The National Wildlife Refuge System Staffing Crisis
Refuge biologist investigating macroinvertebrates at National Elk Refuge, Wyoming | Kari Cieszkiewicz / USFWS
The National Wildlife Refuge System, the nation's largest network of lands and waters dedicated to wildlife conservation, is facing a staffing crisis that threatens its ability to protect biodiversity and provide recreational opportunities for all. Despite being essential for protecting endangered species, conserving habitats, and connecting communities with nature, the Refuge System has lost over 800 permanent positions since fiscal year (FY) 2011, resulting in an enormous 16% loss in capacity.
The $503 million appropriated to the Refuge System in FY2010 is worth nearly $700 million today (as of January 2023), yet actual funding in FY2024 sits at $527 million–a mere .62¢ per acre. The failure to offset the impacts of inflation has resulted in reduced essential services. No national wildlife refuges are fully staffed, and more than half have zero staff on-site, leaving many refuges closed to the public and completely unmanaged. Much of the Refuge System is virtually unprotected due to the lack of law enforcement officers, with some officers covering entire states and refuge units hours away from one another. The staffing shortage also impacts refuge volunteers. Many volunteer programs–critical for the operation and maintenance of refuges–are being cut back or entirely eliminated due to a lack of supervision from full-time professional staff or necessary infrastructure.
Rising fixed costs are also eating into minor increases in appropriations–increases that are not keeping up with inflation. It costs the Refuge System an estimated $3 million for every one percent raise in payroll costs. System-wide, the modest funding increase provided in FY2022 did not even cover the cost of the scheduled 1% federal wage increase. Without base increases in the budget to cover these fixed costs, several much-needed positions are eliminated every year.
Despite an effectively declining budget since FY2010, the Refuge System has experienced exceptional growth with multiple new refuge units, hundreds of millions of acres of new marine national monuments, along with new services like the Urban Wildlife Conservation Program. While the additional acreage, the creation of the urban program, and the resulting significant increase in visitation have enhanced the Refuge System and benefited the communities around these refuges, this growth has also put more pressure on the already stressed and underfunded System.
The National Wildlife Refuge System protects endangered species and habitats, provides recreational opportunities, and connects communities with nature. Our biodiversity and climate are at risk, and these protected areas are crucial for their preservation. It's time to invest in our national wildlife refuges and prioritize staffing for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Now is the time to act and ensure the future of this vital System and the wildlife it protects.
News
President Geoffrey Haskett of the National Wildlife Refuge Association testified before Congress on the proposed revisions to the Biological Integrity, Diversity, and Environmental Health (BIDEH) rule for the National Wildlife Refuge System.