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An Opportunity of a Lifetime
As I write, President-elect Barack Obama and his advisors are preparing a major economic stimulus package. Both the President-elect and Congressional leaders agree that a major influx of federal dollars – now projected to be close to $1 trillion – to create jobs and rebuild America’s infrastructure will be critical to rebuilding our stalled economy.
Recognizing an unprecedented opportunity to do more than improve traditional infrastructure - e.g. roads and bridges – NWRA more than a month ago sought from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service a package of $1 billion in projects to secure America’s “green infrastructure.” Refuges are vital components of our country’s infrastructure, providing flood control, water quality, and coastal buffering, reducing the impacts of storms and flooding to communities across the nation. Further, refuge facilities – visitors centers, education facilities, and nature trails – improve the quality of life, support property values, and provide a 4-1 return on the federal investment in terms of tourism and jobs.
With a $3.5 billion backlog in wildlife habitat restoration and facilities maintenance, the need for investment in national wildlife refuges has never been greater, and the federal stimulus package represents an unprecedented opportunity. Consider that the most recent increases in Refuge System funding have been on the order of tens of million of dollars. Here we’re talking about a one-time boost literally hundreds of times larger.
Success in securing $1 billion in stimulus funds could result in restoration of tens of thousands of acres of habitat; construction of visitor and administrative centers that are national models of energy efficiency; and installation of alternative energy systems on existing facilities. All will result in a Refuge System better able to achieve it’s wildlife conservation mission, while reducing the Refuge System’s operational carbon footprint, and putting up to 20,000 people to work on refuges.
Now in partnership with the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE), NWRA has embarked on a major campaign to secure these funds. Already, we have presented our recommendations to the Obama transition team and to Congress, and have emphasized that these are real jobs and real projects. We can point to each one, and know that each can be started within 90 days of receiving funds.
But legitimate projects and a plan for efficient implementation doesn’t guarantee that funds will be forthcoming. Refuges are up against significant competition from virtually every business and special interest that walks the halls of Congress. Further, we’re asking Congress to think differently about how it views distribution of stimulus funds; with an emphasis on roads, bridges and other traditional infrastructure, we must have a message that resonates not only from CARE’s Washington, DC lobbyists, but also from local citizens from around the country.
That’s where you come in. Without your voice, our chances of success are limited. It’s critical that decision-makers hear from constituencies and that local news outlets hear from Friends groups and other refuge supporters.
To make it simple for you and others in your community to take action, NWRA has created a refuge stimulus jobs action page, from which you can communicate with your elected officials, and where you can download a draft letter to the editor that can be sent to your local papers. In the end, members of Congress are going to respond to their constituents, and with 548 refuges across all states and territories, we have an ability to connect like few other interest groups.
This initiative represents an opportunity to take a giant step forward, by addressing many of the dire infrastructure and habitat management needs that we have been working to draw attention to for many years. We’re seizing the moment to not only serve refuges and wildlife, but also to direct federal dollars to investments that will have multiple benefits: to workers, to wildlife, to the general public, and to generations to come.
Indeed, this may be the best opportunity in our lifetime to significantly improve the condition of our national wildlife refuges - and at a time when we need it most.
Onward and upward!
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Volunteer and Invasives Program wins National Award
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Jenny Ericson (NWRS) and Mary McFadzen (Center for Invasive Plant Management) with Volunteer and Invasive Program's Interpretive Media Award © FWS
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The NWRA-supported Volunteer and Invasives Program recently received second place in the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) Awards for its new invasive plant online training program.
The 2008 Interpretive Media Awards Competition, sponsored by the NAI, presented this year’s awards at the Interpretive Media Awards Ceremony in Portland, Oregon on November 13. Jenny Ericson from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Mary McFadzen from the Center for Invasive Plant Management received the award on behalf of the Volunteer and Invasives Program.
The Volunteer and Invasives Program engages volunteers in the fight against invasive species on National Wildlife Refuges and has so far resulted in $4 million in federal funding. The program helps expand citizen participation in refuge operations while supporting the early detection of newly invading non-native species on refuge lands. The Invasive Plant Mapping Project is tracking and assessing the harm done from non-native plants to native ecosystems on refuges lands. To date, close to 24,000 acres of refuge lands, in addition to hundreds of water bodies, have been inventoried and mapped through the mapping project by a corps of nearly 200 trained volunteers. In addition, the competitive grants program has funded projects to further engage volunteers in invasive species management. By the end of FY07, 2,750 volunteers had contributed more than 49,000 hours to the treatment, inventory, and restoration of over 211,000 acres of refuge land as a result of these competitive grant projects.
In collaboration with the Center for Invasive Plant Management (http://www.weedcenter.org), the NWRS has developed an invasive plant online training program for volunteers. Designed for National Wildlife Refuge volunteers and Friends groups, the program provides science-based, introductory information that is suitable for anyone interested in learning about invasive plants. The five self-study modules address the purpose and history of the Refuge System, how refuges manage invasive plants and how volunteers are assisting them. It also contains tips and tools for community outreach. Each module contains a quiz and web-based resources that enable learners to explore topics more thoroughly.
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Andy Woolford Joins NWRA Board of Directors
NWRA is delighted to welcome Andy Woolford to the Board of Directors. Andy comes to the NWRA with a wealth of experience in business and finance. Since 2004, Andy has been the Managing Director and Co-Head of Jefferies & Co. in Stamford, CT, where he leverages loan capital markets and syndications.
While serving as Vice President of Energy and Commodities at Chemical Bank, Andy earned his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. From there, he quickly rose within New York’s financial sector, working with private placements at CIBC World Markets, Morgan Stanley, and BT Securities, and eventually landing at Jefferies & Co.
After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Middlebury College, Andy worked as a Research Analyst for Frank Orth & Associates in Seattle. There he analyzed the socio-economic impacts of building a dam on the Susitna River in Alaska; minority commercial fishing in Texas and the Eastern seaboard states; a salmon cannery in Alaska; and long-line fishing on domestic and foreign vessels.
Andy, his wife Melissa, and their four children now live in Norwalk, Connecticut, where he is actively involved with civic and non-profit organizations. In his free time, he enjoys ice hockey, boating, biking, skiing, hiking, fishing, beekeeping, gardening, and playing the guitar.
Of joining NWRA’s Board, Andy remarked, "I am very excited to work with a wonderful group of dedicated and passionate board members and staff to advance the mission of the Refuge System. We are at a critical juncture, economically and environmentally, and I look forward to getting involved."
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Beyond the Boundaries - 2008 Recap
NWRA’s Beyond the Boundaries Program is designed to engage local communities and build partnerships to protect the ecosystems that surround and support national wildlife refuges. In 2008, NWRA moved forward with ambitious work in five key focus areas across the country.
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A West Indian manatee leaves 3-Sisters Spring, an important habitat to add to Crystal River NWR, FL.© Evan Hirsche |
Crystal River, Florida
Citrus County on the central Gulf Coast of Florida is manatee heaven. NWRA is working with the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge Complex and the Friends of Chassahowtizka on an exciting effort with the City of Crystal River and many other partners to acquire and conserve a 58-acre property that includes three of the most significant warm water springs that provide loafing and calving habitat for the endangered West Indian (Florida) manatee. The addition of the Three Sisters Springs property to the refuge will not only provide important protection of the springs but also will offer wonderful recreational and public education amenities that will help build awareness of manatee conservation.
San Luis Valley, Colorado
Located in a scenic valley traversed by the Rio Grande, the three San Luis Valley refuges, Monte Vista, Alamos and Baca provide important habitat to more than 200 species of birds and is known as a key migratory stopover for the Rocky Mountain population of sandhill cranes. NWRA, along with the Friends of the San Luis Valley Refuges, is working to help the refuge to navigate growing water quantity and quality issues, and to support the land conservation efforts of the Rio Grande Initiative.
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Spring at Ash Meadows NWR, NV © Evan Hirsche |
Southern Nevada
At more than 1.6 million acres, Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex is the largest refuge in the lower 48 states and sits in a 7 million-acre landscape of public lands – however it also borders another type of wild life refuge: the city of Las Vegas. Desert NWRC provides critical habitat to wide ranging species such as desert bighorn sheep and desert tortoise, as well as endemic and endangered species such as the Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish and the Moapa dace. NWRA is working with Refuge staff and a host of other partners to create a comprehensive wildlife habitat management plan for Desert NWRC and to communicate the goals of that plan through the Refuge’s community outreach and education efforts.
Rock River Watershed and Horicon Marsh, Wisconsin
Horicon Marsh, in the southern glacial plains just 50 miles east of Milwaukee and 50 miles west of Madison, is the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the nation. At 32,000 acres, it stretches as far as the eye can see. Although best known for the 150,000 Canada geese that migrate through the marsh, it also provides habitat for the largest population of redhead ducks east of the Mississippi and Wisconsin’s largest great blue heron rookery. NWRA is working with the refuge and many other public and private partners to improve water quality flowing into the marsh by supporting an initiative to encourage neighboring farmers to create stream buffers and protect wetlands in these upper headwaters of the Rock River. In the year ahead, NWRA will help advance additional land conservation priorities at the refuge and support a water-monitoring program.
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Haystack Rock, 235-ft Oregon coastal landmark, provides critical seabird nesting. ©Betsy Rosenbaum |
Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coastal Refuge Complex consists of 6 major refuge units spread over 320 miles of Pacific coastline from Cape Meares to Cape Blanco, including the Oregon Islands unit that protects more than 1,400 coastal islands, rocks and reefs that provide breeding habitat for most of Oregon’s 1.2 million seabirds. NWRA is working with the Refuge and other public and private partners to expand public outreach and education efforts on the coast and to build connections between the refuge and adjacent landowners, including state parks and state forests. |
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Friends and NWRA Urge Congress to Approve $1 billion for Green Jobs on Refuges
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CARE Green Jobs Fact Sheet describes impact of $1 billion recovery plan |
The NWRA joined with more than 168 volunteer refuge support organizations nationwide in urging Congress to include a plan in the upcoming economic recovery program that would create nearly 20,000 green jobs on national wildlife refuges in all 50 states within 90 days. The groups delivered letters to Congressional leaders on December 23.
Specifically, the groups endorsed a plan presented by the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) that recommends a $1 billion refuge jobs investment broken down as follows:
* $443 million in combating invasive species and restoring native habitat, creating 5,644 jobs
* $243 million in improving energy efficiency, creating 5,103 jobs
* $201 million in new green construction, creating 5,025 jobs
* $60 million in renewable energy, creating 1,260 jobs
The jobs creation program would help a beleaguered National Wildlife Refuge System, which receives just 57 percent of necessary funding and has a $3.5 billion backlog of high-priority projects. In recent years, the System has been forced to close numerous refuges, allow the unchecked spread of invasive species over millions of acres, and spend millions of dollars on inefficient sources of energy.
Refuges are economic engines: for every $1 appropriated by Congress, refuges return at least $4 in economic activity. The plan to invest $1 billion in refuges would not only strengthen local economies, but would strengthen ecosystems, giving wildlife greater adaptability in face of climate change.
Vist NWRA's Green Jobs for Refuges webpage to download the CARE Fact Sheet and Friends letters.
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NWRA/Partners Present Priorities to New Congress/Administration
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Report provides NWRS policy recommendations |
The NWRA and seven other national conservation organizations in December released Keeping Every Cog and Wheel, a set of policy recommendations for the National Wildlife Refuge System, for President-elect Obama and the 111th Congress. The combined organizations together represent millions of Americans and have a long-standing dedication to the health of America’s land, wildlife and the National Wildlife Refuge System.
The groups first convened in fall 2007 with the goal of providing an independent assessment of the management of the Refuge System, with particular attention paid toward current and future challenges and opportunities. Over the course of the year, wildlife and policy experts from these organizations met regularly with academic and professional leaders in the disciplines of wildlife and habitat management and refuge administration.
The report’s key recommendations include:
· Adopt a new vision for the NWRS that reflects the provisions outlined in the Refuge Improvement Act and supports a partner-based, landscape-level approach that emphasizes habitat connectivity and the reduction of threats to wildlife and habitat.
· Make a renewed commitment to funding the NWRS by appropriating annual increases for refuge funding to reach $765 million by 2012;
· Develop a national habitat protection plan and strategically grow the NWRS, emphasizing connecting and buffering habitats while protecting imperiled ecosystems;
· U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should use the NWRS to advance a deeper understanding of the impacts of climate change and develop a national climate change adaptation strategy to safeguard the nation’s fish, wildlife and plants;
· Advance Environmental Education programs and return children to nature – prioritize community involvement, including outreach to underserved communities;
· Renew the commitment to and practice of, science based management;
· Develop a water policy for the NWRS that standardizes protocols for water assessments and helps refuge managers secure and defend water rights;
· Combat invasive species and eradicate where appropriate;
· Recognize and protect refuge wilderness lands and revise the FWS wilderness policy;
· Improve the management and oversight of mineral and resource extraction with regulations that establish a detailed and precautionary approach to the approval and subsequent management of mineral activities.
Click here to download the report (pdf).
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Appointment Watch
As the new administration transitions into Washington refuge advocates wait to see who the next President appoints to many environmentally significant leadership positions important to refuges. The choices for appointments like the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service or various Assistant Secretary positions, will be finalized in the coming months and will play an important role in how refuge policy will be handled over the next four years.
Last week U.S. Senator Ken Salazar (CO) was named to serve as Secretary of the Department of the Interior. Senator Salazar has a track record of support for the National Wildlife Refuge System, and the NWRA is eager to begin working with him on priorities including refuge funding needs and Beyond the Boundaries. Other recent selections that will impact the NWRS include Carol Browner, former EPA Administrator for the Clinton administration, who will oversee the Obama Administration’s efforts to combat climate change and achieve energy independence.
All appointments including Cabinet positions, Assistant Secretaries and FWS Director, have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. With the 111th Congress convening at the beginning on January 6, 2009, and several top positions to be confirmed first (State, Defense, Treasury), it could be into February or later before an Interior Secretary is confirmed. Because these confirmations could last several months into 2009, many outgoing Bush appointees will stay until the confirmation process is complete.
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Refuge Funding Update
The National Wildlife Refuge System is currently being funded at FY08 levels per the Continuing Resolution, which is set to expire in early March 2009. This means that bills affecting Refuge System funding will be passed on to the next Congress. As a result, the NWRA and our partners in the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) are already working on recommendations to President-Elect Obama for his FY10 budget.
It is expected the 111th Congress will pass FY09 appropriations bills under one massive spending bill, or “omnibus.” NWRA is working to ensure the progress made in the House earlier this year is included in any final bills. The House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, under the leadership of Chairman Norm Dicks, had recommended a $35 million increase over FY08 levels. The Senate did not recommend any levels out of its subcommittee.
The NWRA and CARE are recommending that the next administration fund the Refuge System at $514 million for FY10. Additionally, NWRA and CARE are calling for a gradual increase in funding for refuges over the next 4 years, with an eventual funding level of $765 million for refuges by the end of President-Elect Obama’s first term.
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| Friends Focus: The Kilauea Point Natural History Association (KPNHA) |
| Jane Hoffman, Executive Director, KPNHA |
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Red-footed bobby in front of the Kilauea Point Lighthouse. © Boynton Photography |
The Kilauea Point Natural History Association (KPNHA) supports the three National Wildlife Refuges: Kilauea Point, Hanalei, and Huleia on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. KPNHA recently celebrated its silver anniversary on November 15, 2008. In her report to the members, President Sue Boynton said, “Community outreach is what I like to think we are all about – education being the main theme. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who has participated in the progress we have achieved in the past 25 years.”
KPNHA’s community outreach includes providing funding for programs, projects and research for the three Refuges on Kauai, as well as in the community, especially for Hawaii’s school children. Annual Dan Moriarty Scholarships are awarded to Hawaii college students who plan to study in fields of botany, zoology, natural history, wildlife management, interpretation, conservation or environmental education.
The Kilauea Point NWR was established in 1985 when land and an historic lighthouse were transferred to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service from the U.S. Coast Guard. The ocean cliffs and open grassy slopes of an extinct volcano provide breeding grounds for native seabirds and nene, the endangered Hawaiian goose. The Marine Sanctuary surrounding the refuge is home to Hawaiian monk seals, green sea turtles, and in winter, humpback whales.
Hanalei and Huleia NWR’s where established in 1972 and 1973, and provide nesting and feeding habitat to endangered Hawaiian waterbirds, including the Hawaiian stilt, coot, moorhen and duck.
The KPNHA board of directors is preparing to go public in early 2009 with their first major capital campaign to restore the Kilauea Lighthouse entitled Beacon for the Generations to Come Ka Lama Kuhikuhi No Na Hanauna.
Time and the harsh tropic marine environment have taken their toll on the historic lighthouse. Dedicated in 1913, the Kilauea Lighthouse served as a pivotal navigation aid for ships on the Orient run. After the light was decommissioned in 1976, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquired it in 1985 and currently manages the 31-acre site as part of a 203-acre wildlife refuge. Today, it is one of Kauai's most popular destinations with more than 500,000 annual visitors.
Linda Paik Moriarty, wife of the late Dan Moriarty who was the Kilauea Point refuge manager between 1979-1990 and one of KPNHA’s founders in 1983, has accepted the position of honorary chair of the capital campaign. “It has been a lighthouse station and is now a wildlife refuge and the center of a major environmental education resource of the island. It began in the age of the kerosene lantern and now exists in the time when its rare seabirds are tracked by GPS technology. There are still stars in the sky that guided ancient peoples. I see the Kilauea Lighthouse as a land star for the people here,” said Moriarty.
To learn more about the Kilauea Point Natural History Association, please visit their website at http://www.kilaueapoint.org.
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January 6, 2009: 111th Congress Sworn In
January 12: NWRS Award Winners Announced
January 20: Inauguration Day
February 21-23: 2009 "Friends Unite!" Conference, Washington, D.C.
February 24 - Friends Hill Rally and evening Hill Reception
Michael Woodbridge (shown here with a California Condor), NWRA's former Director of Government Affairs and
creator of the original Capitol Flyer electronic newsletter, is now an NWRS
employee. Michael joined the staff of Hopper Mountain NWRC in California on
November 17, 2008 as their Information and Education Specialist. He can be
reached at michael_woodbridge@fws.gov or 805-644-5185 x 288. Look for Michael
at the Friends Conference in February!
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