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Making the Economic Case for Wildlife Refuges
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Brigham City business owners near the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge get "quite a bit of local business from refuge visitors," according to Dennis Fife, Mayor of Brigham City Utah.
©Brigham City, Utah
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Think back to your last visit to a national wildlife refuge. Whether you came as a volunteer, a bird watcher, a photographer, or to hunt and fish, chances are your visit had a measurable impact on the economy. Maybe you had to fill your car with gas for the trip, or bought a sandwich and a cup of coffee on the way. Were you testing out a brand new pair of waders, or perhaps it was your first trip out with a new pair of binoculars? Did you come home with a hat, t-shirt, or new field guide from the nature shop?
Now think about this spending activity, multiplied by the 45 million people that visit our 555 national wildlife refuges each year. And then try to take into account the ripple effect this activity has on the overall economy, plus the added benefit that healthy habitats contribute in providing ecosystem services like clean air and water.
It’s safe to say that the dollars add up quickly.
In fact, a recent study commissioned by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation conservatively estimates that the combined impact of all outdoor recreation, natural resources conservation and historic preservation in America results in $1.6 trillion of total economic activity. That’s the equivalent of 9.4 million jobs and $107 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues. The same study showed that the total value of ecosystem services provided by the Refuge System as a whole is $32.2 billion per year.
We’re talking real dollars, and real jobs.
In a challenging economic environment, making the case for conserving wildlife and habitat on the basis of their intrinsic values alone would ignore the real economic impact of protecting and enjoying America’s great outdoors. Decision-makers must understand that wildlife means business and jobs in local communities. The NWRA-led Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE), a diverse group of 22 organizations representing diverse conservation, sporting and scientific groups, vividly illustrates how the Refuge System translates into jobs and economic activity in its latest report, Restoring America’s Wildlife Refuges 2011, Assets for All Americans.
With stories from communities across the country, the report highlights refuge users, business owners and community leaders who depend on a healthy and vibrant Refuge System for their livelihoods and the economic well-being of their local communities. From Rhode Island to Utah to Alaska, and many other states crisscrossing the country, the report makes clear the economic value refuges bring communities.
Our members of Congress need to hear this message loud and clear. As the seconds tick away for the “Super Committee” to come up with a solution to address the national debt, they must be urgently reminded of the huge impact that conservation and outdoor recreation have on our economy. Long term and draconian cuts to federal investment in conservation will devastate our wildlife refuges, and have a severe impact on the economic well-being of the local communities that surround them.
Think back again to the last time you visited a national wildlife refuge, and why you visited. Now, more than ever, is the time to tell Congress how important these national treasures are for all Americans.
Onward and upward!
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The NWRA is Pleased to Welcome David Preschlack to its Board of Directors
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The NWRA is pleased to welcome David Preschlack to its board of directors.
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As Executive Vice President, Affiliate Sales and Marketing, Disney & ESPN Media Networks, Preschlack oversees all aspects of domestic distribution of Disney and ESPN's cable and satellite networks. ESPN is one of the largest distributors of outdoors content and programming.
“We’re thrilled to have David join our board,” said Don O’Brien, Chair of NWRA’s Board of Directors. “With his incredible sales and marketing experience, David will be invaluable to helping NWRA better promote its wildlife conservation and public engagement programs.”
Preschlack first joined ESPN as a videotape librarian in July 1995 and joined the affiliate sales and marketing department in 1996 as a sales coordinator. He was promoted to associate account executive, affiliate sales and marketing, northeast region (1997-99), senior account executive, affiliate sales and marketing, northeast region (1999-2000), director, affiliate sales and marketing, northeast region (2000-02), and vice president, national accounts, affiliate sales and marketing (2002-04).
“Getting the word out about the great work NWRA does to conserve wildlife habitat and mobilize private citizens on behalf of our national wildlife refuges is a more important than ever,” said Preschlack. “I hope to be able to leverage my expertise to help the organization reach larger and more diverse audiences.”
In addition he has received Sports Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” distinction three times (2007 – 2009, thereby becoming a “Forty Under 40 Hall of Famer”) and was named to MultiChannel News’ “40 Under 40” list in 2007. In 2004 Television Week named Preschlack to its “Hot List,” a list of a dozen men and women poised to take their places at the forefront of the television business in the next few years.
Preschlack was graduated from Denison University with a bachelor of arts degree in economics in 1995. He currently resides in Southport, Conn., with his wife and four children.
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NWRA named a “Champion of the Everglades”
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is honored to be named a “Champion of the Everglades” by the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation in recognition of NWRA’s work protecting Everglades wildlife and supporting the National Wildlife Refuge System.
"We're honored to be recognized for our work to conserve one of America's most iconic landscapes," said Evan Hirsche, President of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. "'But it's the inspired commitment and engagement of state and federal agencies, private landowners and NGO's that will ultimately carry the day."
The Foundation will also be honoring Palm Beach County Commissioner Karen Marcus, and Charlie Pelizza of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the fourth annual Champion of the Everglades Awards.
“The Marshall Foundation is proud to spotlight individuals and organizations that have made an outstanding contribution toward Everglades restoration over many years,” said Nancy Marshall, President of the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation. "Individually, each ... continues to inspire us for their extraordinary efforts on behalf of the River of Grass. But collectively, they have been instrumental in forging both popular and governmental support for reviving, restoring and preserving one of America’s greatest natural treasures."
The award is to be presented at the sixth annual River of Grass Gala on December 10th in West Palm Beach, FL.
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Winner of 2011 Federal Duck Stamp Contest Announced!
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Joe Hautman took the top honors in this years Federal Duck Stamp contest for this painting of a wood duck drake.
©USFWS
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Minnesota artist Joe Hautman was named the winner of this year’s Federal Duck Stamp contest. His painting of a wood duck will grace the 2012-2013 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (the official name for the “duck stamp”). The artist has previously won the contest four times, and took the top honors at the most recent competition held on November 1, 2011. NWRA board member Lynn Scarlett served on the five-judge panel who faced the daunting but rewarding assignment of selecting the top design out of 190 entries.
The Duck Stamp is one of conservation’s greatest tools and is a vital part of the wetlands acquisition fund-raising strategy for the nation’s wildlife refuges. The stamp is responsible for more than $750 million in conservation funds, resulting in more than 5.3 million acres of land being conserved – most of it on our nation’s national wildlife refuges.
The Federal Duck Stamp Contest is the oldest and most prestigious wildlife art competition in the United States. Along with a state’s hunting license, the stamps are required to hunt migratory waterfowl in the United States.
Congratulations to Joe on his beautiful depiction of a wood duck!
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FWS Releases a 10-Year blueprint for the Refuge System
NWRA applauds the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s new vision for the National Wildlife Refuge System as one that will address the conservation and public engagement challenges of the new century. Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Ken Salazar, joined FWS Director Dan Ashe, as he announced the new vision, "Conserving the Future: Wildlife Refuges and the Next Generation" at a ceremony on October 20th at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, the first national wildlife refuge established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. Now FWS and its partners will begin implementing this ambitious Vision for our nation’s refuges.
“Conserving the Future provides a compelling new partner-based framework for the National Wildlife Refuge System to achieve its wildlife conservation objectives, while educating and enlisting a new generation of Americans in the stewardship of wildlife and habitat,” said Evan Hirsche, president of the NWRA. “By embracing this collaborative vision, the Refuge System will leverage its remarkable conservation impact with the resources of other federal agencies, states, private landowners, recreationalists, and refuge Friends and volunteers to protect more habitat and reach more Americans than ever.”
The culmination of a year-long process to create an updated plan for the National Wildlife Refuge System, Conserving the Future acknowledges growing conservation challenges like habitat fragmentation, the need for adequate quantities of clean water, the explosion of invasive species, impacts of climate change, and rapidly shifting public demographics, and lays out a detailed plan of action.
In recognizing that habitat fragmentation poses the greatest challenge to wildlife conservation, the plan makes clear the need for national wildlife refuges to work “Beyond the Boundaries,” seeking out creative alliances with adjacent landowners, states, and other federal agencies in crafting large landscape strategies. With scarce federal and state funds, the plan emphasizes leverage and community support to realize larger conservation results.
“The conservation challenges of the 21st century demand that the Service renews its commitment to our important relationship with state fish and wildlife agencies and with traditional partners such as anglers and hunters,” said Dan Ashe, Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. “At the same time, we need to be creative and bold in forging new partnerships.”
As part of one of the most transparent government processes ever, Conserving the Future attracted more than 10,000 comments and included an on-line forum for the public and constituent organizations to discuss ideas and express their views. “The National Wildlife Refuge Association was honored to serve as FWS’s partner in enlisting public comments and input from a variety of constituency groups” Hirsche said.
“Hunters, anglers, bird watchers, outdoor photographers, environmental educators, and many others who care about our refuges should be excited about the vision and energized to work toward its implementation,” Hirsche continued. “This plan emphasizes the importance of engaging our country’s diverse population in accomplishing meaningful conservation, while encouraging folks of all ages to get outdoors and enjoy America’s great natural treasures.”
The NWRA looks forward to working closely with the FWS to implement this ambitious and inspiring plan for the future.
Download the full version of Conserving the Future: America's Wildlife and the Next Generation at AmericasWildlife.org/vision
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Black Bayou Lake NWR (LA) Friend Ann Smith Defends FWS’ Authority to Create New Refuges to Congress
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Ann Smith testifies before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs in support of our National Wildlife Refuge System.
© Ilya Fischhoff
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NWRA commends Ann Bloxom Smith of the Friends of Black Bayou Lake NWR in Louisiana for testifying before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs on October 25 in opposition to H.R. 3009, a bill to strip the authority of the FWS to create new wildlife refuges. Friends like Ann are defending the Refuge System from harmful proposals and educating members of Congress about their ramifications.
Refuges can be created both by Congress and an Administration, but this legislation would make it so that only Congress could create refuges. Beginning with the first national wildlife refuge at Pelican Island in Florida, created by President Theodore Roosevelt, almost every President has used this authority to create new refuges.
Ms. Smith’s testimony addressed the fact that Congress already has several oversight authorities on refuges and that she fully supports the FWS in creating new refuges. In speaking about her own Black Bayou Lake NWR, she said, “Without the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s ability to act nimbly and efficiently to create this refuge administratively, it is unclear whether the refuge would be what it is today. I support the FWS in creating refuges administratively for two reasons: I know it works--our refuge is proof, and if our community had not been supportive, the FWS would never have created this refuge, and second, I know that all of you, who represent people like me, have an oversight power over any new refuges that are created. I strongly believe in the three branches of government and the important roles each plays in our society. Your role, with the power of the purse, I believe already gives you the most important seat at the table for our natural resources.”
We at NWRA couldn’t have said it better ourselves and we sincerely thank Ann for her outstanding defense of the Refuge System. Stay tuned for a Refuge Action Alert about this issue in the coming weeks.
Read Ann’s full testimony.
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Drastic Budget Cuts Loom for the National Wildlife Refuge System
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If the House version of the Interior Appropriations bill passes it would close or eliminate programs at 128 national wildlife refuges.
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The Fish and Wildlife Service and National Wildlife Refuge System continue to get the short end of the stick as the two houses of Congress bicker over philosophical differences in how to fund the government.
The House and Senate have continued to negotiate the details of the Interior Department’s spending bill, and are working to reconcile differences between the two chambers’ recommendations. Currently, neither has passed their version of the bill.
The House recommends funding the Refuge System at $455.3 million, a $37 million cut, and the Senate, would fund the System at $483 million.
If passed, the House version of the Interior Appropriations bill would:
- Close or eliminate major programs at 128 national wildlife refuges
- Eliminate approximately 200 wildlife management jobs, resulting in severe cutbacks of critical habitat management work
- Eliminate approximately 35 visitor services jobs – positions needed to mobilize the 40,000 volunteers that help the Refuge System welcome the public and administer recreational programs
- Eliminate 40 law enforcement officers, leaving a force of only 173 people to carry out the work that the International Association of Chiefs of Police recommends should be done by 845 officers.
Alternatively, the Senate version of the bill would result in a $10 million decrease from current levels. While still a cut in funding, this is a much less severe decrease than the House recommended levels
Meanwhile, Congress has passed another Continuing Resolution, or “CR”, funding the government until December 16 at current levels. . If Congress has not passed all appropriations bills by the time this latest CR runs out, they will be forced to pass another one. However, the longer an Interior Appropriations bill waits to be passed, the worse it could be for conservation programs like refuges.
Impacts of Super Committee’s Inaction to Refuge System Funding
The Super Committee charged with finding a solution to the federal deficit failed to come to a compromise and now everyone is scrambling to figure out what the consequences are going to be. In accordance with the law passed over the summer, The Budget Control Act of 2011, an immediate across the board cut called "sequestration" will occur, beginning in FY13. This likely means a 9% cut to the Refuge System's “operations and maintenance” accounts from the FY12 enacted amount. When factoring in inflation, NWRA estimates that this will be the equivalent of about a 20% cut to refuges since FY10 (the height of refuge funding), and will force the Refuge System to dust off the Downsizing Plans from just a few years ago.
While we agree we must get our fiscal house in order, we should not slash funding for programs that are economic drivers in our local communities. You can help urge Congress to protect funding for the Refuge System in Fiscal Year 2012 and beyond by sending them a message instantly via our Refuge Action Network!
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NWRA Comments on Proposed Everglades Headwaters NWR and Conservation Area
On November 3, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs held an oversight hearing on the proposed Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area. This proposal is one of NWRA's highest priorities and an example of a new conservation paradigm for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife System that NWRA strongly believes in. This innovative approach to conservation includes federal and private land partnerships to connect diverse groups. A portion of the refuge would be formally owned by the federal government with a "Conservation Area" set aside that is privately owned with FWS easements, therefore regulating how that land can be managed.
NWRA submitted a formal comment for the record and assisted in organizing witnesses to explain to Congress why this proposal is so important for Florida and the nation.
The proposed refuge and conservation area have five main goals:
- Conserve biodiversity in areas that provide habitat to threatened and endangered species such as Florida scrub jays, crested caracara, Everglades snail kite and Florida panthers;
- Protect a land base of sufficient mass and continuity to enable wildlife to migrate and adapt in response to changing habitats and other natural and man-made threats;
- Restore and protect wetlands to support water quality and quantity from the Everglades headwaters to South Florida for the more than 6 million people who depend on it as well as irrigation to the region’s ranches and commercial agriculture, making it a true crossroads in the effort to ensure Florida’s environmental and economic future;
- Sustain Florida's ranching economy and way of life by bringing conservation dollars and best management practices to bear - thus maintaining private land ownership;
- Promote military readiness by providing an expanded buffer zone at the Avon Park Air Force Range.
These goals were artfully visualized in a video, created by award winning filmmaker Elam Stoltzfus. The video was shown during opening remarks at the hearing and is entered into the formal record. Learn more about the film project here.
This is a bold initiative that serves as a model for achieving conservation results that benefit wildlife and people throughout this country.
The NWRA supports FWS and their public and private partners for the collaborative approach they are using to address landscape-scale habitat and wildlife protection. We believe that the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area proposal to purchase up to 50,000 acres of habitat from willing landowners, and buy conservation easements on another 100,000 acres of ranchland represents a new approach to conservation by the Service.
Please consider commenting on the proposal. The comment period still open until Friday, November 25.
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The proposed refuge and conservation area will sustain Florida's ranching economy and way of life by bringing conservation dollars and best management practices to bear.
© Carlton Ward Jr./ CarltonWard.com
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Friends Focus: International Wildlife Refuge Alliance
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Habitat conservation and interpretation are a big part of the Alliance’s work, which centers on the protected Humbug Marsh wetlands.
© International Wildlife Refuge Alliance
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The International Wildlife Refuge Alliance, like the refuge it supports on the U.S.-Canadian border in Michigan and Ontario, is not your typical refuge Friends group. Unlike most Friends groups, the Alliance is a donor-based organization, rather than a membership group. Its success has been due in no small part to the strong partnerships the group has forged among a broad coalition of local, state and federal government agencies, corporate partners, and nonprofit organizations.
The 10-year-old Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is the only international wildlife refuge in the U.S., and spans more than 5,700 acres along 48 miles of shoreline in Michigan from the lower Detroit River to the Ohio state line. It includes international waters through the refuge’s boundaries. “The Refuge goal is to manage 12,000 acres of land for conservation on the U. S. side and eventually Canada will add a comparable amount on its side,” says Joann Van Aken, the Alliance’s office manager and sole paid staff member.
The refuge is an important raptor and waterfowl migration corridor, located at the intersection of the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways. Michigan Congressman John Dingell was instrumental in creating the refuge when Humbug Island, which includes the last mile of natural shoreline on the U.S. mainland of the Detroit River, was threatened by a large-scale condominium development in the mid-1990s. “As a member of the Migratory Bird Commission, he realized the area’s critical importance to birds,” says Richard (Dick) Micka, chairman of the Alliance’s board. These days, instead of condos, the pristine wetlands of Humbug Marsh include trails, wildlife observation decks, a boardwalk, and a new environmental education center built with help from the Alliance and its supporters.
“We have so many partners who support us,” says Van Aken. “Over 200 businesses, nonprofits, schools, universities, foundations, churches, garden clubs, and a Native American tribe are actively involved. Ford Motor Co. has been fantastic—they have provided financial support and also a volunteer corps that has been terrific. Biologists from Ducks Unlimited are helping to restore wetlands. The list goes on and on.”
Habitat conservation and interpretation are a big part of the Alliance’s work, which centers on the protected Humbug Marsh wetlands. National Wildlife Refuge Week (October 9-15) celebrated the completion of a new Greenway Trail linking Lake Erie Metropark to Humbug Marsh in an interconnected 50-mile network of trails. An annual Hawkfest and Waterfowl Festival in September attracts birders who visit the refuge during the fall migration of hundreds of thousands of raptors, ducks, shorebirds and songbirds. The Hawk Watch Committee oversees an annual hawk count, and a Stewardship Committee hosts volunteer events to clear honeysuckle, garlic mustard, and other invasive species. The Alliance’s next big project, already well under way, is to raise funds for a new visitor center at the Refuge Gateway to be completed within the next five years.
Learn more about the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance.
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Do you want to make the biggest impact possible for your dollar in ensuring the vitality of the National Wildlife Refuge System?
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Donate today and make an impact on the future of America's wildlife heritage!
© Daniel Kaiser
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The NWRA is a small organization that accomplishes big results through leverage and partnerships. We do this by pursuing three strategies: advocacy for funding and policy in Washington, DC; training and mobilizing a grassroots force of Refuge Friends; and facilitating landscape-scale conservation initiatives by bringing together a broad array of public agencies, nonprofit groups, corporate partners, landowners and land managers.
We are experts in bringing diverse groups together around common conservation goals.
Please donate today and make an impact on the future of America’s wildlife heritage.
Upcoming Events!
November 25: Deadline to make comments supporting the Everglades Headwaters NWR/ CA.
December 10: Arthur R. Marshall Foundation "River of Grass" Gala.
December 14 - January 5: Take part in a Christmas Bird Count!
December 15: Mini-grant deadline through "Celebrate Urban Birds" at Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
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Thank you to all those who have supported us through past Combined Federal Campaigns. Without you, we would not be able to do all we do!
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