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A Changing View of Conservation
“You’re down to one snow leopard, and that leopard is a pregnant mom. And if she lives and has a litter of four or five, you could maybe recover the whole species. And you’re up on a ridge and she’s creeping up and about to kill and eat a small two-year-old child. You have a gun, and you have a choice: You can either kill the leopard and save the child’s life, or you can sit by and watch the leopard kill it. That’s your only choice.”
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On the brink of extinction, endangered Florida panthers are threatened by development in one of the fastest growing regions in the United States.
©Brian F. Call
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This hypothetical, no-win conundrum is recounted by the Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) chief scientist, Peter Kareiva, in this month’s Outside magazine, to illustrate the challenge faced by conservationists to ensure the survival of species in the face of ‘human supremacy.’
The article reports on a shift in global tactics of groups like TNC, World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International away from an emphasis on fully-protected conservation areas that are limited in ecological scope to a strategy that integrates human interests and economic objectives into the protection of larger landscapes. The view is that successful conservation projects will increasingly require community acceptance and involvement, even if they come with disturbances normally considered unacceptable in a protected refuge or park.
In acknowledgment of this paradigm - one that is only magnified by the current and anticipated impacts of climate change on wildlife - the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has launched an ambitious partnership-driven initiative designed to identify and protect the most important habitats in America. The so-called Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCC) are defined along ecological boundaries and are intended to collect valuable data on species populations and trends, then recommend conservation actions based on the data.
National wildlife refuges will undoubtedly serve as centerpieces in each LCC and benefit greatly from data collected by the cooperatives and subsequent management recommendations. But the conservation of lands and waters beyond current refuge boundaries, much of it impacted by human disturbance, will also figure prominently in LCCs. In practical terms, this means the Florida panther, which ranks among the world’s most endangered species, might be given a fighting chance as protected areas like Florida Panther Refuge and Big Cypress Preserve are strung together with habitat corridors on state and private multi-use lands which, in turn, link to more expansive habitats in the Kissimmee River Basin north of Lake Okeechobee.
NWRA welcomes the creation of LCCs, which dovetail with our “Beyond the Boundaries” work to conserve vital wildlife habitats surrounding and linking refuges to other conservation areas. And in the case of the Florida panther, our ability to move the species from a handful of animals to a self-sustaining population in a state of 18.3 million people will not only represent a monumental conservation success, but will demonstrate that in the face of human supremacy, people and wildlife can both win.
Onward and upward!
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Please Remember NWRA in Your End-of-Year-Giving!
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Please remember the NWRA as you consider your charity and end-of-year giving!
©Daniel Kaiser
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Whether you make donations through the Combined Federal Campaign, by clicking on-line, or by writing a check, the season of giving is upon us. Please remember the NWRA as you consider many worthy charities. The National Wildlife Refuge Association is a small organization that has a big impact – but we need your support in order to be even more successful in 2010.
NWRA works to amplify and support the outstanding work being done by USFWS staff in the field, Friends members and Friends groups, land trusts, communities, and individual citizens – and together we have made an enormous difference in 2009.
Together we:
- Pressed for economic stimulus funding to benefit refuges ($210 million!)
- Insisted on budget increases to support the operations of the Refuge System ($503 million for FY10 – the largest budget ever, and a $40 million increase!)
- Requested LWCF funding to support land acquisition at refuges ($86 million for refuges!)
- And more than 225 of us visited our Members of Congress to make the case for refuges on Capitol Hill.
This year we also welcomed new and inspired leadership to the Department of the Interior, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Refuge System. Even with the challenges posed by climate change and the economy, the potential to grow and strengthen the Refuge System has seldom been better than it is today. Our momentum is building, and the key role of refuges in protecting critical habitat, safeguarding clean water and clean air, and conserving American wildlife has never been more significant – so we need to be strong as we enter the watershed year of 2010.
This year we hope to see full funding at the authorized $900 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), new sources of support for wildlife adaptation, research and implementation, further increases toward the goal of $808 million to operate the world’s largest national wildlife conservation system – and we will be pressing to ensure that these dollars translate into real victories for wildlife.
To rise to the challenges ahead, we are welcoming new staff members to NWRA so that we can better serve the Friends community and make even greater gains on the ground through our Beyond the Boundaries Initiatives. We are looking forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Arctic and Izembek National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska and supporting a vision for the next 50 years. And, we’ll continue to work with Friends through regional workshops and a March 9th Friends Fly-In to Washington.
2010 will be a busy, challenging, and exciting year and we need your support! Please make a generous contribution to NWRA before the new year begins.
To make your tax-deductible donation, please:
Thank you!
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Record Funding Puts Refuges Back on Track
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Increased funding will benefit species like this snail kite, through conservation programs at Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee NWR in Florida
©Jaoquin Paredes
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In a powerful demonstration of support for conserving America’s wildlife heritage, President Obama in October signed into law record Refuge System funding for FY10. The Fiscal Year 2010 Interior & Environment Appropriations Bill, approved by Congress and delivered to the President, brings the operations and maintenance budget of the NWRS to $503 million annually, surpassing the previous record set during the Refuge System’s 2003 centennial year.
This year’s expansion of the Refuge System budget by $40 million over FY09 builds on continued support from Congress over the past few years, resulting in an improvement of $105 million in three years. The $503 million mark was also a major victory for Chairman Norm Dicks (D-WA) and members of the House Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, as the House number prevailed over the smaller budget recommended by Senate colleagues.
The increases come at a critical time for the Refuge System. Chronic budget shortfalls in the years following the Refuge Centennial in 2003 had forced the Refuge System to reduce staff by 20%, resulting in closed refuges, lack of recreational opportunities for the public and most importantly, diminished resources for protecting wildlife.
Thanks to the support of refuge Friends groups and volunteers around the country, refuges are now on track to be able to achieve their mission of protecting our native wildlife for present and future generations. NWRA and the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement, a diverse coalition of 22 national conservation and recreation organizations, have recommended an annual budget of at least $808 million and are calling upon the Obama administration and Congress to reach this goal by FY2013.
Learn More
Read our Press Release
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Congress Doubles Funding for Wildlife Refuge Land Acquisition
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Coastal development is a serious threat to endangered West Indian manatees.
©Keith Ramos
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Thanks to a $450 million FY10 appropriation by Congress to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), the National Wildlife Refuge System will receive over $86 million to acquire and conserve top priority conservation projects in the upcoming year. For example, funds from the FY10 Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) will help purchase important manatee habitat at Crystal River NWR, FL, protect the Connecticut River watershed as part of the Silvio O. Conte NFWR in New England, and restore endangered Hawaiian waterbird habitat at James Campbell NWR, HI.
Thanks to an additional $1.5 million appropriation through LWCF, the Three Sisters Springs at the headwaters of Crystal River is another step closer to permanent conservation. The springs provide critical habitat for endangered West Indian manatees and are an ideal location to see the fascinating creatures first hand. More than one hundred manatee cows and their calves congregate here on winter days to bask and enjoy the warm still waters of the springs. The NWRA has helped to raise money to purchase the property- and now a total of $3 million will be provided through LWCF funding.
At Silvio O. Conte NFWR $2.5 million will be used to protect important high-priority wildlife habitat along the Connecticut River as it runs through Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut. LWCF funds will also used to protect four critically endangered Hawaiian water birds- ae‘o (Hawaiian stilt), ‘alae ke‘oke‘o (Hawaiian coot), ‘alae ‘ula (Hawaiian moorhen), and koloa maoli (Hawaiian duck). $7.5 million is being used to acquire habitat that will help these four species from the brink of extinction.
The LWCF was established by Congress in 1965 to provide funding for the acquisition of public lands- both federal and state - and is one of the primary funding tools used to expand the National Wildlife Refuge System (See Flyer President’s letter). The source of funding for the LWCF is predominantly from offshore oil and gas receipts. The LWCF has been allocated $450 million in total this year but it is authorized to receive $900 million annually, a level achieved only once.
NWRA and our partner conservation organizations are working to ensure this authorized level is achieved every year. Legislation has been introduced in both the House and the Senate that would provide this “full funding” for the LWCF by Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) and Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV) in the House.
In the same FY10 appropriations bill, other key programs for wildlife conservation were funded at increased levels, including $60.2 million for the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, $90 million for state wildlife grants, $7.5 million for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and renewed funding for the Invasives and Volunteers Program and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA).
Click here for more information: http://refugeassociation.org/New-issues/FY10_Fundingpriorities.html
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Senate Climate Change Legislation Includes Wildlife Adaptation Measure
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Global climate change may increase severe weather events - making coastal refuges such as Pea Island NWR even more prone to roadway and wildlife habitat damage.
© Sidney Maddock
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For the past several months, the Senate has been slowly churning on climate change legislation while the House passed their version in late June. The NWRA and our conservation partners have advocated for wildlife adaptation measures as part of any final climate change bill; however, the outcome is anything but certain.
Currently, the Environment and Public Works Committee is the only Senate Committee to advance a climate change bill. The authors of the bill, Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and John Kerry (D-MA), are supportive of a wildlife adaptation component in any cap and trade provision and have woven that into their bill. The House version also includes a wildlife adaptation component.
On another front, Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Max Baucus (D-MT) and Tom Udall (D-NM) have crafted legislation specifically aimed at helping wildlife adapt. The Natural Resources Climate Adaptation Act (S. 1933) offers a strategic approach to helping species acclimate as environments change and nicely compliments many aspects of the Fish and Wildlife Services’ Strategic Plan to deal with climate change. NWRA will work to ensure its core values are included in any final bill.
Hill insiders suggest climate change legislation will be a top priority for Congress at the start of the new year. NWRA will continue to urge Congress to pass comprehensive climate change legislation that both curbs the pollution causing global warming and dedicates funding to help wildlife adapt to these unprecedented changes, while providing wildlife professionals with the tools they need to address these challenges head on.
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This image of northern harriers at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge took first place in the 2009 NWRA Refuge Photo Contest.
©Ted Steinke
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Image of Battling Northern Harriers Wins 2009 Refuge Photo Contest
The winners of the 2009 Refuge Photo Contest were announced on October 28th, 2009. The top prize, $5,000 generously donated by the ATP Oil and Gas Corporation, will be awarded to Ted Steinke of Layton, Utah for an explosive image of northern harriers taken at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge (MBR).
Mr. Steinke, a photographer for over 30 years, captured the stunning image on a cold March day at Bear River MBR, located on the Great Salt Lake an hour north of Salt Lake City. After staking out a dead duck on the frozen marsh, he was rewarded with a spectacular image of two northern harriers sparring over a contested meal.
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Thank you to our sponsors for helping host the 2009 NWRA Refuge Photo Contest!
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After Steinke, the remaining top prize winners are: 2nd place -- Mike McBride of Afton, WY; 3rd place -- Steve Dimock of Beaverton, OR; 4th place -- Jim Burns of Scottsdale, AZ; Judy Lyle of Tallahassee, FL; Les Zigurski of Scales Mound, IL; Jack Rogers of Oviedo, FL; and Timothy Vidrine of Church Point, LA. Contest sponsors Southwest Airlines, Barbara’s Bakery, Wild Bird Centers of America, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt provided additional prizes, and Zenfolio graciously hosted the images.
Special thanks to this year’s photo contest judges: Jim Sprankle, Diane Shapiro, and Jim Clark.
To view the winning images click here.
Click here to view all images in the semi-finalist gallery.
More Press
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Five Semi-finalist Images Withdrawn from Photo Contest
The NWRA withdrew “semi-finalist” recognition in the 2009 Refuge Photo Contest from five images taken by Florida photographer Maxis Gamez after questions were raised about the integrity of several images that appeared in the gallery. The photographer admitted that several images had been digitally altered and that the location of another image had been misrepresented.
The NWRA strives to uphold the integrity of the Refuge Photo Contest by rewarding images that provide views representative of the inherent beauty and wildness found on national wildlife refuges and appreciates the hard work and artistry of the many photographers that entered this years contest.
Read press release here.
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New Board and Staff Additions Grow NWRA Capacity!
The NRWA is excited to welcome three new board members and two new staff members to the organization, rounding out an exciting year of growth and opportunity for both the NWRA and the Refuge System.
David Houghton joined the NWRA staff at the start of November. As Vice-President of Conservation Programs, he leads NWRA’s refuge landscape programs and is responsible for the vision and development of the Beyond the Boundaries programs nationwide. David has a long and distinguished history with the NWRA, having served as a board member, a consultant, and now a full-time staff member.
Joan Patterson will join NWRA in December as the Director of Grassroots Outreach, and will work closely with Friends Groups nationwide. With experience leading Friends organizations at Tualatin River NWR in Oregon and Potomac NWRs in Virginia, Joan will bring a wealth of experience to the NWRA’s Friends program.
The NWRA is also pleased to announce three new board members.
Bill Buchanan is the CEO of Lazard Capital Markets LLC. Bill has served on several boards, including the Board of Directors of the Weir Farm Preserve, the only national park in the State of Connecticut, where he was active in securing adjoining lands in order to conserve a larger landscape. Bill lives with his family in New Canaan, Connecticut.
Larry Ross is Managing Director of Ross & Company, an executive recruiting firm, founded by Ross in 1992. Prior to his career in general management recruiting, Larry Ross worked for seven years in advertising and marketing with subsidiaries of Saatchi & Saatchi and DMB&B. His clients included M&M/Mars, Procter & Gamble, Richardson-Vicks and Mercedes-Benz of North America. He lives in Manchester, Vermont with his family.
Edith Eddy is the executive director the Compton Foundation, a private foundation in Redwood City, California, that awards grants primarily in the areas of peace and security, environment and sustainability, and population and family planning. She currently serves on the board of PRBO Conservation and has previously served on the board of the NWRA.
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NWRA Presents at Friends and Refuge Academy
Last month, NWRA spoke at “Friends” and “Refuge” Academy sessions held at the National Conservation Training Center in West Virginia. Each year, the FWS hosts one “Friends Academy” and two “Refuge Academy” programs where participants learn about refuge policies, management practices, challenges and solutions.
The weeklong Friends Academy and 3-week Refuge Academy have one week of overlap where participants are encouraged to mingle and share information in informal gatherings. NWRA and other partner organizations are invited to talk about how our various groups work to protect wildlife and the Refuge System. NWRA offers insights on how Friends, refuge staff and partner organizations can effectively work together for the benefit of the Refuge System and the larger conservation estate.
From basic advocacy for refuge funding or working through the intricacies of creating landscape level conservation initiatives “Beyond the Boundaries” of refuges, NWRA provides valuable recommendations to Friends and refuge staff alike, promoting a spirit of cooperative conservation that accomplish our shared goals.
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2009 Duck Stamp Artwork Picked
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American wigeon, Robert Bealle ©FWS
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An American wigeon painted by Maryland artist Robert Bealle was awarded the top prize in the 2009 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. NWRA’s Evan Hirsche served as an alternate judge at the competition this year.
Each year, wildlife artists submit paintings depicting waterfowl that they hope will grace the next year’s duck stamp. The contest is the only art competition run by the US Federal government. The 2010-2011 Duck Stamp featuring Mr. Bealle’s wigeon will be available to purchase in June 2010.
Originally envisioned by Refuge System pioneer J.N. “Ding” Darling, the Federal Duck Stamp program has been in existence since 1934. The “Duck Stamp," or Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, supports one of the world’s most successful conservation programs and has provided funding to purchase millions of acres of National Wildlife Refuge System land.
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Friends Focus: Friends of the Prairie Learning Center, Neal Smith NWR, IA
Imagine a vast prairie with golden colored grass growing as tall as five or six feet and endless herds of bison roaming freely across the countryside. For millennia tallgrass prairie such as this could be found across the American Midwest- supporting vast numbers of birds, mammals, and other critters. Yet today nearly all the tallgrass prairie ecosystem has been lost to agriculture or development, and the legendary buffalo herds have long disappeared. Fortunately, thanks to the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and help from groups like the Friends of the Prairie Learning Center, native grasslands are being restored in the remaining few areas that it exist.
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Prairie Learning Center at Neal Smith NWR in Iowa
© Tom Prall
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Located just 20 miles east of Des Moines, Iowa, Neal Smith NWR was established in 1990 to restore native tallgrass prairie and oak savanna and is named for Neal Smith, the former Iowa Congressman who played an instrumental role establishing the refuge. Visitors come to the refuge to hunt, watch birds, see elk and bison, and learn about prairie ecosystems at the refuge’s Prairie Learning Center.
The Friends of the Prairie Learning Center have been active in helping to restore native prairie and other unique ecosystems in Iowa. In addition to running the refuge’s bookstore, the 220-member Friends group secured $1.5 million, matched with $1.2 million from the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, to purchase important oak savannah habitat that lies within the refuge boundaries and represents an ecosystem all but gone in Iowa. Additionally, the Friends help support 8-12 college interns on the refuge each year, contribute to a matching gifts fund from the Ding Darling Foundation, and have helped purchased fencing materials to expand the bison and elk enclosure on the refuge from 700 to 860 acres.
The Friends have engaged the local community by sponsoring Second Saturday Volunteer Programs in the spring, summer, and fall. The Friends have also funded and provided entertainment at refuge events such as Earth Day, Migratory Bird Day, Buffalo Day and Ding Darling Day (J.N. “Ding” Darling, the first Director of the Bureau of Biological Survey, the precursor to today’s FWS, was a native Iowan). Buffalo Day brought over 700 visitors to the refuge to enjoy the bison, prairie, Native American music, storytelling and crafts. The Friends also help in the collection of prairie seeds, which is done by volunteers scouring the Iowa countryside and productions sites on the refuge for native plants during the annual Volunteer Prairie Seed Collection.
The Friends of the Prairie Learning Center was established in 1993. Like many Friends organizations, this group has no paid staff; everyone involved in running the bookstore, including the manager, are dedicated volunteers.
To learn more about the Friends of the Prairie Learning Center, visit them online: http://www.tallgrass.org
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March 9, 2010: Save the date to join the NWRA for the 2010 Refuge Friends "Fly In" and Hill Rally!
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Brown Pelican
©Evan Hirsche
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The endangered and threatened species list became one species shorter this month, as Secretary Salazar announced that the brown pelican is being removed from the list. The pelican’s remarkable recovery can be attributed to serious conservation efforts and the ban of the pesticide DDT in the early 1970s.
The first national wildlife refuge- Pelican Island NWR - was established in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt in part to prevent the extinction of pelicans and other wading birds on the eastern coast of Florida.
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