The Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) has issued their “Restoring America’s Wildlife Refuges 2009″ report, which highlights how the funding crisis is undermining the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

According to the National Wildlife Refuge Association’s Flyer newsletter:

“Restoring America’s Wildlife Refuges 2009: A Plan to Solve the Refuge System Funding Crisis,” a new report released May 22 by the NWRA-chaired Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE), finds the nation’s wildlife refuges remain vastly under-funded and require $808 million in annual appropriations to fulfill their obligations to wildlife and the American people as mandated in the Refuge Improvement Act (the System is currently receiving $462.8 million per year – an average of just $3.08 per acre). The consequences of funding shortages can be seen at refuges across the country: unstaffed refuges and closings, unsafe roads and trails, decreased safety, millions of acres of invasive species, unprotected at-risk species, and a 10% reduction in workforce since 2004…

The report calls upon Congress to increase the Refuge System’s annual operations and maintenance budget to $514 million for fiscal year 2010 (FY10), putting the System on the path for full funding - $808 million annually – by FY2013. Full funding for the Refuge System will result in vibrant wildlife habitats, outstanding opportunities for the public to learn about and enjoy wildlife and boost economic activity in local communities that thrive on wildlife-dependent recreation.

The report finds that:

• One in three refuges are operating without a single staff member;
• The System has already cut 300 staff positions; without adequate funding increases, plans for a 20 percent staff reduction will resume;
• The system needs 845 full-time law enforcement officers, but currently has just 205 – one officer for every 731,000 acres;
• Mission Critical, non-law-enforcement positions need to increase by 74 percent, an additional 2740 positions;
• The System is able to invest just 0.67 percent of its value in annual maintenance, which is woefully short of the industry standard of investing between 2-6 percent;
• More than two million acres have already been lost to invasive species, placing threatened and endangered species at even greater risk.

CARE is comprised of 22 diverse sporting, scientific and conservation organizations representing over 14 million Americans. Among the members are American Birding Association, American Sportfishing Association, Defenders of Wildlife, Ducks Unlimited, National Audubon Society, National Rifle Association of America, National Wildlife Federation, National Wildlife Refuge Association, The Nature Conservancy, The Wilderness Society, Trout Unlimited, and U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance.

Visit the CARE website to download the report and to learn more about the organizations that are members of CARE.

Tags:
National Wildlife Refuge System, National Wildlife Refuge Association, Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement