FY2005 Appropriations for the National Wildlife Refuge System

Adequate funding for national wildlife refuges in the fiscal year 2005 (FY05) appropriations process is needed to prevent further deterioration of the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS). Please take the opportunity to directly influence how much money is allocated to the NWRS and refuge-related activities, as well as to your local refuge.

Background

The House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Interior are currently working on the FY05 budget. With the tremendous funding crisis facing the NWRS, including a $2 billion operations and maintenance backlog, and an Administration request for FY05 that effectively cuts $16 million from the Refuge System budget, the NWRA and Friends groups need to do everything possible to make our voices heard for adequate Refuge System funding. The Administration's proposed budget for FY05 is $388 million for the NWRS. This is a decrease from the FY04 level of $391.5 million. The Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE), 21 diverse conservation and sporting organizations, of which the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) is a member, has determined that it will be necessary to increase the annual Refuge System budget to $700 million simply to meet the System's top tier needs.

The Administration's FY05 budget request also includes $2 million in cuts for vital refuge visitor services and $5 million in cuts for facility enhancement projects. Visitor Services funding pays for many Friends and volunteer programs, such as the Friends Mentoring Program, Regional Workshops and other programs that provide the public with wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities. Visitor Facility Enhancement Projects funding is also in danger for a large number of refuge construction projects such as: trails; piers; boat launches; interpretive signs; docks; observation towers; boardwalks; decks; parking lots; and kiosks. The proposed $5 million cut threatens the ability of refuges across the country to provide the public with the simplest and most cost-effective methods of outreach, education and orientation at their disposal.

For FY05, continued support for volunteer-based invasives detection and eradication activities is also needed. The Cooperative Volunteer Invasives Monitoring Program currently underway is a partnership among the NWRA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), U.S. Geological Survey and The Nature Conservancy that seeks to train refuge volunteers at six pilot refuges (Hobe Sound (FL); National Bison Range (MT); Ottawa (OH); San Bernard (TX); San Pablo Bay (CA); and Silvio O. Conte (MA)) to identify invasives and collect extensive data using inexpensive but sophisticated global positioning system (GPS)/geographic information system (GIS) data-collection equipment. Collection of this data will aid the FWS in detecting early infestations of invasives on refuges, and will help to prioritize rapid response eradication activities. This technology is already proving successful and should be expanded to a larger percentage of refuges in future years.

What you can do:

Contact your Senators and Representative about refuge funding for FY05 and include these important points:

• Request a $40 million increase for the Refuge System above the FY04 level. This request represents a 10 percent increase for the refuge system. This increase would prevent any backsliding on the gains that were obtained during the centennial, while providing additional resources to implement the goals of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act, address essential operations needs, and continue to reduce the $2 billion operations and maintenance backlog. This backlog is hindering conservation and wildlife habitat programs on your refuge.

• Urge adequate funding for Refuge System Visitor Services Programs and Visitor Facility Enhancement Projects. Visitor Services funding pays for many Friends and volunteer programs (e.g., the Friends Mentoring Program).

• Urge continued funding for the Volunteer Invasives Monitoring Project within the Visitor Services account. This worthy program utilizes volunteers and is a partnership between the NWRA, Nature Conservancy and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Our hope is to see this program greatly expanded in the coming years.

• Endorse the reauthorization of the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program - scheduled to expire December 31, 2005. Communicate your view that the Program should continue and is very beneficial to your refuge (if your refuge is one of the 109 sites currently participating in the Program).

To find out who your Senators and Congressman are, go to http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

Thank you! Please contact Michael Woodbridge, NWRA's Assistant Director of Government Affairs, if you have questions, at (202) 333-9075 or mwoodbridge@refugenet.org.