The National Wildlife Refuges in Rhode Island face a $4 million budget shortfall

Rhode Island is home to five national wildlife refuges, which provide habitat for hundreds of migratory bird species for breeding, migration and wintering periods. Refuges in Rhode Island provide habitat for diverse wildlife populations, including may shorebirds like the federally threatened piping plover, among other species. Over 410,000 visitors enjoy hiking, bird watching, environmental education, and other recreational opportunities on Rhode Island’s refuges each year.

The Refuge System in Rhode Island has identified:

•$4 million and

•12 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 Rhode Island needs a $51,000 increase each year just to retain current services.

 

Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge, Rhode Island

Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge needs funding to improve its trail systems and accessibility to viewing platforms, and to install permanently mounted binocular-spotting scopes for its visitors.

National Wildlife Refuges: Rhode Island Funding Crisis

Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge needs funding to improve its trail systems to make them universally accessible for its visitors.

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.