Press Releases
The National Wildlife Refuge Association congratulates Brian Nesvik on his confirmation as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). With deep roots in the conservation and wildlife management community, including service as a game warden and decades-long commitment to field-based stewardship, Director Nesvik brings practical experience and an understanding of America’s sporting and conservation heritage to the role.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is proud to award the 2025 O’Brien Prize for Refuge Friends to the Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge for their visionary work launching a citizen science bioacoustic bat monitoring program at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge in Sherman, Texas.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 National Wildlife Refuge Awards, a beloved tradition recognizing exceptional contributions to the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee advanced its Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies spending bill— and while it wasn’t the slash-and-burn bill the President had proposed, it would still deliver a severe setback to the National Wildlife Refuge System. The bill proposes a $22 million cut to Refuge System operations and includes a range of dangerous policy riders that would undermine wildlife conservation across the country. On a good note, the bill maintains funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, one of the most important tools for land acquisition.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is calling on Senators to remove a controversial provision in their budget reconciliation bill that would mandate the sale of up to 3 million acres of federal public lands. The proposal, advanced by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, would direct the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service to identify and dispose of millions of acres within just five years.
The National Wildlife Refuge System is at a breaking point, but the President's FY2026 budget proposes funding the Refuge System at just $412 million—a 22% cut from current levels. The last time the Refuge System’s budget was this low was nearly 20 years ago.The FY2010 appropriation adjusted for inflation is over $730 million in today’s dollars —highlighting just how far support has fallen.
As Public Service Recognition Week shines a light on the value of federal service, the National Wildlife Refuge Association is warning that the very people who protect our nation’s wildlife and public lands are under siege. A massive staff departure due to resignations, retirements and fear of a Reduction in Force (RIF), are converging with harmful policy proposals to create a crisis for the National Wildlife Refuge System unlike any in its 122 year history.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is thrilled to welcome Natalie Balaguer as our new South Florida Regional Partnership Specialist! Based in her home region, Natalie is already making waves across South Florida by reinvigorating partnerships and stewarding exciting conservation initiatives through the Urban Wildlife Refuge Program.
