News
Today we wish a very happy 119th birthday to the National Wildlife Refuge System!
The National Wildlife Refuge System began in 1903 when President Theodore Roosevelt created a “Federal Bird Reservation” at Pelican Island in Florida to save brown pelicans. The protection of this three-acre mangrove island was a pivotal moment for the American conservation movement, laying the groundwork for what would become our system of national wildlife refuges.
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.
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.
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 joined other environmental and scientific organizations in successfully supporting the proposed mouse eradication project at the December 16, 2021 hearing of the California Coastal Commission. After the seven-hour emotion-laden hearing, the Commission narrowly voted to approve the refuge’s Coastal Consistency Determination for the project.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association congratulates Martha Williams on her confirmation as the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Director Williams’ many years of experience in wildlife conservation, policy, and management will serve her well in her tenure leading the National Wildlife Refuge System, the largest and most expansive set of lands set aside for wildlife and habitat in the world.
