For Immediate Release
Washington, DC

The U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System, which fuels the economic engine of local communities in all 50 states, is under threat from an Obama Administration proposal to significantly cut the system's budget.

Today Defenders of Wildlife joined 21 other groups to send a report to Congress asking that funding be restored. The report by the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) warns that unless Congress acts to restore funding for the refuge system, the economic benefits that refuges provide could be in jeopardy at the very time they're needed most.

Also at risk are the lands, waters, wildlife, birds and recreation opportunities that the more than 550 refuges in the 150-million-acre refuge system were established to protect.

Read the full news release and report.

Learn more about funding for wildlife and habitat.

For over 75 years, Defenders of Wildlife has remained dedicated to protecting all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With a nationwide network of nearly 2.1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on X @Defenders.

  

Media Contact

News

Mojave Desert Tortoise
Washington, D.C.

Trump Administration Guts Public Comments for Federal Projects

The Trump administration has gutted the National Environmental Policy Act by restricting the public’s ability to participate in government decision-making and understand how our tax dollars are being spent.
US Capitol Building Washington DC
Washington, D.C.

Senate Budget Reconciliation Strikes Heart of American Wildlife, Wild Places

Defenders of Wildlife hammered the Senate’s version of the budget reconciliation bill for striking at the heart of America’s wildlife and wild places.
Visit the newsroom