For Immediate Release

New Jersey Refuge and WIldlife Under Threat Due to Lack of Law Enforcement

Understaffing hampers ability to stop habitat destruction at Cape May Refuge

WASHINGTON – Illegal all-terrain vehicle (ATV) use is destroying parts of Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, according to a new report released Thursday by Defenders of Wildlife. With only enough funds to pay one law enforcement officer to patrol 14,000 acres, including another wildlife refuge 60 miles away, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is unable to stop ATV users from destroying acres of sensitive wildlife habitat on the Cape May refuge.

Defenders of Wildlife released the report, “Refuges at Risk,” in advance of National Wildlife Refuge Week, October 7-14. The report highlights Cape May and nine other refuges throughout the country that are feeling the effects of years of inadequate federal funding and a failure to uphold core refuge values.

“Cape May National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most important places for migratory birds in the country and every year tens of thousands of people come to experience the spectacle of nature’s ritual,” said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife. “Yet the refuge lacks a visitor center to welcome and educate the public and because of the poor signage, visitors are often unaware that they are even on the refuge. To add insult to injury, ATV users ride throughout Cape May largely unchallenged due to lack of law enforcement staff. Illegal ATV use ruins important habitat, not to mention the wilderness experience for other visitors.”

Cape May refuge is one of the East Coast’s most crucial stopover points for migratory birds on the Atlantic Flyway. The refuge also hosts a diverse community of 42 mammal species, 55 reptile and amphibian species, and many fish, shellfish and other invertebrates. Despite the environmental importance and popularity of the refuge but rampant and illegal ATV use is eroding the fragile habitat on which these species rely.

“With three wildlife refuges in my district, including the premier National Wildlife Refuge for the country right here in Cape May, I am keenly aware of the challenges our nation’s refuges face,” said U.S. Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo, a member of the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus. “While the numbers of visitors to the refuges continue to rise, the budgets and resources for these vital facilities are not keeping pace. This is a disturbing trend that demands action by the Congress to correct.”

This year’s “Refuges at Risk” report marks the 10-year anniversary of the passing of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act, which outlines core values and standards that all national refuges should meet, including establishing a unified wildlife conservation mission.

Over the last decade, however, decreased federal funding for wildlife refuges has created an operations and maintenance backlog of $2.5 billion. The system is now poised to lose 20 percent of its staff nationwide.

To read the full report, go to www.defenders.org/refugesatrisk

Top 10 Refuges at Risk (in alphabetical order)

Cape May NWR, NJ – Each year, thousands of migratory songbirds, including the ruby-crowned kinglet and the Nashville warbler, arrive at this crucial stopping ground for birds traveling on the Atlantic Flyway. But year after year, they arrive to find that their precious habitat is not as they left it. Illegal all-terrain vehicle use, barely hindered by the refuge’s lone refuge enforcement officer, is tearing up the habitat, disturbing nesting birds and jeopardizing their food sources.

Hailstone NWR, MT – This refuge is a vital hub for hundreds of migratory bird species that use the 300-acre lake and the surrounding area as a stopover and breeding ground. However, agricultural runoff has allowed excess salt and selenium from the soil to accumulate in the wetlands, and each year mallards, American white pelicans and hundreds of other species are harmed or even killed by the deteriorating water quality.

Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR, TX – The territories of jaguarundi and ocelot extend into Texas from Mexico, where these rare cats roam among 300 species of butterfly and more than 500 species of birds. But the cats’ territories are not bound by international borders, and their habitat is threatened by a border wall that could destroy the biological integrity of the entire region.

Nisqually NWR, WA – For years, local children living in an increasingly developed region have enjoyed and learned from this rich landscape, where pacific tree frogs chorus in the night and river otters dart after fish. Fewer children will be given this opportunity, however, as refuge staff are forced to cut back or eliminate educational programs that teach America’s future leaders how to appreciate and protect our environment.

Pea Island NWR, NC – This refuge boasts an enormous array of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, including breeding American oystercatchers and loggerhead sea turtles. A planned replacement bridge and highway would carve through the heart of refuge wetlands, requiring constant maintenance as even mild storms regularly inundate the road with sand and ocean water.

Rappahannock River Valley NWR, VA – With one of the largest concentrations of bald eagles on the East Coast, this refuge provides wildlife with an island of wilderness in a region where urban development is steadily encroaching. Without the funds to acquire available neighboring land, the refuge is at risk of bring surrounded by development, making the refuge into a decorative center piece instead of a crucial wildlife oasis.

Rhode Island NWR Complex, RI – Local children have long been taught the importance of the wildlife, habitat and ecology of Rhode Island’s five refuges that provide a haven for thousands of birds traveling the Atlantic Flyway, including hawks, falcons and songbirds. But lack of funds has forced refuge staff to cease their educational programs, despite an increasingly desperate need for environmental education in a quickly developing area.

San Luis NWR, CA – With 95 percent of California’s wetlands drained, filled or destroyed, this critical stopover and wintering grounds for migratory ducks, geese and cranes along the Pacific Flyway is a haven for the weary travelers. But the water they find there is decreasing in quality and quantity, year upon year, due to commercial competition for California’s limited water supply.

Trempealeau NWR, WI - Thousands of wood ducks and black terns share these Wisconsin skies, located at the confluence of the Trempealeau and Mississippi rivers, with monarch butterflies, blue-winged teal, hooded mergansers and tundra swans. But these native beauties are under attack from a marching army of invasive plants and animals that severely undermine the environmental health of the refuge.

Yukon Flats NWR, AK – The retreat of a bitter winter and the arrival of spring brings millions of waterfowl to the refuge, where they transform the landscape from a quiet wilderness to a chaotic courtship and breeding ground. Efforts to drill for oil and natural gas in the refuge are threatening this ancient ritual as an ill-conceived land swap aims to trade away key habitat to industrial developers.

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Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 900,000 members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org.