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Today, the National Wildlife Refuge System is celebrating its 118th birthday – and everyone is invited to join in the fun.
On this date in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Sebastian, Florida. The refuge was created to provide a haven for wading birds such as snowy egrets, and protect a critical rookery for species including the brown pelican and wood stork.
Since taking office in January 2017, President Donald Trump has made environmental deregulation and habitat destruction one of the hallmarks of his presidency. From the clear-cutting of national wildilfe refuge lands along the US/Mexico border, to the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas development, to the support for expansion of the military even further into the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, we have seen a constant and unrelenting disregard for long-standing conservation principles.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has submitted a draft rule to open up new refuge acres for hunting and fishing, new methods of take, or new species. We have received many, many questions about this draft rule, so I want to take a few minutes to explain the history of how we got to this point.
National Wildlife Refuges are peaceful places. In stressful and unforgiving times, refuges offer rejuvenation and decompression. Respite can be found in nature. I visited Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge last weekend, and it proved to be mentally and physically restorative. Ash Meadows is a unique oasis in the Mojave, offering panoramic views of desert and snow-capped mountains.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on national wildlife refuges. As you know, many national and state parks, national wildlife refuges and other public lands have been closed due to overcrowding to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Be sure to research the status of your local refuge and if you choose to visit wildlife refuges that remain open, remember that they are not at full staffing right now. Please do your part to keep them open by respecting CDC social distancing guidelines and following these measures:
Former Secretaries of the Department of the Interior Babbit and Kempthorne both visited the National Wildlife Refuge Association office to conduct interviews of oral history with our former Board member John Cornely for the USFWS Heritage Committee.
