortunately, such an equitable amendment was not offered.
Pronghorn at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge, WY | Tom Koerner / USFWS
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.