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President's Letter

Happy Birthday Refuges!

By Evan Hirsche

As you all know, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the National Wildlife Refuge System. A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt had the wisdom and prescience to establish more than 50 conservation areas, intended to protect our nation's unique wildlife heritage for generations to come. The System is now a network of 540 refuges, covering 100 million acres and protecting an unbelievable tapestry of habitats and wildlife. We have much to be proud of in this accomplishment; no other country can lay claim to such an ambitious undertaking.

So, we celebrate! This year, hundreds of national and local events will raise the visibility of this system of lands, while also recognizing the tremendous contributions of refuge professionals and volunteers.

NWRA's contribution to the party was the Centennial Refuge Friends Conference in February. In Sebastian, FL, home of the first refuge, 6-acre Pelican Island, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hosted a blockbuster celebration in March complete with TV personality Jack Hanna, Disney performers and fireworks over the Indian River. Throughout the year, refuges around the country will host open houses and other special events. The abundance of festivities has generated a stream of television, newspaper and magazine stories.

Coinciding with the celebration, and owing in part to the occasion, are strong back-to-back funding increases for the System — approximately $50 million for FY03 and an expected $25 million increase for FY04 (being deliberated by Congress this year). These increases, while considerably short of what refuges truly need to meet some of their most basic conservation objectives, represent appropriate milestones and both the Bush Administration and Congress deserve our appreciation for their approval.

So, a good year for refuges. But what happens when the party's over? Once the confetti has been swept away, the banners rolled up and the crowds sent home, what can we expect in the way of support from the Administration and Congress? Early indications are that refuge funding will, in fact, be significantly scaled back. In the corridors of Washington, there are whispers that "refuges have had their turn."

But the need for significant support of the refuge system will not end after this high-profile year. The Refuge Association needs your help and support now more than ever to keep the momentum going for refuges.

Refuges face challenges of astounding magnitude — invasive species are destroying millions of refuge acres; clean and plentiful water, the lifeblood of refuges, is becoming increasingly scarce; and refuge professionals across the country complain that their staffing levels are inadequate to successfully conduct biological, public use and law enforcement programs.

On Capitol Hill, to persuade decision-makers to make refuges a funding priority after the Centennial will require a well-orchestrated national and local campaign involving thousands of individuals and many diverse organizations.

The Refuge Association devotes 100 percent of its resources to addressing these challenges. We've launched our campaign for the next century by reaching out to the hundreds of Refuge Friends groups across the country and inviting them and their members to join us through our new Friends Affiliate program. We continue to bolster the work of the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE), 21 diverse national organizations working to increase Refuge System funding. We aim to build a national grassroots movement of concerned people like yourself who will ensure that the needs of refuges are met for the next century.

But we need your help now. Please consider giving a special donation in celebration of the Centennial, and to assure continued support for refuges once the party's over.

Like never before, now is the time to mount a national campaign for refuges. You can help by joining your local Friends group, signing up to receive action alerts from the NWRA and making a financial contribution to the NWRA. By working, speaking and acting together, we will make this party last!