The American public has an historic commitment to conserving wildlife on national wildlife refuges. But today that legacy is seriously threatened. Political pressures Congress so effectively put in check two decades ago with the passage of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act once again jeopardize the very law that enabled FWS to prioritize species conservation in refuge management. In its second century, the National Wildlife Refuge System remains essential to protecting wildlife and habitat, providing recreational and educational opportunities and generating billions of dollars in local, sustainable revenue. Yet the Refuge System can only continue to provide these benefits if the legal framework protecting it is respected, defended and adequately funded to uphold our shared ethic of strong wildlife stewardship.
