The tragic explosion and oil spill off the coast of Louisiana last month is a sobering reminder of the dangers we face in continuing to rely on oil and other fossil fuels as our primary sources of energy. The situation in the Gulf is rife with uncertainty as oil continues to gush from a rupture one mile below the surface of the ocean, threatening the productive marine and coastal habitats that support concentrations of wildlife unlike anything else in the lower forty-eight states.
The timing could not be worse for the tens of thousands of seabirds nesting in the region. The Chandeleur Islands of Breton National Wildlife Refuge host thousands of brown pelicans and their chicks, birds so beloved by President Theodore Roosevelt that he designated the islands as a federal bird reservation in 1904 - the second such wildlife refuge in what would become our National Wildlife Refuge System. With peak migration and the nesting season of many species approaching, the brown pelicans, herons, egrets, manatees, and sea turtles that make their home along the Gulf Coast will face extreme challenges coping with the toxic oil slick spread hundreds of miles wide.
While the short-term solution to fixing the problem in the Gulf remains elusive, there is one thing that is known for certain. The BP oil spill is only the most recent symptom of a larger disease; our dependence on fossil fuels is bringing us to the brink of an ecological and geopolitical disaster on a scale the world has never seen. Greenhouse gas pollution is radically changing the planet we live on - and stressing our natural resources and ecosystems to the breaking point.
It is time for President Obama to rally the nation behind meaningful climate change legislation that not only puts a price tag on carbon pollution, but also provides incentives for clean renewable energy, and makes available resources to help local communities and native wildlife adapt to a changing climate. Reducing our oil consumption will not only help prevent future disasters such as the BP oil spill in the long-term, but will also reduce our dependence on oil producing regimes hostile to American interests, while fostering economic growth at home and securing a position of global leadership as we continue to explore innovative new forms of energy production and management.
That said, we also have to recognize that it is impossible to shift our infrastructure away from a petroleum-based economy overnight. To better safeguard wildlife during this time of transition, steps must be taken to prevent future disasters by limiting offshore oil drilling in the most sensitive areas, ramping up the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and by conserving marine wildlife habitat which is sorely under-represented in America’s conservation estate. To make a serious statement about conserving our wildlife heritage, the current administration should designate a series of marine national wildlife refuges, one of which should be an area of the Beaufort Sea off the coast of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, an area currently authorized for oil drilling, and committing to fully restoring the lower Mississippi river and delta.
America has a long history of being at the forefront of successful environmental policy - exemplified as we conclude the fourth decade of Earth Day celebrations - and supports a tradition of conservation land ethic that is unrivaled. Yet the disaster in the Gulf should send a clear message to policy makers that we need to take stock of the choices we have made for the country’s energy future and ardently pursue a strategy that will ensure the nation’s economic strength and ecological integrity. Failure to meet this challenge today jeopardizes the livelihoods of future generations of Americans, and the ecological wellbeing of America.
Recognizing that the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico will likely harm a host of refuges and wildlife on the coast, NWRA is encouraging donations to a fund set up to assist Refuge Friends groups in the region and organizing a volunteer registry for those interested in lending a helping hand.
The April 20th BP oil spill is quickly shaping up to be one of the worst environmental disaster in the nation’s history, particularly as recent efforts to stop the flow of crude oil hemorrhaging into the Gulf of Mexico continue to fail. As it stands, patches of oil continue to be found at Breton National Wildlife Refuge, where thousands of brown pelicans and shorebirds are currently nesting. The refuge remains closed to the public to limit disturbance to these birds. Several oiled birds have been recovered at Breton NWR thus far. Booms have been deployed to prevent shoreline oil contact at Bon Secour NWR, AL, where endangered snowy plovers are currently nesting.
Satellite images suggest that oil from the spill has reached the Loop Current, a powerful stream that could convey oil towards the Florida Keys. Tar balls from an unknown source were reported in the Florida Keys on Monday, suggesting that some oil may have reached the current earlier than expected. Oil caught in the Loop Current could take a week to reach southern Florida and threaten the shorelines of Key West NWR, Great White Heron NWR and National Key Deer NWR. The FWS has deployed over 200 personnel in the Gulf and identified 25 refuges currently under threat of contamination. These refuges protect critical habitat for large nesting colonies of pelicans, terns, and wading birds.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has identified twenty-five refuges that are under most immediate threat by the oil spill, including Delta NWR, LA; Breton NWR, LA; Bayou Sauvage NWR, LA; Grand Bay NWR, MS and Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR, MS.
While the ultimate impacts of the oil spill on wildlife and the fragile ecosystems of the Mississippi Delta region remain uncertain, the spill will inevitably result in lasting damage to the region, especially coming as it has during the vulnerable migration and nesting season. Contact with drops of oil as small as a dime can be fatal for birds, and even beaches protected from oil by booms and other devices will become contaminated as feeding parents unwittingly bring oil back to their nesting young. Endangered sea turtles and marine mammals are also at risk from coming in contact with toxic oil.
While BP must be held accountable for clean up costs, Friends groups and volunteers at refuges in the path of the spill are doing what they can to assist refuge staff in gathering as much baseline data as possible before the oil makes landfall. From water samples to bird, mammal and turtle counts, Friends can play an important role helping refuge staff accurately detail what could be lost.
To donate to NWRA’s fund, register to volunteer, or learn about how oil will impact Gulf refuges and wildlife please visit:
The FWS announced last month that it will begin the Comprehensive Conservation Planning (CCP) process for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to update the refuge’s 22-year-old management plan. In a move applauded by the NWRA, the process will include a review of wilderness and wild and scenic river designations in the Arctic Refuge. Once approved, the CCP will help guide future stewardship of the 50-year-old refuge.
Every refuge is required to update its CCP periodically, usually on a 15-year timeline, to ensure our wildlife refuges are managed in accordance with the most recent scientific findings and have the flexibility to adapt to new threats. The process offers a powerful opportunity for the public to engage with refuges and take an active part in helping shape wildlife conservation policy.
Much has changed in the years since the original CCP was approved for Arctic NWR. Scientific consensus on issues like global climate change will require new management strategies. Evidence indicates that climate change is already having a significant impact on the Alaska and the Arctic Refuge. Sea ice is melting, permafrost is thawing, polar bears are losing denning habitat, and muskox are in decline -- these and other problems need to be addressed with strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
To the consternation of the Alaska Congressional delegation, the FWS has announced that the CCP process will include a review of wilderness in the Arctic Refuge. Although originally established to protect wilderness values, the refuge predates the watershed Wilderness Act of 1964 by several years and portions of the refuge, including the Coastal Plain (1002 Area), are not protected by wilderness designation. Congressionally approved wilderness designation for the Arctic NWR’s Coastal Plain would prohibit human activities that impact the landscape, and protect polar bears and caribou on the refuge from the impacts of inherently risky and hazardous undertakings such as oil and gas exploration. A recommendation in the CCP to designate the Coastal Plain as wilderness would send a powerful message to Congress on the importance of preventing an Arctic tragedy such as the one we see unfolding in the Gulf.
The FWS is receiving tremendous pressure from the Alaska Congressional delegation, which strongly supports oil drilling on the fragile coastal plain. Please back the FWS’s decision to review wilderness by sending your own comments regarding the Arctic NWR’s CCP; you can submit your own comments on the FWS website, http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/alaska/ccp1c.cfm, and use our pre-written comments or customize with your own points.
CARE Hosts Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus Breakfast
The Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) hosted the monthly Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus breakfast on Capitol Hill, April 14th. The breakfast served as an opportunity to discuss the importance of the National Wildlife Refuge System with members of one of the largest Congressional caucuses. While a significant number of Sportsmen’s Caucus members are also members of the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus, many are not. CARE sought to make the connection between the Sportmen's and Refuge Caucuses even stronger by encouraging more sportsmen and women to join the Refuge Caucus.
In attendance were Dan Boren (OK), Co-Chair of the Sportsmen’s Caucus; Mike Thompson (CA), Co-Chair of the Refuge Caucus; Ron Kind (WI), former Co-Chair of both the Sportsmen and Refuge Caucuses; and Gene Green (TX). If your member of Congress is one of the nearly 300 members of the Sportsmen’s Caucus but not a member of the Wildlife Refuge Caucus, please encourage him or her to join!
NWRA Attends White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors
NWRA President Evan Hirsche and Vice President of Government Affairs Desiree Sorenson Groves attended an April 16th conference on America’s Great Outdoors hosted by the White House. The conference, which drew conservation leaders from across the country, served to launch an initiative by the Obama administration to build public consensus for a future vision of conservation in America.
President Obama signed a memorandum at the event establishing the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. The goals of the initiative include getting Americans - especially children - to reconnect with nature, bolstering partnerships between the federal government, state governments, and private stakeholders, and using science-based management practices to restore and protect our natural resources for future generations.
Friends and refuge supporters can play an important role in helping shape this initiative. As the joint leaders of the initiative, the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, the Administrator of the EPA, and the Chair on the Council on Environmental Quality will host “listening sessions” throughout the U.S. asking the American people their thoughts on what constitutes America’s Great Outdoors. This is a perfect opportunity for Friends to talk about their own refuge, why it is unique and what role it plays not only in offering recreational and educational opportunities, but also in providing ecosystem services such as clean air and water and flood and storm buffers, and protecting vital wildlife habitat in the face of climate change.
The Department of the Interior is understandably preoccupied with the BP oil spill but is expected to announce dates and times for these regional listening sessions sometime soon; we will pass on these dates and times as soon as they are available. In the meanwhile, you can upload your thoughts on a website completely devoted to America’s Great Outdoors. We strongly encourage you to participate and to include videos and photos! For questions or more information about what you should include, please contact Joan Patterson at jpatterson@refugeassociation.org.
NWRA Releases New Report on Conserving America’s Great Outdoors
NWRA's "Conserving America's Great Outdoors" report outlines a vision for wildlife conservation in the 21st century.
In tandem with the President’s America’s Great Outdoors conference on April 16th, NWRA released Conserving America’s Great Outdoors: Fulfilling Theodore Roosevelt’s Crusade to Protect America’s Wildlife, a new report outlining a vision for American wildlife conservation in the 21st century that recognizes how the Refuge System can and should play a role at the core of the America’s Great Outdoors initiative.
Conserving America’s Great Outdoors highlights 10 flagship American landscapes that serve as model programs for the President’s initiative and offer real examples of how we can align multiple partners - across government agencies - to achieve common conservation goals.
Friends gather at the Southeast Region Conference in Crystal River, Florida. Photos courtesy USFWS.
NWRA is actively participating in each of the Regional Friends Conferences held throughout the nation this year, providing leadership for sessions on “Communicating with Decision Makers,” “Developing a Strategic Plan,” “Working Beyond Refuge Boundaries,” “Leveraging Federal Funds for Land Conservation” and “The Essentials of Friends.”
In April, NWRA attended and spoke at four events: the Mountain Prairie/Alaskan Regions’ Conference in Wichita, KS; the Southeast Conference in Crystal River, FL; the Midwest Conference in La Crosse, WI and the Northwest and Pacific Conference in Newport, OR. All together, these gatherings brought together more than 217 Friends from 28 states and U.S. territories!
Regional Friends Conferences are conducted every other year as a way to reach more Friends and FWS staff than are typically able to attend a National Conference.
NWRA Welcomes Southwest as “Official Airline” and Celebrates with Earth Day Events
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is pleased to announce that Southwest Airlines has been chosen as the organization’s Official Airline. In past years, Southwest has generously sponsored NWRA’s Refuge Photo Contest, promoted NWRA’s work through Spirit Magazine, and has put employees to work at national wildlife refuges around the country. With a new $20,000 donation to NWRA, the Southwest ups its already exceptional commitment to supporting NWRA’s wildlife conservation mission.
“We’re honored to welcome Southwest Airlines as our Official Airline,” said Evan Hirsche, NWRA President. “For years our staff have relied on Southwest to take us to where the refuges and wildlife are; by designating Southwest as NWRA’s Official Airline, we’re making official what everyone already knows!”
This Earth Day, NWRA and Southwest airlines teamed up to provide volunteer opportunities for Southwest employees on wildlife refuges near hub cities throughout Florida. Company employees participated in refuge volunteer days the week of Earth Day at Crystal River NWR, Merritt Island NWR and Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee NWR in Florida. Volunteer events at Okefenokee NWR (GA), J.N. “Ding” Darling NWR and Florida Panther NWR will take place in the coming weeks.
Wildlife refuges rely on the work of volunteers to help with invasive species removal, habitat restoration and educating visitors. Every year thousands of volunteers put in millions of hours of work on the National Wildlife Refuge System, accounting for 20% of the work completed on wildlife refuges.
NWRA President Helps Unveil New Southwest Airlines “Florida One” Airplane
NWRA President Evan Hirsche helped unveil the newest member of Southwest Airline’s fleet, the Florida One, at a hangar in Tampa, Florida last month, as part of a series of events coinciding with Southwest Airlines volunteer days at refuges. Following the unveiling, Evan boarded the brand new airliner, which is adorned in a stylistic rendering of the state flag, for a whistle-stop tour of Southwest cities in Florida where he addressed enthusiastic crowds on the importance of volunteering for wildlife conservation and wildlife refuges. Thanks to the Friends and refuge staff that attended these events!
Become a fan on Facebook and show your friends that you support NWRA! If you haven’t become a fan already, we are easy to find by either visiting www.facebook.com/RefugeAssociation, or by searching for “National Wildlife Refuge Association” on Facebook. Don’t forget to tell your friends to become fans as well by clicking “Suggest to Friends” beneath the NWRA logo on our Facebook page!
For many folks thick snow and freezing temperatures would be more than enough of an excuse to stay home with a warm cup of hot chocolate - but not the Friends of Sherburne NWR and the more than 1,250 people that gathered this past February for the wildly successful Sherburne Winterfest!
Over one hundred refuge staff, Friends, and volunteers helped host the February 6 event this year. Activities included snowshoeing, kids’ crafts, face painting, a bratwurst lunch, campfires and visits by Puddles the Blue Goose. Even Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar stopped by to join the festivities.
The Friends of Sherburne formed over 17 years ago to help spread awareness and connect Sherburne NWR to the local community, and the Winterfest is just one of many events organized by refuge staff and Friends. Other activities include a fall Wildlife Festival that recently attracted 1,600 participants, a film festival, bird and wildflower tours in the spring and fall, and snowshoe adventures. The Friends are developing relationships with nearby school districts and attracting more student groups to the refuge by assisting with “bus money” expenses, and have taken their message on the road by promoting the refuge in the Twin Cities at the Midwest Mountaineering Outdoor Adventure Expo.
On May 22 the Friends of Sherburne are having their first ever "Buzz about Bees" event complete with visiting honey bees, honey spinning and tasting, "bee crafts" for kids, and short programs by a University of Minnesota bee lab entomologist on wild bees and a Friends member who is a beekeeper.
Sherburne NWR is located about an hour’s drive northwest of Minneapolis, MN and 30 miles southeast of St. Cloud. The gently rolling landscape of the refuge represents habitats characteristic of the transitional zone between tallgrass prairie and forest. Bald eagles, sandhill cranes, ducks, geese and songbirds all nest at the refuge.
June 7: Comments on revising the Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are due. For additional information please go to http://arctic.fws.gov/ccp.htm#section4.
June 11 - 13: Region 8 Friends Conference in Fallon, NV
July 1: Last day to contact your U.S. Representatives and encourage them to support H.R. 4973, the Refuge Volunteer Improvement Act of 2010, introduced by Congressman Frank Kratovil (MD) by becoming a co-sponsor of the legislation!
Breton NWR is the second oldest national wildlife refuge in America!
The first refuge to be impacted by the oil spill is also the second oldest in the refuge system. Breton NWR in Louisiana was established in 1904 by President Theodore Roosevelt. To date, over 200 FWS employees have been deployed to the Gulf of Mexico spill to protect critical natural resources like Breton NWR.
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