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The Water Crisis
To no one’s surprise, the wildlife that depends upon the National Wildlife Refuge System is only as healthy as its water supply. Whether a critter lives in the southwest desert, the arctic tundra, a tropical forest, a cypress swamp, or any of the other varied habitats found in the Refuge System, it has no choice but to compete for the quality and quantity of water it needs to survive. The role of refuges in the battle for water is not only that of a consumer, but also that of a supplier. In addition to purifying water as it passes through on its way to the next consumer, refuge ecosystems also mitigate the impact of hurricanes, flood, drought, and climate change.
Nevertheless, refuges face ever-mounting challenges in obtaining this vital resource. Many refuges, such as those in Nevada’s Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex, are increasingly stressed as water is siphoned off to satisfy the thirsty sprawl of rapidly growing human development. Other refuges, such as Florida’s J.N. “Ding” Darling and Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee, suffer from waterways burdened by polluted runoff. Although “water rights” were until recently a battleground most familiar to those in the western states, communities back east are increasingly laying jealous claim to their own water supplies.
Unfortunately, refuges are behind the curve in clearly designating their own place in the hierarchy of those jostling for consideration. Few refuges have federally reserved water rights; the overwhelming majority of refuges depend on water rights granted by the states. The Western Water Policy Review Advisory Commission reported in 1998 that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service had inadequate funding to access and document the water uses and needs on refuges. Regrettably, in the ten years since, funding and staff limitations have resulted in little if any progress on this front.
Water is the life-blood of refuges; FWS professionals throughout the Refuge System recognize the vital need to reexamine the priorities and tactics of refuge water resource programs in order to prevent the loss of species and habitat integrity. If we do nothing, many of this country’s most beautiful and biologically diverse lands will cease to exist.
Refuge supporters around the country need to acknowledge and understand the problem and do what they can to assure that refuge habitat and wildlife have a voice in the clamor for the clean water we all need to live, thrive and survive. As we look ahead to a new Administration and Congress, taking a full accounting of refuge water needs and securing necessary water rights ought to be a top priority.
Onward and upward!
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Major Milestone for Manatees - $6.3 Million Grant Approved
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A West Indian manatee leaves Three Sisters Springs, an important habitat the Friends of Chassahowitzka and the NWRA seek to add to Crystal River NWR, FL. © Evan Hirsche
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NWRA, the Friends of Chassahowitzka, and other partners in the Three Sisters Springs Project celebrated a major milestone with the announcement of a $6.3 million grant from the Florida Communities Trust’s Florida Forever Program. This generous grant brings our ambitious collaborative effort to protect key manatee habitat one giant step closer to success. The Florida Forever grant joins commitments from public and private sources to nearly $11 million, with about $3.5 million left to secure over the coming months.
Nestled among winding waterfront subdivisions on Central Florida’s west coast, a complex of warm water springs and mangrove tunnels provides critical habitat for the endangered West Indian manatee. Hundreds of manatees winter and raise their calves here, and they attract boaters, divers, swimmers and manatee watchers from far and wide, along with their tourist dollars.
But the Three Sisters Springs and 57 acres of land immediately surrounding them has been slated for development for many years, most recently approved for hundreds of residences and even potential commercial “spring water” withdrawal. Conservationists have sought to protect the springs for decades, and nearly a year ago, the Friends of the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge Complex saw an opening to try again.
The Friends and the Refuge Manager contacted NWRA with their conundrum. Although the Three Sisters Springs is integral to the health of the Kings Bay watershed which feeds the headwaters of Crystal River, and contains prime manatee habitat, the land sits outside the boundaries (not adjacent to) of the Crystal River NWR, and the purchase price for 57 acres of developable waterfront land, at over $14 million, was intimidating.
For NWRA, Three Sisters has proven to be emblematic of the Beyond the Boundaries program. NWRA has provided assistance in bringing a legion of conservation partners together to create an ambitious and creative conservation strategy for the Three Sisters Springs project – not just to acquire the property, but also to plan for its management and visitors services.
The Conservation Fund is negotiating so that the majority of the land will be owned and managed as part of the Crystal River NWR, with a conservation easement to be held by the City of Crystal River. To advance this plan, the Friends and other partners have risen to every hurdle with enthusiasm and focus, and the project has attracted generous support so far – including attention from Senator Bill Nelson, Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, the Citrus County Commission and many others.
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NWRA Addresses “Complex” Issues
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NWRA President Evan Hirsche testifies before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans on September 10, 2008 regarding H.R. 6479, a bill that would create the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex in statute.©Desiree Sorenson-Groves |
NWRA testified before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans on September 10, 2008 regarding H.R. 6479, a bill that would statutorily create the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Seven refuges in the Bay area are currently managed in the complex. At the hearing, the NWRA expressed support for the intent behind the proposed legislation - to increase funding and stature for the refuges in and around the San Francisco Bay area - while calling attention to challenges to refuges around the country stemming from refuge complexing.
Refuge Complexing – a strategy that places several refuges under a single management authority – was embraced by most FWS regions as an integral part of strategic downsizing plans which were implemented in reaction to reduced refuge budgets. The strategy allows several refuges to share biological, maintenance, law enforcement and administrative staff, and often leaves individual refuges without a refuge manager, let alone any staffing. It is most successfully implemented where refuges are proximate to one another and share similar habitat types, ecosystems and management strategies.
NWRA’s core concerns about refuge complexing revolve around de-staffing of units, resulting in a disassociation with local communities. For example, it’s difficult for a Friends group to remain productive and support a refuge without an on-the-ground staffing presence. Given then importance of Friends and volunteers to refuges, such an impact can’t be overstated. Further, having refuge staff on site facilitates relationships with adjacent landowners, and helps to ensure that visitors have a positive experience including removing FWS from the local community.
Regarding H.R.6479, NWRA had other minor technical issues with the bill and is working with Resources Committee staff and Bay Area partners to address them. With the Congressional calendar coming to an end, the chances of this being considered in a lame duck session are slim. Rather, NWRA anticipates a new bill will be introduced and approved in the new Congress.
Read NWRA’s testimony.
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NWRA/CARE Urge Congress to Aid Storm Damaged Refuges
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Scrap at McFaddin NWR, Sabine Pass, TX post Hurrican Ike. Total storm-related damages this year are estimated to cost the refuge system $300 million - almost three quarters of this year's budget.
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NWRA and the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) called upon Congress to address the severe damages to refuges from this year’s natural disasters. The devastation is staggering – from massive spring flooding in the Midwest to hurricane damage from Ike, Hannah and Gustav. The estimated cost to repair facilities and restore habitat is roughly $300 million – almost three quarters of the Refuge System’s entire operations and maintenance budget for this fiscal year The cost of damages from Hurricane Ike are $260 million alone!
In a letter to key Congressional decision makers on September 18th, NWRA and its partners in CARE urged Congress to appropriate emergency funds to aid areas hardest hit, the Gulf Coast in particular. Congress responded and has included $75 million for the FWS Construction account for emergency relief in the House passed version of the Continuing Resolution or “CR” – the Senate is expected to follow shortly.
A September 22nd article in USA Today, that included quotes from NWRA, highlighted the damages wrought by Hurricane Ike, both from ecological and economic perspectives. Across the nation, and particularly in the battered areas along the Gulf Coast, refuges play a significant role in serving as the economic engine of their local communities. Eco tourism plays an important role in these communities and with the fall migration already begun and the peak tourism season about to start, it is imperative to give these refuges the resources they need.
See recent USA Today article and CARE letter to Congress.
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Congress Fails to Pass Funding Bills: Refuges Will Be Funded at FY’08 Levels
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Sign at Crystal River NWR, FL tells visitors that budget reductions have led to unstaffed refuges. Funding shortages have had similar effects across the Refuge System. © Noah Kahn |
The government’s fiscal year ends September 30th and final passage of a Continuing Resolution or “CR” is expected this week to keep the government – and Refuge System - running at this year’s funding levels through next March.
The NWRS is currently funded at $434 million for its operations and maintenance budget but needs at least $765 million for full funding. This means even with the substantial increase provided by Congress for this fiscal year, the NWRS is still 43% under-funded.
The House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee proposed a spending proposal earlier this year calling for a $35 million increase to refuges - $469 million for FY09 - but the Senate failed to produce a bill out of its Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. This means when the 111th Congress convenes next January, the House version could be what they use as a benchmark.
NWRA and our partners in the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) will work hard to ensure funding for FY09 is at least the amount proposed by the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. CARE’s request for FY09 is $514 million, putting refuges on the path to reach $765 million by FY 2013.
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Izembek Road Boondoggle Advances
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The proposed road through Izembek NWR would have treacherous driving conditions and high maintenance costs as opposed to the more efficient hovercraft already in use. © FWS |
On September 11th, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved a bill that would carve a nine-mile, $30 million gravel road through the heart of vital wildlife habitat in the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. The proposed legislation, S. 1680, was added to the Senate Lands Package, and could be voted on anytime, prior to Congress adjourning for the election. The proposed road from King Cove to Cold Bay, AK, through the remote refuge on the Alaskan peninsula, would be extremely costly, environmentally-damaging, impassable much of the year, and is totally unnecessary.
The residents of King Cove argue the road is necessary for public health, since airport evacuations to Anchorage must leave from Cold Bay, nine miles across the bay. Yet, Congress solved King Cove’s health and safety needs in 1998, when it appropriated $37.5 million to this tiny community of 800 people. Of that, $9 million was spent to purchase a 98-foot, all-weather hovercraft ferry that has a 100 percent success record with at least 32 medevacs. Another $26 million was spent building a dangerous, single-lane gravel road to the edge of the refuge wilderness area. The remainder was allocated to create a state-of-the-art community medical clinic.
With a top speed of 58mph, the craft can ferry an ambulance between the two communities in just 20 minutes and has thus far saved at least 32 lives. Even the mayor of the Aleutians East Borough agrees, saying the hovercraft ferry is a “lifesaving machine,” and “is doing what it is supposed to do.” Congress should uphold their decision 1998 when they protected the Izembek NWR and declared a road through its center not in the American public interest.
Visit our Izembek page to find out how you can help and to send an instant message to your Senators.
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Friends Focus: Friends of Anahuac Refuge (FOAR)
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(Left) Friends of Anahuac search for birds on the Willows Trail © FOAR
(Right) Refuge sign floats among debris at Anahuac NWR post Hurricane Ike © FWS |
In the wake of Hurricane Ike, the Friends of Anahuac Refuge (FOAR) are stunned by the storm’s destruction and anxious to begin rebuilding. In a message to the Friends this week, FOAR Secretary David Sarkozi wrote that the hurricane’s effects on Anahuac NWR “can be summed up in a single word - devastating.”
Winds over 100 mph and a 20 foot tidal surge flooded the freshwater marshes with saltwater, severely damaging both facilities and habitat. The flood breached refuge roads, refuge buildings were completely gutted, and refuge vehicles were found as far away as four miles north of refuge boundaries. Several feet of vegetation debris covers most of the refuge, and the salt water burned and killed marshland vegetation across nearly all of the 34,000-acre refuge.
While Friends are eager to lend a helping hand, the Refuge staff is still busy assessing the damages. Sarkozi notes that most of the debris will likely need to be cleared by heavy equipment initially but that volunteers will be needed soon enough. “There will be plenty of things to clean up,” says Sarkozi, “The Refuge will need advocates in this process.”
Fortunately the FOAR have a reputation for hard work and commitment to the preservation of Anahuac Refuge. Some of the Friends recent accomplishments include designing and funding the Outdoor Education program, constructing a 1.5-acre butterfly and hummingbird habitat landscape and trail system, and staffing the Visitor Information Station. The Information Station and butterfly garden will need to be rebuilt, but “don’t give up hope,” warns Refuge Project Manager Tim Cooper, “People are going to be surprised at the speed of our recovery.” Adds Sarkozi, “In the sea of brown there are patches of green.”
To learn more about the Friends of Anahuac Refuge, visit: http://www.friendsofanahuacnwr.org/.
To learn more about Anahuac NWR, visit: http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/anahuac/index.html
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Support the NWRA!!! Donate today to ensure a sound future for the National Wildlife Refuge System.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) is the only national non-profit organization devoted to supporting the health and welfare of the Refuge System and promoting national wildlife refuges as safe havens for our most threatened wildlife and disappearing landscapes, anchors of landscape-scale conservation, and outdoor classrooms throughout all 50 states. Through advocacy, education, and conservation, NWRA works to strengthen the ecological integrity of our national wildlife refuges and thus ensure a diverse spectrum of plants and wildlife for future generations.
Giving Wildlife a Voice
NWRA is a leading advocate for the Refuge System on Capitol Hill and informs decision-makers about legislation and policy that create opportunities and pose threats to refuges.
- NWRA regularly testifies before Congress to address critical issues such as the debilitating $2.7 billion
- Refuge System funding backlog.
- In FY08, NWRA lobbied lawmakers and helped secure $434 million in federal appropriations for the
- Refuge System, a $39 million increase over the previous year.
Energizing Communities
NWRA steers public and private funding to volunteer initiatives and environmental education, utilizes strategic communication and partnerships to increase visibility and spread public awareness about the importance of refuges, and mobilizes thousands of volunteers across the country to address on-the-ground challenges. In recent years, NWRA has:
- Helped build a powerful grassroots network of 200+ refuge Friends groups across the country to act as
- an effective voice for both their local refuges and the broader Refuge System.
- Led more than 600 local refuge advocates to Capitol Hill in support of funding increases for the Refuge
- System.
- Conducted workshops at national and regional Refuge Friends conferences, training nearly 3,000 Friends
- group volunteers to communicate effectively with decision-makers, the media and each other.
Conserving Natural Landscapes
NWRA uses creative conservation strategies to preserve the ecological integrity of the Refuge System through private and public partnerships.
- With federal, state and local partners, NWRA implements landscape-scale conservation strategies that
- reach beyond refuge boundaries to prevent further degradation and loss of refuge buffer zones and
- wildlife corridors.
The future of conservation in America is inexorably tied to the future of national wildlife refuges. Unlike any other public lands, the primary purpose of refuge lands and waters is to conserve wildlife. At a time of unprecedented threat to these habitats by climate change, water shortages, invasive species and encroaching human activity, the NWRA is uniquely positioned to counter these challenges and ensure a bright future for diverse wildlife heritage.
Please support our mission by making a generous donation today. Click here to make a contribution.
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September 26 - Matlacha Pass NWR, FL turns 100
September 29 - National Public Lands Day
September 30 -
NWRA begins accepting nominations
for Refuge System awards
Every fall, federal employees are provided the opportunity to participate in the Combined Federal Campaign. This annual fund-raising drive allows donors to direct millions of dollars in much-needed funding to thousands of local and national charitable organizations that satisfy the standards of financial and governance practices specified by the Office of Personnel Management. The National Wildlife Refuge Association (CFC code #10076) has benefited greatly over the years from the generosity of workplace donors and is proud to participate in this program. We encourage all federal employees to take advantage of this opportunity to support the worthwhile missions of their favorite charities.
(http://www.opm.gov/cfc/)
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