National Wildlife Refuges in North Carolina face a $74.9 million budget shortfall

North Carolina is home to spectacular natural resources, including 10 national wildlife refuges which serve as protection for the state’s coastline, wetlands, marshes, grasslands, and forests. The refuges are also an important habitat for countless species of birds, fish, reptiles, mammals including the last wild population of the endangered red wolf. For North Carolina visitors, the refuges provide opportunites to participate in environmental education, hiking, bird watching, hunting, and fishing.

The Refuge System in North Carolina has identified:

•$74.9 million and

•32 staff positions

in unmet high priority needs. This shortfall prevents the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from adequately managing and restoring wildlife habitat, safely maintaining facilities and providing quality recreational programs.

Unfortunately, the Refuge System budget has remained relatively flat for the last two years. Due to rising costs, a flat budget erodes each refuge’s base funding, preventing vital positions from being filled and projects from being completed. The Refuge System in North Carolina needs a $246,000 increase each year just to retain current services.

 

By Larry Wade, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, North CarolinaAlligator River National Wildlife Refuge requires additional funding to maintain and replace equipment and facilities, perform studies, and further staff refuge programs.

National Wildlife Refuges: North Carolina

Funding Crisis

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge estimates it will require funding for 39-person staff to effectively implement its Comprehensive Conservation Plan.

Pictures courtesy US Fish and Wildlife Service

National Wildlife Refuge Funding Crisis

About C.A.R.ECARE is a unique coalition of 21 conservation, scientific, sporting, and recreation organizations with more than 5 million members across the United States. CARE has been working since 1995 to help the National Wildlife Refuge System fight a serious funding crisis.

American Birding Association

American Fisheries Society

American Sportfishing Association

Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation

Defenders of WildlifeDucks Unlimited

International Association of Fish and Wildlife

AgenciesIzaak Walton League of

AmericaNational Association of

Service and Conservation Corps

National Audubon SocietyNational Rifle Association

of America National Wildlife

FederationNational Wildlife Refuge

AssociationSafari Club InternationalThe Wilderness Society

The Wildlife SocietyTrout Unlimited

U.S. Sportsmen's AllianceAssateague Coastal Trust

Wildlife ForeverWildlife Management

Institute

1010 Wisconsin Avenue, NW,

Suite 200Washington, DC 20007Phone: 202-333-9075

Fax: 202-333-9077Web:

www.FundRefuges.org/CARE/

CareHome.html

CARE recommends a $700 million annual operations and maintenance budget for the Refuge SystemThe National Wildlife Refuge System faces a crippling $3 billion operations and maintenance budget shortfall, which continues to grow. An annual increase of $300 million will prevent the Refuge System from spiraling into more debt and allow the Fish and Wildlife Service to begin restoring habitat, maintaining facilities and expanding public use opportunities that have languished due to lack of funds.

Faced with a flattened budget and increased costs, in just three years 74% of the refuges in the northeast will be bankrupt, according to a Fish and Wildlife Service analysis. Other regions are facing similar problems. Able to absorb some budget pressure over the years, refuges have reached a threshold forcing the Fish and Wildlife Service to de-staff entire refuges, and cut visitor services and habitat management at scores of refuges.

Investing in refuges is good for communities and for wildlifeNational Wildlife Refuges are economic engines in many rural areas. According to a recently released economic analysis, Banking on Nature, by the Fish and Wildlife Service:

•Recreational visits to national wildlife refuges generate substantial economic activity. In FY 2004, more than 36.7 million people visited refuges for recreation. Their spending generated $1.37 billion of sales in regional economies. As this spending flowed through the economy, nearly 24,000 people were employed and $453.9 million in employment income was generated.

•At Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina, for every $1 spent on the refuge’s budget, almost $414 are generated in recreational expenditures to the local economy. About $13.6 million dollars of local tax revenues are generated through recreational expenditures.