Title: National Wildlife Refuges in Indiana face a $12.4 million budget shortfall
1Beaver pond at Big Oaks NWR
Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge, Indiana
Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge needs funding
to reintroduce and monitor Northern copperbelly
watersnakes, a federally endangered species.
- National Wildlife Refuges in Indiana face a 12.4
million budget shortfall - Indiana is home to spectacular natural resources
including 3 national wildlife refuges (see map,
reverse side). These wildlife refuges are
national treasures, providing habitat to
endangered Indiana bats and whooping cranes,
State-endangered Henslow's sparrows, bald eagles,
a verified new species of burrowing crayfish and
millions of waterfowl and shorebirds. Thousands
of visitors enjoy hiking, bird watching,
environmental education, hunting and fishing on
Indianas refuges each year. - The Refuge System in Indiana has identified
- 12.4 million and
- 4 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
refuges base funding, preventing vital positions
from being filled and projects from being
completed. The Refuge System in Indiana needs a
72,000 increase each year just to retain current
services. -
Henslow Sparrow at Big Oaks NWR
2National Wildlife Refuge Funding Crisis
About C.A.R.E CARE 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 Wildlife Ducks
Unlimited International Association of Fish and
Wildlife Agencies Izaak Walton League of
America National Association of Service and
Conservation Corps National Audubon
Society National Rifle Association of America
National Wildlife Federation National Wildlife
Refuge Association Safari Club International The
Wilderness Society The Wildlife Society Trout
Unlimited U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance Assateague
Coastal Trust Wildlife Forever Wildlife
Management Institute 1010 Wisconsin Avenue,
NW, Suite 200 Washington, DC 20007 Phone
202-333-9075 Fax 202-333-9077 Web
www.FundRefuges.org/CARE/ CareHome.html
- CARE recommends a 700 million annual operations
and maintenance budget for the Refuge System - The 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 wildlife - National 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 Patoka National Wildlife Refuge in
southwestern Indiana, recreational visitor
spending generated over 380,000. In addition,
nearly 53,000 of local tax revenues were
generated through recreational expenditures. -