Refuges in Mountain-Prairie Region Face Funding Crisis

Washington, DC -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is making drastic reductions and redeployments of staff in the National Wildlife Refuge System throughout the Mountain-Prairie region. Reductions in services will be felt in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. These cutbacks will force the reduction or elimination of environmental education programs for schoolchildren, impose cuts in recovery programs for endangered species and sharply reduce habitat restoration and invasive species control projects. These cuts come on the heels of a crippling national refuge budget backlog of over $2.5 billion, while the Mountain-Prairie region alone needs more than $2 million annually just to keep pace with rising salaries and fixed costs.

"Just as our nation celebrated the reintroduction of bison onto the Rocky Mountain Arsenal refuge in Colorado, other refuges in the region are literally crumbling before our eyes. Across the country we're seeing how the culmination of years of negligent funding devastates these special places," stated Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife. "The only solution to bolster and reinvigorate the country's irreplaceable wildlife refuge system is to provide funding that is commensurate with the nationally significant benefits these lands provide to the American people. At the same time President Bush is championing funds for our national parks, he should also push for adequate funding of another national treasure, our national wildlife refuges."

According to the workforce plan that outlines the cuts, the region is leaving 44 positions vacant and will eliminate another 29 jobs by fiscal year 2009, resulting in a total of 73 eliminated positions since 2004. In total, the region will lose fully 23 percent of its total staff.

The loss of 44 percent of the biologists and 25 percent of the refuge managers will severely restrict the ability of refuges to adequately fulfill their mission to conserve wildlife, restore habitat and provide for safe wildlife-dependent visitor recreation. Also, the plan states that 84 refuges will be unstaffed, while 42 refuges are targeted for additional staff reductions.

"National wildlife refuges in our country's Mountain-Prairie region offer one-of-a-kind experiences to visitors and are home to some of our nation's most diverse ecosystems. From native short-grass prairies to the rugged Rocky Mountains to the thousands of small wetlands that give life to million of ducks each year, these refuges offer an impressive variety of habitat for wildlife and wildlife-related recreational opportunities for an annual 2.5 million visitors. It is absolutely critical that Congress provide the funding necessary to protect and preserve these national treasures," said Schlickeisen. "Neglecting these refuges and cutting back on staff, visitor services and wildlife programs puts the mission of the entire refuge system at risk."

Examples of the impacts of staffing reductions for states in the Mountain-Prairie region include:

The Regional Office in Denver will lose 32 percent of its staff.

Colorado will lose 20 percent of the workforce on its seven national wildlife refuges, which are frequented by 50,000 annual visitors for bird watching, hiking, photography, fishing and hunting. At Rocky Mountain Arsenal refuge near Denver, reductions in staffing may limit efforts to maintain and restore habitat for the recently introduced American bison.

Kansas will lose almost a third of the workforce on its four national wildlife refuges, which are frequented by 250,000 annual visitors for bird watching, hiking, photography, fishing and hunting. At Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, which hosts 130,000 visitors each year, the staffing reductions will affect programs needed to adequately maintain the 7,000 acres of wetlands for migratory waterfowl, sandhill cranes and other important wildlife.

Montana will lose over 15 percent of the workforce on more than 20 national wildlife refuges, which are frequented by 650,000 annual visitors for bird watching, hiking, photography, fishing and hunting. At Charles M. Russell and other nearby refuges, the reduction in services will adversely impact the quality and availability of services for a quarter of a million people per year.

Nebraska will lose over 13 percent of the workforce on its six national wildlife refuges, which are frequented by 200,000 annual visitors for bird watching, hiking, photography, fishing and hunting. Loss of staff or other resources at Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge will severely limit the habitat restoration work needed to restore ecologically important parts of the half a million acres of Missouri River habitat lost to agriculture, wetland drainage and other water diversion projects.

North Dakota will lose over a fifth of the workforce on over 40 national wildlife refuges, which are frequented by more than 200,000 annual visitors for bird watching, hiking, photography, fishing and hunting. One of the very few refuges to provide a home to bison and elk, cuts at Sully's Hill National Game Preserve will threaten the well-being of these large mammals, as well as scores of migratory birds.

South Dakota will lose a quarter of the workforce on its six national wildlife refuges and six wetland management districts, which are frequented by nearly 200,000 annual visitors for bird watching, hiking, photography, fishing and hunting. At Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge, which is a Wetland of International Importance and one of the best bird watching sites in the country, a reduction in staff or services will hamper efforts to manage and protect native prairie and wetlands.

Utah will lose almost a fifth of the workforce on its three national wildlife refuges, which are frequented by more than 56,000 annual visitors for bird watching, hiking, photography, fishing and hunting. Targeted reductions at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge will impact the ability to properly manage and maintain upland grasslands and 25 water impoundments that provide a home for more than 200 bird species.

Wyoming will lose over half of the workforce on its seven national wildlife refuges, which are frequented by 1 million annual visitors for bird watching, hiking, photography, fishing and hunting. Targeted reductions at the National Elk Refuge, which is visited by approximately 900,000 people each year, will adversely affect management and maintenance of habitat for 14,000 elk that depend on the refuge's grasslands to survive the harsh winters.

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Defenders of Wildlife is recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 500,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife works with federal, tribal, state, and local agencies, private organizations, and landowners to protect America's national wildlife refuges.