President Biden Signs Executive Orders on Arctic, Border Refuges, Marine Monuments

President Biden Signs Executive Orders on Arctic, Border Refuges, Marine Monuments

On January 20, 2021, the United States of America swore in its new President, Joseph R. Biden, Jr, and its new Vice President, Kamala D. Harris. Along with the new Biden Administration, Vice President Harris also swore in three new Democratic Senators, flipping the upper chamber to Democratic control. Margins in both the House of Representatives and the Senate are razor-thin, meaning almost any legislation will require bipartisan support to pass.

Groups await their day in court after judge rules against injunction in Arctic Refuge case 

Groups await their day in court after judge rules against injunction in Arctic Refuge case 

We are extremely disappointed in this ruling today,” said Geoffrey L. Haskett, president of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. The BLM has held a flawed public process based on political pressure, not science. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should never be open for leasing, exploration, or drilling. We will continue to fight for the Arctic Refuge and to stop any attempts to destroy this pristine landscape, which will be the result should oil and gas extraction take place.

Government Shutdown Averted, Funding Secured for National Wildlife Refuges

Government Shutdown Averted, Funding Secured for National Wildlife Refuges

Last night, under pressure from both sides of the aisle and with unemployment benefits lapsing and a government shutdown looming, President Trump signed the huge, 5,000+ page omnibus bill/COVID relief bill into law. This bill was passed last week by both chambers of Congress, and we have been waiting on news that the President would sign it into law.

Leading The National Wildlife Refuge System Into The Future

Leading The National Wildlife Refuge System Into The Future

The director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is an extremely important position, one which oversees the entire National Wildlife Refuge System. For the first three years of the Trump Administration, no director was nominated or confirmed by the Senate, which had a major impact on operations, staff morale, and partner organizations. The person who takes on this job will need to address challenges with a collaborative, science-based approach to conservation and climate change.

The National Wildlife Refuge Association Congratulates Representative Deb Haaland on Historic Nomination

The National Wildlife Refuge Association congratulates Representative Deb Haaland (NM-1) on her historic nomination as Secretary of the Interior. We are thrilled to welcome Rep. Haaland to this position, for which she is uniquely qualified and well prepared. As the vice chair of the Natural Resources Committee and chair of the Public Lands Subcommittee, she has been instrumental in implementing conservation policy during her tenure in Congress.

The National Wildlife Refuge System, which is administered by the Interior Department, manages 850 million acres of lands and waters. The System stretches from the islands of the Pacific Ocean to the 16 refuges in Alaska, throughout the 20 million acres in the Lower 48, to the underwater canyons and seamounts of the Atlantic and the sunny beaches and lush forests of the Caribbean. These lands and waters are the largest protected area for wildlife on Earth, and yet are drastically underfunded and understaffed.

We look forward to working with Rep. Haaland, who will be the first Native American ever to hold the position of Interior Secretary. The Refuge System by its very nature adjoins tribal lands, contains sacred sites, and provides habitat for native plants and wildlife that people depend upon, particularly in the Southwest and Alaska. We are extremely pleased to have a Secretary who values and treasures the wildlife of all Refuge System lands and waters, and will protect it for all generations of Americans.