House Funding Proposal Includes Deep Cuts to National Wildlife Refuges and Guts Key Land Acquisition, Grant, and Climate Change Programs

A 21% cut to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 8% cut to Refuges, will result in the closure of 140 Refuges, elimination of 300 Refuge staff positions, elimination of any new land acquisitions and conservation easements and prevent any new endangered species listings.

For Immediate Release: July 20, 2011

Washington, DC—The National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) was stunned over the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee’s proposed $37 million cut to the National Wildlife Refuge System’s budget as part of an overall 21% cut to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency charged with overseeing the 150 million acre system.

“Despite the extraordinary economic, ecological and public benefits that come from conservation funding, the House has chosen to slash an already meager Refuge System and natural resources budget,” said Evan Hirsche, President of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. “By doing so, Congress threatens America’s clean air and water and safe places families depend on for recreation and renewal.”

The Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement, or CARE, a diverse coalition of conservation and sporting organizations chaired by NWRA, estimates the System needs at least $900 million annually to properly function. The House proposal would be just over half that much at $452 million and would mean 140 refuges would close, 300 positions would be eliminated and critical habitat restoration projects would not be completed, growing the already enormous backlog of operations and maintenance needs.

The House plan would also slash the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) by 80% to the lowest level in its 45-year history with only $11 million for the Refuge System; barely enough to finish projects started this fiscal year. This level of funding would bring Refuge System land acquisition projects to a screeching halt leaving hundreds of private landowners seeking to sell their land or obtain conservation easements in limbo. Further, such a cut violates a trust with the American people as LWCF revenues are derived from small percentage of offshore oil and gas lease receipts and intended as reciprocation for extraction of resources from the public domain.

“The LWCF is one of the strongest tools a land manager has to protect key habitats and promote good will in communities,” said Hirsche. “Drastic cuts to LWCF not only hurts wildlife, but also hard working farmers and ranchers who seek conservation easements that help protect wildlife habitat while also allowing them to stay on the land and keep family business intact.”

The bill further proposes to eliminate funding for the Neotropical Migratory Bird Fund and drastically reduce funding for climate change programs, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), which funds wetland restoration on refuges, the State Wildlife Grants program that helps states keep species from becoming endangered and the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Programs which helps the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) work directly with private landowners. Further, the bill takes aim at bedrock environmental laws including the Endangered Species Act; language in the bill prohibits the FWS from any new endangered species listing.

NWRA is asking Congress to fund the Refuge System at $511 million in Fiscal Year 2012, level funding from FY 2010. NWRA, it’s conservation partners in CARE and more than 230 local “Refuge Friends” groups will work with Congress to restore funding for the Refuge System in any final FY 2012 spending bill.

The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge Association is to conserve America’s wildlife heritage for future generations through strategic programs that protect, enhance, and expand the National Wildlife Refuge System and the landscapes beyond its boundaries that secure its ecological integrity.