National Wildlife Refuge Association Mourns Federal Wildlife Officer David Taylor
For Immediate Release August 31, 2026
Contact: Eden Taylor etaylor@refugeassociation.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Wildlife Refuge Association mourns U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Wildlife Officer David Taylor, 38, of Scio, Oregon, who is believed to have died while helping evacuate residents threatened by the Railroad South Fire in Comanche County, Oklahoma.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Wildlife Officer, David Taylor | USFWS
Officer Taylor was supporting the wildfire response alongside local emergency crews, going door to door to help residents reach safety as the fire threatened the community. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, his last contact with dispatch came while he was assisting a family evacuating their home.
“Officer David Taylor gave his life protecting others,” saidDesirée Sorenson-Groves, President & CEO of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. “His courage, selflessness, and commitment to public service are an extraordinary example of the dedication our federal wildlife officers bring to their communities every day. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, his colleagues at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, and all who knew and served alongside him.”
Taylor covered the Northern New Mexico National Wildlife Refuge Complex, including Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge, as well as Mora National Fish Hatchery, from sometime in 2022 to March 2026 before joining Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. He was also a member of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Honor Guard, joining in 2023.
“The Refuge community will remember Officer Taylor for his service and his sacrifice,” said Sorenson-Groves. “We are grateful for his dedication to protecting people, wildlife, and the public lands entrusted to his care.”
The National Wildlife Refuge Association joins Officer Taylor’s family, friends, colleagues, and the broader U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and refuge communities, in mourning this loss and honoring his life of service.
For those who wish to support Officer Taylor’s family, a support page has been created here: https://www.givesendgo.com/support-for-david-taylors-family
As the only nonprofit solely dedicated to supporting the National Wildlife Refuge System, the National Wildlife Refuge Association protects, promotes, and enhances America’s wildlife heritage through strategic programs that serve the Refuge System and wildlife beyond its boundaries. The organization addresses Refuge System funding, management, and strategic growth, while also promoting programs that maximize the system’s conservation impact.
