News
On March 29th, 2022 the National Wildlife Refuge Association’s, Vice President, Government Affairs, Caroline Brouwer testified in support of Bill H.R. 6734 Keep America’s Refuges Operational Act of 2022 to the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is excited to announce the third installment of the O’Brien Prize, an annual award for our Friends groups. The prize is named after Donal O’Brien III, a past Board Chair and longtime enthusiast of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Don is a generous supporter of the great work we do for national wildlife refuges and is very impressed by the dedication and effectiveness of Refuge Friends groups.
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.
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).
The National Wildlife Refuge Association’s 2021 Annual Report is here, download the full report.
For 46 years, the National Wildlife Refuge Association has worked to support the National Wildlife Refuge System (, our country’s extraordinary network of over 850 million acres of lands and waters set aside for wildlife and their habitats. After nearly 2 years, the pandemic continues to disrupt normal operations everywhere and national wildlife refuges across the country are no exception. Even so, with the help of our incredible supporters and dynamic board and staff, the National Wildlife Refuge Association has adapted to meet these challenges, and we are stronger and more resilient than ever. None of our successes would be possible without our donors and supporters.
There was Ramen and Rissotto, the alligators and Rivali, Remus and Cass, the hawks and owl who welcomed the approximately 150 guests at the Wild About Wildlife event to benefit the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and the National Wildlife Refuge Association. The event was held outdoors in the lush gardens at the home of Richard and, Board Member, Dragana Connaughton in Palm Beach.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association has been involved in projects to assist national wildlife refuges and areas beyond their boundaries on the Texas Gulf Coast for many years with an emphasis on conservation planning, community engagement, and land acquisition. In the past, the National Wildlife Refuge Association has been involved with projects focused on the Texas Chenier Plain National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, and the Bahia Grande Coastal Corridor benefiting Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association has been active on the ground in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem and Southwest Florida. Our work in outreach, conservation science, and land protection has resulted in significant conservation gains to protect the most ecologically significant landscapes in southern Florida, directly benefiting several national wildlife refuges or the landscapes where they are located. Our work has resulted in increased conservation funding and the permanent protection of thousands of additional acres.
