This year we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. We’ve seen increased visitation to National Parks, as well as much excitement and publicity for the Park Service.
But 13 years ago, the National Wildlife Refuge System celebrated its 100th anniversary with very little notoriety except at individual refuges, despite the fact that it was established before the National Park Service and despite the fact that it harbors more units (some 563 national wildlife refuges) than National Parks.
Reasons
Part of the reasons National Wildlife Refuges are little known stems from their objective and mission statement which can be reduced to two words: Wildlife First. “Refuges, for the bulk of our existence, have not been overly welcoming to people, with the mindset of protecting habitat for wildlife,” says Desert National Wildlife Refuge Manager Amy Sprunger. “Early in our existence, and until the past couple of decades, we were reliant on and supported by the sporting community, that is hunters and fishers.” While these groups are still very supportive of refuges and protecting habitat, their numbers have greatly diminished since the days when we hunted and fished to put food on the table. It has only been in the past 20-25 years that the Refuge System has realized they need the support of the general population, not just the sporting groups, to remain relevant.
Confusion
It became obvious to us early in our volunteering with National Wildlife Refuges (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, USFWS) that many people confuse the National Park Service with state-run Game & Fish departments and with federally-run National Wildlife Refuges. Our first year on the road when we sent Christmas cards to friends “back home,” we wrote that we were enjoying working and living on National Wildlife Refuges. Return Christmas cards voiced sentiments such as, “So glad you’re able to work at National Parks” or “Yes, National Parks are so beautiful – lucky you!”
“When I say I work for U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service,” says Assistant Manager Stan Culling at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge south of Tucson, AZ, “I commonly get mistaken for a state game warden.”
Importance
But the importance of National Wildlife Refuges cannot be underestimated. “It’s important for our agency to maintain the integrity to protect the habitat and wildlife for future generations,” says Stan Culling. “We are an agency where some landscape is closed to the public, and the public sees this land as restricted with potential for becoming more restricted.”
Big 6
Recreational uses, known as the “Big 6,” may help enlighten the public to the benefits of a National Wildlife Refuge. Most visitors to refuges recognize two of the Big 6 as wildlife observation and photography. Two more, environmental education and interpretation, have become increasingly important over the years to help the public understand conservation, endangered species, and the mission of National Wildlife Refuges. But many people are surprised by the last two, hunting and fishing, which merge wildlife conservation with recreation.
Identity Crisis
“People still don’t know National Wildlife Refuges,” says Amy Sprunger. “It’s like an identity crisis. If we don’t get people to know who we are, we won’t exist.
Perhaps in the future when we send Christmas cards, more people will respond with “So glad to hear you’re volunteering for National Wildlife Refuges. They are so important for wildlife and its habitat!”
[box type=”info” style=”rounded” border=”full”]For further clarification on government lands, check DOI’s website: https://www.doi.gov/blog/americas-public-lands-explained[/box]