The Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) is a national coalition of 22 wildlife, sporting, conservation, and scientific organizations. Together, these organizations represent a national constituency numbering more than 15 million Americans. Working together, and with the support of more than 230 refuge Friends groups, CARE educates Congress, the Administration and the public about the [...]

Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced today that he has authorized the establishment of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois. The refuge will eventually provide up to 11,200 acres of habitat for wildlife as well as outdoor recreational opportunities within easy driving distance of millions of people.
The U.S. Fish and [...]

The Valley Courier in Colorado reports that with help of volunteers from the Friends of the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuges, the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in southern Colorado has reopened. Since reopening, the Center has received hundreds of visitors from at least five countries.
The highlight of the Center is the [...]

The Peninsula Daily News in Washington state reports that wildlife refuge advocate Eleanor Stopps — who along with Zella Schultz was instrumental in the creation of Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge — has been moved to a care facility as she loses her battle with pancreatic cancer.
Approximately 70 percent of the nesting seabird population [...]

This week the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) issued a press release and a report which warns that unless Congress provides adequate funding for the Refuge System, the economic benefits refuges provide, along with the lands, waters, wildlife, and recreation and education opportunities that refuges were established to protect, could be in jeopardy. [...]

At the Conserving the Future website, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been soliciting ideas and comments from citizens regarding the future vision for the National Wildlife Refuge System.
If you visit the site, you’ll see volunteers, staff, refuge Friends, conservation leaders, and many other types of individuals participating in the conversation. The site has [...]

The “Take Pride in America” National Awards recognizes individuals, groups, or organizations for outstanding volunteer service on public lands. Volunteers nominated must have volunteered during May 1, 2010-April 30, 2011. Categories include: individual, school program, youth/youth group, corporation or business, non-profit organization, faith-based group, Federal volunteer event/program, local government event/program, state event/program [...]

The National Wildlife Refuge Association has just announced the winners of the 2011 National Wildlife Refuge System Awards.
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NWRS 2011 Friends Group of the Year Award
This award recognizes a Friends group that has shown outstanding leadership as a voice of the community and as an advocate for the protection, conservation, and enhancement of local refuges and [...]

The National Wildlife Refuge Association has just announced the winners of the 2011 National Wildlife Refuge System Awards.
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NWRS 2011 Volunteer of the Year Award
Denis Mudderman, Tamarac NWR, MN
Denis Mudderman combines his technological expertise with his enthusiasm for environmental education and public outreach to continually find new and creative ways to promote the conservation mission of [...]

TCPalm.com is reporting that Joanna Webb — long-time refuge ranger at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida — is being promoted to National Friends and Partnership Coordinator, which is a position that will allow her to help support 230 existing Friends groups and work to bring in new volunteers at refuges around the country.
Among [...]

On the website “Conserving the Future: Wildlife Refuges and the Next Generation” (which was just redesigned), there’s an important discussion going on about the future of America’s National Wildlife Refuge System.
If you’re a refuge advocate, a refuge employee, a refuge volunteer, a hunter, angler, bird watcher, or wildlife conservation supporter, you should visit the site, [...]

The White House website has announced that on January 4, President Obama signed the National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer Improvement Act of 2010, which was approved by Congress right before the holiday break.
According to the THOMAS website, the bill does the following:

Amends the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (the Act) to authorize appropriations for FY2011-FY2014 [...]