FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 7, 2011

Contact:
Desiree Sorenson-Groves, Vice-President of Government Affairs, (202) 292-3961, dgroves@refugeassociation.org

Top 10 Things Congress Should Do To Protect Wildlife

Washington, DC – The National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) has announced 10 actions Congress should take immediately to protect America’s wildlife heritage in a new report, Top 10 for 2011: Priorities for Protecting America’s Wildlife. Top priorities include maintaining funding for the nation’s 553 national wildlife refuges which encompass 150 million acres and protect some of America’s most unique wildlife habitats, from the Chesapeake Bay to the Everglades and the remote Pacific islands to the spectacular Arctic refuge in Alaska.

“We have a moral obligation to future generations to protect our nation’s diverse natural world,” said Evan Hirsche, President of the Refuge Association. “And when we protect our natural world, we improve the lives of people through clean water, clean air, wide-open spaces and stronger local economies that benefit from higher property values and a better quality of life.”

In outlining the 10 actions Congress can take, NWRA highlights how supporting national wildlife refuges strengthens our local economies and leverages millions of dollars. For every $1 appropriated by Congress for refuge funding, and average of $4 is returned to local economies.  And it’s not just refuges, other programs under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service leverage millions more; the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program leverages between $4 and $10 for every $1 appropriated and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act delivers multiple benefits including improved water quality and carbon sequestration.

“Spending funds to support national wildlife refuges and wildlife conservation leverages a significantly higher investment of private dollars and volunteer commitment,” said Hirsche. “For example, refuge volunteers and “Friends” groups deliver 20% of all the work on national wildlife refuges.”

Other actions for Congress include:

• Restore the Gulf of Mexico – implement the Presidential Oil Spill Commission recommendations;
• Support full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund – where money from off shore oil leases go to protecting habitat in other areas;
• Promote Farm, Ranchland and Forestland Conservation through Estate Tax Provisions;
• Expand wetlands conservation by increasing the price of the Migratory Bird Hunting & Conservation Stamp;
• Release promised funding from the Department of Homeland Security to the Department of Interior to mitigate for the border wall on the Mexico/U.S. border. 

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.

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More Information:

PRESS RELEASE: Top 10 Things Congress Should Do To Protect Wildlife (.pdf)
FULL REPORT: Top 10 for 2011: Priorities for Protecting America's Wildlife

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