Rep Andrews Addresses Crisis at New Jersey’s Wildlife Refuges

I recently sent a letter along with the entire New Jersey Congressional Delegation to the Secretary of the Interior urging him to take immediate action to assist New Jersey’s National Wildlife Refuges.  Because of major cuts in funding and staffing, our refuges are unable to manage our wildlife habitats, and provide basic services to the public.  I, along with my New Jersey colleagues, called on Secretary Kempthorne to reconsider the extremely low staffing levels at our Wildlife Refuges, and to increase funding in next year’s budget request.  I have included our letter to the Secretary here:

Dear Secretary Kempthorne:

We are writing to urge you to take immediate action regarding the current crisis facing New Jersey’s five National Wildlife Refuges.  As a result of major funding shortfalls for staff, wildlife conservation activities and public use management, our refuges are no longer able to support their most basic missions of managing wildlife habitat, maintaining facilities, and providing public education and programs.

We believe that the Department of the Interior is perilously close to abrogating its responsibility under the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 and National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997.  By law, the Department of the Interior is charged with administering the National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) System.  But the lack of staff and resources for our refuges will make this duty impossible to fulfill.

Specifically, in New Jersey, Supawna Meadows NWR, which was “complexed” to Cape May NWR, currently has no staff on site.  The office there is closed to the public. This refuge is now managed by staff at Cape May NWR, located one and one-half hours away.  Consequently, nearly half of each staff day at Supawna will be spent traveling to and from Cape May.  Left with only four staffers to oversee the two refuges, and much time consumed in travel, stewardship will surely suffer.  Efforts to maintain habitat, provide for public use, and protect the refuges against illegal uses are suffering already.  Without staff at the Supawna Meadows NWR, the 15 to 20 local school groups that come to the refuge each year will lose that precious opportunity to teach students about nature and the environment.

The Barnegat Division of the Forsythe NWR will have no staff on site after January 2007 and the office will be closed.  This NWR lost a law enforcement position in June 2006, and an interpretive park ranger position will be eliminated this fall.   As a result, invasive species work in the refuge will be significantly reduced and ATV use and other illegal activities are expected to increase.

The Wallkill River NWR (which includes the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR) will have only one employee (a biologist) on site by spring 2007, despite being listed as a “stay strong” refuge by the FWS.  It will lose its current Refuge Manager by the end of this year. In addition, Wallkill was “complexed” with Great Swamp NWR and staff at Great Swamp, located one and one-half hours from Wallkill River, is now charged with managing both refuges.  Dramatic cutbacks at Wallkill have hurt habitat management, threatened and endangered species efforts, resource protection, public programs and services, and maintenance.  Visitors to the refuge will, at most times, find the refuge office closed and no interpretive staff or law enforcement officers anywhere.

Apparently, this is all part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) “strategic downsizing plan” for the Northeast Region.  Plan or no plan, our refuges cannot be properly managed without sufficient staff.  While “Friends” groups and volunteers donated more than 1.4 million hours to the National Wildlife Refuge System in 2005 to help with educational programs and other assistance, they cannot go it alone.  Friends groups and volunteers need guidance and coordination that can only be provided by professional refuge staff.

Our refuges are facing an unprecedented crisis.  According to information based on FWS data, they have almost $17 million in unmet high priority needs.  The failure to address these needs is having a profoundly harmful effect on our refuges. 

New Jersey’s wildlife refuges provide habitat for hundreds of species of migratory birds and numerous threatened and endangered species.  Each year, over 470,000 visitors enjoy outdoor activities at our refuges, such as hiking, environmental education, hunting, and bird watching.  New Jersey’s vibrant tourism industry is fueled by the substantial contributions of our National Wildlife Refuges, which are valuable treasures in the most densely populated, urbanized State in the Nation.  It is your agency’s responsibility to safeguard them. 

We are writing to urge you to reconsider the perilously low staffing levels at New Jersey’s NWRs.  In addition, we urge you to increase funding for our refuges when you make your Fiscal Year 2008 funding request.  Without adequate funding for our refuges, the wildlife that depend on these important habitats and the public that values these treasures for recreation and education will suffer.

Thank you for your consideration of this extremely important matter. 

Return to the Washington Updates Page