Refuge Friends

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Meet The National Wildlife Refuge Association Board— Cheryl Hart

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Meet The National Wildlife Refuge Association Board— Cheryl Hart

The National Wildlife Refuge Association Board of Directors provides expertise, support, and a strategic vision for the organization. They are conservation experts, business leaders, volunteers, and advocates dedicated to our mission to protect, promote, and enhance the National Wildlife Refuge System for the benefit of all Americans. Cheryl Hart is a Refuge Friends aficionado and currently serves on the National Wildlife Refuge’s Board and as the organization’s chair of the Friends Committee. Cheryl is also active in her local Refuge Friends group, Friends of Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, and is on the board of NWRA’s partner Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates.

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Refuge & Hatchery Friends Photo Contest April 2022 Winner— D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery & Archives

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Refuge & Hatchery Friends Photo Contest April 2022 Winner— D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery & Archives

The April Photo Contest winner was a photo by Les Heiserman of a Canada Goose and six goslings. Les captured the amazing image at the D.C Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery & Archives in Spearfish, South Dakota. Nancy Cole, Booth Society Friends Gift Shop Manager, and Assistant Director submitted this winning photo. The pair of geese have been nesting on the island for at least the last 9 years. Visitors to the Hatchery eagerly await their arrival.

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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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Refuge & Hatchery Friends Photo Contest March 2022 Winner— Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

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Refuge & Hatchery Friends Photo Contest March 2022 Winner— Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

For March the winning photo taken by Bob Glennon is of a bison and a fiery red sunset at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, East Lake, North Carolina.

Bob shared with us captivating photos of the early bloomers at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern North Carolina. These early bloomers will produce the berries the black bears that reside on the refuge. Bob, also captured a great photo of the black bear.

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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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Testifying On Behalf Of Keep America’s Refuges Operational Act of 2022

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Testifying On Behalf Of Keep America’s Refuges Operational Act of 2022

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.

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An Opportunity For Your Refuge Friends Group! 2022 O'Brien Prize Request For Proposals Announced

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An Opportunity For Your Refuge Friends Group! 2022 O'Brien Prize Request For Proposals Announced

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.

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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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Refuge & Hatchery Friends Photo Contest February 2022 Winner— Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge

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Refuge & Hatchery Friends Photo Contest February 2022 Winner— Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge

For February the winning photo taken by Dale Bales, is of a bison and a fiery red sunset at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, Prairie City, Iowa. Linda Frazier has other photos of the Refuge.

Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Prairie City, Iowa was established in 1990 with the purpose to protect, restore and reconstruct and manage native ecosystems of tallgrass prairie, oak savanna, and sedge meadow.

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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).