National Wildlife Refuges:
Oregon Funding Crisis
Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge
needs funding to remove nonnative
feral horses and burros to restore
habitat for pronghorn, sage grouse,
and other native Oregon species.
Ankeny Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon
National Wildlife Refuges in Oregon face a $68 million budget shortfall
Oregon is home to spectacular natural resources including over 20 national
wildlife refuges (see map, reverse side). These wildlife refuges are national
treasures, providing habitat to an astonishing 90% of the migratory birds
flying through the West Coast as well as for other species. Millions of visitors
enjoy hiking, bird watching, environmental education, hunting and fishing on
Oregon’s refuges each year.
The Refuge System in Oregon has identified:
•$68 million and
•32 staff positions
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
needs funding to control 100,000
acres infested with noxious weeds.
The surrounding community views the
refuge as the source of weeds in the
area, and it is a priority to gain control
and restore habitat.
Malheur NWR also needs funding to
study control methods for introduced
Asian carp, a fish that has destroyed
habitat resulting in a 95% decline in
waterfowl use.
in unmet high priority needs. This shortfall prevents the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service from adequately managing and restoring wildlife habitat,
safely maintaining facilities and providing quality recreational programs.
Unfortunately, the Refuge System budget has remained relatively flat for the
last two years. Due to rising costs, a flat budget erodes each refuge’s base
funding, preventing vital positions from being filled and projects from being
completed. The Refuge System in Oregon needs a $507,000 increase each
year just to retain current services.
National Wildlife Refuge Funding Crisis
About C.A.R.E
CARE is a unique coalition of 21
conservation, scientific,
sporting, and recreation
organizations with more than 5
million members across the
United States. CARE has been
working since 1995 to help the
National Wildlife Refuge System
fight a serious funding crisis.
American Birding Association
American Fisheries Society
American Sportfishing Association
Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation
Defenders of Wildlife
Ducks Unlimited
International Association of Fish and
Wildlife Agencies
Izaak Walton League of America
National Association of Service and
Conservation Corps
National Audubon Society
National Rifle Association of America
National Wildlife Federation
National Wildlife Refuge Association
Safari Club International
The Wilderness Society
The Wildlife Society
Trout Unlimited
U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance
Assateague Coastal Trust
Wildlife Forever
Wildlife Management Institute
1010 Wisconsin Avenue, NW,
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20007
Phone: 202-333-9075
Fax: 202-333-9077
Web:
www.FundRefuges.org/CARE/
CareHome.html
CARE recommends a $700 million annual operations and maintenance
budget for the Refuge System
The National Wildlife Refuge System faces a crippling $3 billion operations
and maintenance budget shortfall, which continues to grow. An annual
increase of $300 million will prevent the Refuge System from spiraling into
more debt and allow the Fish and Wildlife Service to begin restoring
habitat, maintaining facilities and expanding public use opportunities that
have languished due to lack of funds.
Faced with a flattened budget and increased costs, in just three years 74%
of the refuges in the northeast will be bankrupt, according to a Fish and
Wildlife Service analysis. Other regions are facing similar problems. Able
to absorb some budget pressure over the years, refuges have reached a
threshold forcing the Fish and Wildlife Service to de-staff entire refuges,
and cut visitor services and habitat management at scores of refuges.
Investing in refuges is good for communities and for wildlife
National Wildlife Refuges are economic engines in many rural areas.
According to a recently released economic analysis, Banking on Nature, by
the Fish and Wildlife Service:
•Recreational visits to national wildlife refuges generate substantial
economic activity. In FY 2004, more than 36.7 million people visited
refuges for recreation. Their spending generated $1.37 billion of sales in
regional economies. As this spending flowed through the economy, nearly
24,000 people were employed and $453.9 million in employment income
was generated.
•At Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge in southern Oregon, for every
$1 spent on the refuge’s budget, almost $3 are generated in recreational
expenditures to the local economy. One half million dollars of local tax
revenues are generated through recreational expenditures.