On March 13, 28 organizations from the American Wildlife Conservation Partners (AWCP) sent a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Dan Ashe regarding the Strategic Growth Policy for the National Wildlife Refuge System, which was finalized on January 15.
According to the letter, the Policy, which lists objectives and criteria for implementing a strategic approach to the growth of the Refuge System, does not integrate the six wildlife-dependent recreation activities in accordance with the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997: hunting, angling, bird watching, photography, environmental education, and interpretation.
The mission of the Refuge System is to “administer a national network of lands and waters…for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.” The letter suggests that the FWS Policy does not envision the Refuge System as one in which Americans regularly interact with the landscape, through outdoor recreation.
The organizations signed on to the letter recommended that the FWS reopen the Policy for further discussion and cooperation with state fish and wildlife agencies. The groups recommend that the Policy becomes consistent with the Refuge System Improvement Act as well as the FWS document: Conserving the Future: Wildlife refuges and the Next Generation, which highlights the importance of hunting and fishing to the System, which highlights the importance of hunting and fishing to Refuge System.
The nation’s hunters, anglers, and other outdoor enthusiasts have been instrumental in developing and maintaining a strong, viable Refuge System. This is especially true in light of the recent increase in the price of the duck stamp which is used for future FWS Refuge acquisitions. Therefore, consideration of hunters, anglers and other wildlife-dependent recreationists’ use of these lands is critical to the future conservation of the Refuge System.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
