Why It Matters: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), through the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) and the National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS), provides invaluable habitat for fish and wildlife, enhances recreational fisheries, and creates irreplaceable access for sportsmen and women across the nation. Unfortunately, over time, the Refuge and Hatchery Systems are becoming increasingly degraded, and fish and wildlife suffer along with sportsmen and women as a result. This review provides an opportunity to refocus on the activities and practices that matter most for the NWRS and NFHS.
Highlights:
- Last week, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik issued a comprehensive review of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the National Fish Hatchery System, a directive that is strongly supported by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF).
- The NWRS and NFHS are unmatched networks of federal public land that differ greatly from other systems of federal public land in that fish and wildlife are the focus.
- CSF believes that it is a valuable and necessary exercise to conduct a thorough review of both the NWRS and the NFHS to better position these important units of land and water to meet their stated purposes and significant challenges.
On December 16, FWS Director Brian Nesvik ordered a thorough and comprehensive review of the National Wildlife Refuge System and National Fish Hatchery System, a move that CSF views as essential to the future of these important lands and waters.
The NWRS and the NFHS are unique public lands and waters that differ vastly from other units of federally managed land. Individual NWRS and NFHS units were established for a primary purpose, such as the conservation of migratory birds, the conservation of specific habitats, fisheries conservation, and other purposes. Unlike many other units of federal public land, such as National Parks and National Forests, the NWRS and NFHS units are focused first on fish and wildlife, not human uses, and any activity conducted within the Refuge or Hatchery System must be compatible with the founding purpose, a mandate that is codified in federal law. Further, these Systems are unique in that they are intended to be managed in a bottom-up approach, in that Refuge purposes take priority over the mission of the NWRS.
However, lack of attention and resources, or changing Administrative polices (not legislative actions) have changed the management of the NWRS and NFHS, not to the benefit of wildlife and sportsmen and women. As such, CSF believes that it is valuable for FWS to conduct an audit of what is and is not working, and more importantly, an audit to determine how individual refuge management and the overarching Refuge and Hatchery Systems can best fulfil their goals of meeting the primary purpose(s) of each respective refuge.
CSF applauds Director Nesvik for his leadership and commitment to ensuring that the National Wildlife Refuge System and National Fish Hatchery System are well-positioned for the future.
