Staff Cutbacks Cripple National Wildlife Refuges
A federal plan just released would mothball the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge–established a century ago by President Theodore Roosevelt–and shutter dozens of others across the Southeast, while cutting scores of refuge personnel.
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, the nation’s first national wildlife refuge, will lose the staff assigned to working with visitors and eliminate active outreach to the public.
The plan to eliminate the refuge’s visitor services is among cutbacks contained in the new Workforce Management Plan of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast Region.
The 128 national wildlife refuges in the Southeast Region support more visitors than those in any other region–more than 11 million visitors annually.
Conservationists say funding to support the 96 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System has reached a crisis point.
According to the Workforce Management Plan, the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast Region will eliminate as many as 80 full-time refuge employees over the next three years. The loss of jobs follows the elimination of 64 field positions from 2004-2006 and will result in a 20 percent staffing reduction.
The Southeast Region currently manages nearly 4 million acres in 128 of the nation’s 545 national wildlife refuges.
Other cuts included in the Workforce Management Plan:
–Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee lost its only public-use staff, causing a 90 percent reduction in environmental education programs that will affect over 2,000 local school children.
–Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Florida lost two park rangers, requiring the closure of the visitor center for two days a week and reducing environmental education for 55,000 school children.
–Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia lost two park rangers, requiring the closure of the East Entrance for two days a week and resulting in a decline of 50,000 visits annually.
–Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge Complex will eliminate surveys for sea turtles and other marine resources on more than 400,000 acres within Great White Heron and Key West Refuges.
–Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge Alabama lost its entire biological program, which supports three national wildlife refuges and affects over 15 others.
