Resolution 2025-01
WHEREAS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) manages an unparalleled network of public lands and waters called the National Wildlife Refuge System which protects iconic species and provides some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities on Earth; and
WHEREAS, The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 and the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 provided guidelines and directives for administration and management of all areas of the National Wildlife Refuge System; and
WHEREAS, the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and, where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Refuge System has 573 national wildlife refuges, 38 wetland management districts, 5 marine national monuments, 63 refuges with wilderness areas, and includes 1,000+ miles of wild and scenic rivers, 95 million land acres, 760 million marine acres within all 50 states and 5 U.S. territories; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Refuge System provides critical habitat for more than 700 species of birds, 220 species of mammals, 250 species of reptiles and amphibians and 1,000 species of fish, and Refuges support the recovery of more than 500 species federally listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act; and
WHEREAS, more than 67 million people visit Wildlife Refuges annually, generating $3.2 billion in economic activity and supporting more than 41,000 jobs in urban and rural areas across the country; and
WHEREAS, 80% of Americans live in large metro areas and the Refuge System’s 101 urban national wildlife refuges within 25 miles of metropolitan areas help connect communities with the outdoors by offering guided tours, field trips, volunteer habitat restoration projects and other programming that helps cultivate people’s commitment to public lands and wildlife stewardship; and
WHEREAS, 401 refuges and 36 wetland management districts are open to hunting and 343 refuges and 35 wetland management districts are open to fishing and the recent expansion of recreational opportunities on Wildlife Refuges, including the 132,441 acres in North Dakota opened to elk hunting, have increased the public’s ability to access a public resource; and
WHEREAS, the USFWS works with other government land managers and private landowners to restore habitat and to manage lands for the benefit of species, and each unit of the Refuge System is established to serve a statutory purpose that targets the conservation of native species dependent on its lands and water; and
WHEREAS, the Refuge System deploys a host of scientifically sound management tools such as controlled burns in fire dependent ecosystems where the regular application of prescribed fire is critical in promoting an ecologically balanced system by preventing the accumulation of fuels thus reducing wildfires both within the Refuge and onto adjacent private lands and in Georgia, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge participated in the establishment of the Greater Okefenokee Association of Landowners (GOAL) after the Shorts Fire in 1994 for the express purpose “to serve as a unified team managing, protecting, and promoting forest resources in and around the Okefenokee Swamp through a stewardship ethic to assure these resources will be available for future generations;” and
WHEREAS, all federal agencies that help manage and conserve our wildlife and wildlife habitat are facing ongoing cuts to their budgets and personnel, the National Wildlife Refuge System is specifically supported by this resolution because its budget is now at a dire level and because its mission is singular toward supporting wildlife conservation; and
WHEREAS, despite the Refuge System’s popularity and its outsized role in supporting conservation and biodiversity, federal funding has been stagnant for the last fifteen years, leading to a 30% reduction in staff capacity that has limited the agency’s ability to provide and maintain essential services; and
WHEREAS, static budgets and staff reductions jeopardize public safety and as of 2024, the System has the lowest number of law enforcement officers in over ten years, while simultaneously seeing its highest visitation levels; and
WHEREAS, static funding and staff reductions have also helped create a deferred maintenance backlog of nearly $3 billion on the Refuge System, which impacts buildings, roads, bridges, trails and other facilities and as the Refuge System opened additional acres for hunting and fishing, there has not been an equivalent increase in funding to improve habitat, maintain necessary infrastructure like blinds, boat launches, piers, parking lots, and restrooms, or support popular hunting and fishing programs for youth and serve people with disabilities, veterans, seniors, and others; and
WHEREAS, providing the appropriate level of funding is integral to the success of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Wildlife Refuge System, and all the land and waters managed by the Service.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, at its annual meeting assembled June 3-6, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, urges Congress to sufficiently fund and staff the National Wildlife Refuge System so it can fulfill its mission to administer a network of lands and waters to conserve and restore fish and wildlife for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges Congress to prioritize investment in the National Wildlife Refuge System to help address its deferred maintenance backlog of nearly $3 billion.