Resolution 2025-03
WHEREAS, federal agencies such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Services Agency (FSA), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and others play an indispensable role in conserving our nation’s air, water, lands, and wildlife, supporting disaster preparedness, food security, agricultural production, and economic development for all Americans; and
WHEREAS, these agencies employ people who have assumed a critical and often underappreciated role as public servants working as natural resource professionals, park rangers, support staff, land managers, scientists, researchers, and more in programs that are often underfunded and understaffed; and
WHEREAS, these public servants have committed themselves to providing expertise that informs sound policy decisions and environmental protections as well as support and service to all Americans whether they be urban, suburban, or rural; and
WHEREAS, these agencies, through science-based management and stewardship of natural resources, benefit agriculture, tourism, outdoor recreation, industry, and local communities, and are essential in supporting states and territories, rural economies, and Tribal nations across the United States; and
WHEREAS, federal natural resource professionals—scientists, land managers, park rangers, conservationists, researchers, and support staff—perform critical work that upholds the public trust, ensures scientific integrity, and promotes resilience to climate change, biodiversity loss, habitat degradation, water scarcity, and the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters; and
WHEREAS, thousands of federal employees have been either terminated or enticed to retire from key agencies, including the USFWS, NPS, USFS, BLM, and other departments that assist farmers, ranchers, veterans, tribes, and rural communities. These people manage our public lands, protect endangered species, restore habitat, and ensure outdoor access for all Americans —and their absence already has dire consequences; and
WHEREAS, public lands and waters managed by these federal agencies drive economic activity, especially in rural areas and gateway communities, with outdoor recreation alone contributing over $1.1 trillion annually to the U.S. economy and supporting millions of American jobs; and
WHEREAS, in 2023, Glacier National Park, for example, attracted approximately 2.9 million visitors who spent an estimated $372 million in surrounding communities, supporting 5,725 jobs and contributing a cumulative benefit of over $554 million to the local economy; and
WHEREAS, Yellowstone National Park, spanning Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, reported 4.5 million visitors in 2023 whose spending amounted to $623 million in nearby communities, supporting 8,560 jobs and generating a total economic output of $828 million; and
WHEREAS, the reduction of federal personnel within the NPS and other critical agencies jeopardizes the maintenance and operation of America’s public lands, potentially leading to decreased visitation, diminished visitor experience, and significant economic losses for local communities that rely on tourism; and
WHEREAS, political interference, adverse administrative actions, chronic underfunding, and budget cuts have weakened the ability of these agencies to fulfill their missions, resulting in the firing or forced retirement of thousands of early-career, mid-career, and senior federal employees, thereby threatening a generational and future loss of expertise essential for conservation, resource management, and disaster resilience; and
WHEREAS, loss of federal scientific capacity, habitat restoration efforts, and resource management programs threatens not only the conservation of wildlife and public lands but also undermines the resilience and productivity of America’s farms, ranches, and forests at a time when drought, floods, wildfires, and other climate-driven disasters are increasing in frequency and severity; and
WHEREAS, America’s ability to adapt to changing weather patterns, preserve clean water supplies, maintain soil health, sustain fish and wildlife populations, and ensure long-term agricultural productivity depends on fully functioning federal agencies working in partnership with states, Tribal nations, farmers, ranchers, landowners, and local communities; and
WHEREAS, veterans comprise approximately 31% of the federal workforce nationally, and reductions disproportionately harm these American heroes along with rural communities and Tribal nations who depend on federal conservation programs; and
WHEREAS, the United States must preserve the nonpartisan, merit-based nature of the federal civil service, ensuring that career employees are protected from political tampering, threats to job security unrelated to performance, and violations of congressionally approved appropriations.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, at its annual meeting assembled June 3-6, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, strongly supports federal employees, their families, farmers, ranchers, Tribal nations, conservation professionals, landowners, and local communities who steward our natural resources, sustain agricultural productivity, protect public health, and strengthen the economy through science-based management of America’s lands and waters; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation opposes administrative, legislative, or political actions—whether through restructuring, hiring freezes, illegal firings, budget cuts, or reassignments—that weaken or eliminate federal conservation agencies, reduce scientific capacity, politicize civil service positions, or hinder access to reliable scientific data and resource management; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges the United States Congress and federal agency leadership to immediately restore, protect, and sufficiently fund natural resource agencies, support their nonpartisan missions, defend the impartiality of civil service, promote a positive work environment for federal public servants, and defend the critical expertise and contributions of career civil servants; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls for the reinstatement of federal employees wrongfully terminated, including due to politically motivated administrative actions, and the restoration of full operational capacity and scientific integrity within conservation, land management, and environmental protection agencies; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls on our national leaders, thorough Congressional oversight and legal remedies, to prevent further political interference in federal natural resource agencies, and ensure that America’s natural resources, agricultural lands, public lands, waters, and communities continue to thrive for future generations.