Jamie Rappaport Clark, President and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, issued this statement:
“Federal law enforcement officers protect wildlife and habitat throughout the National Wildlife Refuge System, including from poaching. They ensure public safety and prevent destruction of public land and property across more than 850 million acres of irreplaceable and unique habitat dedicated to wildlife conservation. It is poor and ill-timed policy for the Trump administration to strip essential wildlife refuge staff of law enforcement authority—without first at least replacing this capacity with full-time refuge officers—especially during a time of record visitation and increased access for hunting and fishing on refuges. This ill-conceived decision could put wildlife, wild lands and people at risk.”
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.
