Conserving the future: wildlife refuges and the next generation

              Conserving

the Future

Wildlife Refuges

and the Next Generation

The National Wildlife Refuge System

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Department of the Interior

October 2011

All quotes featured in this vision document are from keynote

addresses given at the Conserving the Future conference in

Madison, Wisconsin from July 11-14, 2011.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Mission Statement

The mission of the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

is working with others

to conserve, protect,

and enhance fish, wildlife,

plants, and their habitats

for the continuing benefit

of the American people.

2 Mission Statement Conserving the Future 3

Table of Contents

Preface................................................................................... 9

Executive Summary..............................................................14

Introduction..........................................................................19

Chapter 1: Conserving the Future

Wildlife and Wildlands.......................................29

Doing the Right Things in the Right Places:

Conservation Planning and Management............................ 30

Conservation Planning for the Next Century...................... 32

The Challenge of Climate Change......................................... 36

Strategic Growth of the Refuge System............................... 39

A Commitment to Science...................................................... 44

Application of Science............................................................. 45

Robust Inventory and Monitoring........................................ 46

State of the System................................................................. 48

Deliberate Research Agenda................................................. 49

Communication, Collaboration and

Contribution in Science.......................................................... 50

4 Table of Contents Conserving the Future 5

Chapter 2: A Connected

Conservation Constituency.............................. 53

Public Stewardship................................................................. 54

An Urban Refuge Initiative................................................... 56

Getting the Word Out............................................................. 58

The Outside Connection......................................................... 62

Chapter 3: Leading Conservation

into the Future.................................................... 69

Organizational Efficiencies.................................................... 70

Succession Isn’t Just for Habitats......................................... 72

Leadership............................................................................... 73

A Renewed Commitment to Our Guiding Principles......... 75

Guiding Principles.................................................................. 76

Mission Statement.................................................................. 78

A Final Call to Action............................................................. 80

Acknowledgements ................................................................ 82

Vision Map............................................................................... 86

6 Table of Contents Conserving the Future 7

Preface

In the summer of 2010, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

employees began the process of charting the course for

the National Wildlife Refuge System’s next decade. Their

charge was to build on the foundation

of the System’s last strategic plan,

Fulfilling the Promise, and create

an updated vision for the future of

America’s national wildlife refuges.

Clearly, much has changed since

1999, when Fulfilling the Promise

was published. America is a different

place—our population is larger and

more diverse; we have been battered

economically; and we are at war on

multiple fronts. And the landscape for

conservation has changed—there is

less undeveloped land, more invasive

species and we are experiencing the

impacts of a changing climate.

In the face of these challenges, the Service gains

conservation strength through building partnerships.

We have always worked with a wide variety of partners,

including federal, state and local agencies; tribes;

nongovernmental organizations; friends groups; and

volunteers. We strive to be a vital component of local

communities as we conserve wildlife and habitats. The

Service is in a unique position to partner with other land

managers at the national, state and county levels, as we

work on far-reaching plans for the conservation of wildlife.

The Service has expanded on this important model by

including these groups and individuals in new Landscape

Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) across the country.

In these difficult times, it is imperative to work together.

Since its inception a century ago, the National Wildlife

8 Preface Conserving the Future 9

Refuge System has worked closely with the conservation

community to conserve and restore species and habitats.

We will continue to work with a growing roster of partners

in the future.

We have worked especially closely with state fish and

wildlife agencies in planning and administering the Refuge

System, relying both on the authority and the expertise

these agencies have in managing fish and wildlife. The

National Wildlife Refuge System is both a product and

a component of the North American Model for Wildlife

Conservation and embodies the two core concepts of

wildlife held in the public trust and managing sustainable

populations.

Working together to create a renewed vision for the

Refuge System makes sense, too. More than 100 people

from across the Service created a draft vision document

and—with the help of our partner in this process, the

National Wildlife Refuge Association—

posted it on the web, and asked for

your comments, suggestions and ‘bold

ideas.’ We asked Service employees,

other state and federal agencies, tribes,

conservation agencies and private

citizens concerned about conservation

for help. And you responded. We

received more than 10,000 comments.

Many of the comments and ideas we

received were specific to the Refuge

System and, where appropriate, we

incorporated them into Conserving the

Future. Many of the other comments

and bold ideas transcend the Refuge

System and even the Service; however,

they are important issues for the entire

conservation community to discuss.

The forum in which to promote these

ideas is America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) initiative, a 21st

century conservation and recreation agenda.

The AGO initiative is a grassroots approach to protecting

our lands and waters and connecting all Americans to

their natural and cultural heritage. Developed in part

via listening sessions throughout the nation, the AGO

initiative seeks to empower all Americans to share in the

responsibility to conserve, restore and provide better

access to our lands and waters to leave a healthy, vibrant

outdoor legacy for generations to come.

These listening sessions generated

many bold ideas.

We are crafting Conserving the

Future: Wildlife Refuges and the Next

Generation just as the ambitious plans for

implementing AGO are beginning. This

presents us with an incredible opportunity

to realize our vision of working beyond

our borders, reinvigorating established

partnerships, increasing wildlife dependent uses, and

diversifying and expanding our constituency. The time is right

to build on the conservation legacy of the North American

model, using the momentum of the Refuge System’s vision

process and the grassroots approach of AGO.

Our response to your comments and bold ideas that

transcend our traditional responsibilities – or the

responsibilities of any single entity – is straightforward.

Yes, we will step forward. We volunteer to lead where

appropriate, follow when we should, and catalyze and

energize this effort to conserve and restore America’s great

outdoors. But we will only succeed if the entire conservation

community and all Americans who love the great outdoors

step forward, too. America’s Great Outdoors initiative

strongly reinforces the need to increase participation in

outdoor recreation and to attract new participants. There

is an unbreakable bond between traditional users, such

as anglers and hunters, and the Refuge System because

these users depend on healthy fish and wildlife populations

and habitats, and their activities are directly related to

the System’s mission. We are committed to working with

state fish and wildlife agencies, hunters and anglers to

increase wildlife-dependent recreational uses on public

10 Preface Conserving the Future 11

12 Preface Conserving the Future 13

lands (Recommendation 17). We hope all will join together

in conserving America’s great outdoors.

Vision:: The Service will enhance its close relationship with

the state fish and wildlife agencies. We will coordinate

with them on management of fish and wildlife within the

Refuge System and on establishing population objectives.

We will strive to increase hunting and fishing opportunities

to a diverse constituency. We will also be a catalyst to find

common ground with other refuge supporters with the goal

of expanding the conservation constituency for the benefit

of healthy wildlife and habitats for future generations.

What follows in this document represents the Service’s

vision for how the Refuge System can contribute in

this larger context. It is written primarily for Service

employees and our close friends

and partners, to both inspire them

to greater achievements and to

guide them on their way. But it

is also intended for a broader

audience, as demonstrated in

the repeated acknowledgement

of the landscape context and

partnerships throughout every

section of this work. In every page

of this document, you will see

yourself. Whether you are from

another federal agency, a tribe, a

state, a conservation organization or a concerned citizen,

we need you to help us conserve America’s wild things and

wild places.

For the past 18 months, the National Wildlife Refuge

System has worked to create a vision that will guide

the management of the Refuge System during the next

decade and beyond. Conserving the Future is built on the

foundation and inspiration of Fulfilling the Promise.

This new vision seeks to not only further the System’s

mission, but also to raise the Service’s profile in the

broader national conservation effort. Consistent with

our guiding legislation, Conserving the Future embraces

bold, new ideas to realize the full conservation potential

of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

The conservation landscape has changed, the playing

field has changed and the stakes have changed.

Human demands on the environment combined with

environmental stressors are creating an urgent need

for conservation choices. The scale of issues and

challenges we face is unprecedented and impacts us all;

no single entity has the resources necessary to address

these challenges on its own. Conserving the Future

acknowledges that strategic, collaborative, science-based

landscape conservation – along with effective public

outreach, education and environmental awareness – is

Executive Summary

the only path forward to conserve America’s wildlife

and wild places. This document articulates the Refuge

System’s role in this effort: leading when appropriate

and supporting our partners when able.

We recognize all of our conservation partners,

and explicitly acknowledge the unique and valued

relationship, expertise, and authority of state wildlife

agencies in managing fish, wildlife, and their habitats

associated with the Refuge System. We also recognize

that we must identify opportunities to engage new

constituencies to help us meet our mission.

Conserving the Future was developed by Service

employees in partnership with stakeholders through

a transparent public process. Although focused on

the Refuge System, this process catalyzed a national

discussion on conservation that transcends the Refuge

System. Several recurring themes emerged: relevance to

a changing America, the impact of a changing climate,

the need for conservation at the landscape scale, the

necessity of partnership and collaboration, and the

absolute importance of scientific excellence. These

themes are woven throughout the document.

14 Executive Summary Conserving the Future 15

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Conserving the Future: Wildlife and Wildlands

contains the foundational elements

of our conservation design and

delivery. Our vision is to embrace a

scientific, landscape-level approach to

conserving, managing and restoring

refuge lands and waters, and work to

facilitate conservation benefits beyond

our boundaries. Simply put, we are

a piece of the puzzle and we hold to

the highest principles of scientific

excellence to inform our conservation

decisions and actions. We offer a series

of recommendations: embrace a landscape approach, look

through the lens of climate change, strategically grow the

Refuge System, work in partnership to leverage resources

and benefits, and report on the condition of wildlife and

habitat to the American people and embrace high standards

of scientific integrity and transparency.

A Connected Conservation

Constituency is the people piece.

Without the support of the American

public, our actions—however well

intended—will fall short. We seek to

make wildlife conservation more relevant

to American citizens and foster their

engagement in and support of the National

Wildlife Refuge System. As with our

land protection efforts and management

actions, we will be most effective in this

area by both working with our traditional partners and by

embracing new ones. Our recommendations include expanding

community partnerships; encouraging volunteerism;

embracing urban America; telling the conservation story in

new ways with the help of technology; enhancing opportunities

to connect people and nature; and embracing, elevating and

holding our interpretation and environmental education

programs to the highest scientific standards.

16 Executive Summary Conserving the Future 17

Leading Conservation

into the Future is devoted to

leadership and organizational

excellence, and includes an explicit

challenge to the entire Service to be

self-critical and continually strive

to maximize conservation delivery

and demonstrate excellence in the

stewardship of public funds. We also

recommend deliberately developing

a diverse, inclusive, competent and

caring workforce that will commit to conservation, embrace

the responsibility of public service, and succeed in realizing

this in effective, efficient and innovative ways. We must

develop a workforce that embodies our Guiding Principles

and demonstrates those principles in our daily activities

and interactions.

The challenges are immense

and our quality of life

is at stake.

The path is set before us:

It is time to act.

Introduction

The slaughter of the birds of Pelican Island was more

than Paul Kroegel could stand. The destruction of those

magnificent birds for the fleeting vanity of fashion stood

in stark contrast to the ancient ritual of generation after

generation of wild birds nesting and fledging and living

throughout those reaches of the

Florida peninsula.

The situation was urgent; the

colonies were on the brink of

destruction. Kroegel patrolled

Pelican Island’s shores with his

shotgun trying to safeguard

the nesting birds. He talked

to anyone who would listen,

trying to rally support for the

protection of the birds and this

special place. He had the ear of

some prominent ornithologists

and they knew another man with a passionate interest in

birds, the young President Theodore Roosevelt.

In a story that would be repeated many times over the

next century and beyond, the passionate advocacy of

a single citizen responding to an urgent conservation

need succeeded. On March 14, 1903, President Roosevelt

established Pelican Island as the first national wildlife

refuge. Over the course of his presidency, Roosevelt

established 53 refuges, from Key West’s mangrove islands

and sand flats to Flattery Rocks along the Washington

Coast. He also established our nation’s first waterfowl

refuge, Lower Klamath, in 1908. A new concept, protecting

a system of wild lands for wildlife, was born.

More than a century later, the National Wildlife Refuge

System has grown to become the world’s most extensive

network of public lands and waters dedicated to the

18 Introduction Conserving the Future 19

conservation of wildlife. From the Arctic to the Caribbean,

the Atlantic to the Pacific, America’s 555 national wildlife

refuges and 38 Wetland Management Districts are present

in every state and territory; and they

provide important habitat to more

than 700 species of birds, 220 types of

mammals, 250 varieties of reptiles and

amphibians, more than 1,000 species of

fish and uncounted invertebrates and

plants. They sustain nearly 300 of the

nation’s more than 1,300 endangered

or threatened species; and have played

a key role in the recovery of several

species, including the bald eagle,

Aleutian Canada goose, brown pelican

and American alligator. We celebrate

these successes and honor those who

built the foundation of American

conservation.

From the very beginning, America’s fish

and wildlife depended on the support

and concern of hunters and anglers. By

the start of the 20th century, national

expansion and development had taken

a severe toll on America’s wildlife.

Hunters and anglers first sounded the

alarm that fish and wildlife were being

exploited, and they hounded lawmakers

to enact legal protections. Gaining

strength in numbers, they formed

conservation organizations and helped

pass legislation that resulted in a lasting

future for fish and wildlife. Central to

this success was the development of

the North American Model for Wildlife

Conservation, which emphasizes

protecting sustainable populations of

fish and wildlife, and holding these

species in a public trust.

The legislation advocated by hunters and anglers is the

foundation for wildlife conservation; it establishes sound

management principles and provides funds to carry out

management. Over the last 75 years, the hunting and

angling conservation community supported passage of

specific legislation that formed the foundation for fish and

wildlife conservation efforts today. The American system

of conservation funding

is collectively supported

by the Federal Aid in

Wildlife Restoration Act,

and the Federal Aid in

Sport Fish Restoration

Act. These programs have

provided more than $10

billion for on-the-ground

conservation activities

benefitting species that

use refuge lands. Also,

nearly 98 percent of

every Migratory Bird

Hunting and Conservation

Stamp (also known as

the Federal Duck Stamp)

dollar is spent directly on

purchasing land for the

Refuge System. Nearly $25

million is raised annually

and more than $750 million

has been generated during

the past seven decades, largely from waterfowl hunters.

Recreational boaters have joined hunters and anglers

in contributing to the American system of conservation

funding. These funds have contributed to facility

development, such as boat ramps, allowing access for

the continuing benefit of the American people. Let these

conservationists who gave voice to the needs of wildlife,

and crafted a means to serve those needs, act as a model

for all current and emerging refuge partners.

The role of hunters and anglers in conserving wildlife

and habitat is timeless. And so too is the importance of

conservation organizations that tirelessly advocate for

20 Introduction Conserving the Future 21

The National

Wildlife

Refuge System

Improvement

Act of 1997 is our

guiding legislation

and embodies

our commitment

to compatible

wildlife-dependent

recreational uses

of the system:

hunting, fishing,

wildlife observation,

photography,

interpretation and

education. The act

also reaffirms our

commitment to

working with our

refuge neighbors,

conservation

groups and state

counterparts.

“To be successful, we will need the

continued support of our state fish

and wildlife agency colleagues. Our

conservation partners’ support will

be critical, as it always has been.

And we need our Friends groups,

now more than ever.”

— Dan Ashe, USFWS

non-game species, international conservation, wilderness

areas and land protection. We recognize the fundamental

role of conservation groups in helping to enact legislation

that has led to healthier functioning ecosystems and

increased biodiversity across North America. The Service

is both a wildlife management and conservation agency,

and refuges have been established for both purposes;

migratory waterfowl production and endangered species

protection. We will continue to work with hunters, anglers,

state agencies, and conservation organizations that

support consumptive and non-consumptive uses alike to

conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plants and

their habitats for the

continuing benefit of

the American people.

Growing up together

during the 20th

century, conservation

organizations and state

and federal wildlife

agencies continued

to work and learn

together, building off

each other’s strengths,

and providing all

Americans with lasting

access to the beauty

and enjoyment of our

fish and wildlife legacy.

Today, this partnership

between state and

federal agencies is

nowhere stronger than in the field, and on refuges. No

matter the logo on their shoulders, state and federal

wildlife managers roll up their sleeves together. They

assist each other with prescribed burning and fighting

wild fires. They patrol and enforce conservation laws

together. They maintain roads, water control structures

and enhance habitat. They belong to the same scientific and

professional organizations and collaborate on studies and

research. Increasingly, they are joined in many of these

efforts by conservation and environmental organizations.

All work together to restore wetlands, grasslands and

forests. Together they teach the next generation the skills

and traditions of the great outdoors including hunting and

fishing, hiking, canoeing and camping. And together they

will share with a new generation their pride in the care of

a well taken shot with

gun, bow or camera, and

the joy that comes from

experiencing the ways of

the wild.

While the Refuge

System’s benefits to

wildlife are measured

in many ways, refuges

play crucial roles in

human communities,

too. By protecting

wetlands, grasslands,

forests, wilderness and

other natural habitats,

refuges improve air

and water quality, relieve flooding, improve soil quality and

trap greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

In addition, by attracting visitors who come to hunt,

fish, take photos or observe wildlife—visitors who spend

money at nearby businesses—national wildlife refuges

generated more than $1.7 billion in economic activity and

created 27,000 private sector jobs in local communities

alone, according to a 2006 study. Most important, in an

increasingly urban and high-speed world, these islands of

natural beauty offer Americans priceless places to soothe

or stir the soul, educate the mind, and invigorate the body.

In its second century, the Refuge System must tackle

unprecedented challenges. At the root of these challenges

is the increasing consumption of natural resources, which

has caused loss, degradation and fragmentation of habitat

around the world. Habitat loss is largely responsible for

the current extinction event, in which Earth may lose half

of its species in the next 100 years. Another challenge is the

22 Introduction Conserving the Future 23

“Every one of us makes a difference

every day. Everyone has a role

to play.”

— Dr. Jane Goodall

“Have the courage to think

radically...what would you do if you

weren’t afraid?”

— Dr. Rick Coleman, USFWS

spread of invasive, non-native plants and animals, which, in

many places, out-compete native organisms in ecosystems

once thought outside their range. Climate change is

also a significant challenge to conservation efforts. As

the globe warms, sea levels are rising, coastal wetlands

are disappearing, flooding and droughts are increasing,

habitats and seasons are shifting and other changes are

occurring that are changing the definition of what is

considered ‘normal.’ The growing evidence of the decline of

the world’s marine communities is a striking reminder that

our impact is felt in even the most remote places on Earth.

Along with these environmental challenges, profound

changes are taking place in the fabric of America. The

population of the United States has increased more than 14

percent since 1998, and citizens are becoming increasingly

concentrated in cities. By 2050, the U.S. population is

projected to grow to almost 400 million. The country is also

becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. Groups that

have historically been considered minorities are projected

to be the majority by

2042. The nation is

also aging. By mid-century,

the number of

Americans 65 and older

will double to more

than 80 million people.

Social changes have

also been profound.

The rapid spread of

technology and the

rise of the internet

and social networking

have changed the way

Americans interact

with each other and

the outside world, and

how they spend their

free time. The result is that people are less connected with

America’s great outdoors, and many fail to see the link

between the natural world and the food they eat, the water

they drink and the air they breathe. While environmental

24 Introduction Conserving the Future 25

threats still resonate on some level, many citizens feel that

conservation threats are a distant concern.

The Service needs to respond to these challenges and

trends, both by developing better ways to sustain wildlife

and by seeking to understand our citizens and how

conservation is vital to their lives. Fortunately, we have

a long history of successfully overcoming challenges

and changes. From

responding to market

hunters and the plume

trade, pollution,

natural disasters and

climate change, Service

employees have learned

to adapt and grow, and

continue to meet their

mission of protecting

wildlife and habitat.

Despite the challenges,

there are many

opportunities. The

number and variety of

people, organizations and

agencies that took time

to comment on this vision

document provide evidence that the public cares about the

environment, wildlife and the future of the Refuge System.

People still have an instinctual connection to nature,

and are drawn to it when provided with the opportunity.

Improvements in science and technology have not only

given us a clearer understanding of the challenges before

us, they have allowed us to better see where we can make a

difference. And our conservation partners have never been

better equipped or motivated to work with us to take on

these challenges.

Given the magnitude of the challenges before us, especially

the current need to balance many competing priorities, we

need help from both our traditional and emerging partners

who want to ensure that future generations receive a

“We must tell our stories with the

heart of a poet and the facts of a

scientist as we engage Americans in

the stewardship of our land.”

— Greg Siekaniec, USFWS

“It’s ambitious, it’s inspirational,

and more important, it’s doable.”

— Dr. Deborah Rocque, USFWS

26 Introduction Conserving the Future 27

legacy of healthy habitats, clean air and water, open spaces

and robust wildlife populations. The establishment of

Pelican Island was the result of conservation groups such

as the Audubon Society, Camp Fire Club, and New York

Zoological Society rallying around a common purpose

with the hunting groups like Boone and Crockett and the

League of American Sportsmen. Let these visionaries

serve as our model to unite conservation organizations

and agencies with diverse missions around the common

purpose of conserving fish, wildlife and their habitats and

expanding the conservation awareness in all Americans.

This document and its recommendations are intended to

inspire and empower current and future Service employees

to lead the Refuge System during the coming decades. It

is also a call to action for other governmental agencies,

conservation organizations, corporations and citizens.

The Refuge System is a crucial part of our shared natural

heritage, but we cannot succeed alone. To ensure that our

natural heritage is passed down intact, we must all join

together and commit to a bold, robust 21st century version

of American stewardship.

Chapter 1:

Conserving the Future

Wildlife and Wildlands

The National Wildlife Refuge System has more than a

century of success in conserving some of our nation’s most

cherished natural treasures: wildlife and wild places. But

a host of challenges threatens

to undermine that proud legacy.

These challenges cross political

and organizational boundaries,

and thus no single government

agency or organization can tackle

them alone.

To ensure that future generations

enjoy wildlife in its natural

habitats—and benefit from the

clear air and clean water that

these habitats help provide—

Americans from all walks of life, both inside and outside

government, must work together. In the preface to this

document we committed to being a catalyst for action in

conserving and restoring America’s great outdoors and

connecting people with their natural and cultural heritage.

This will be a collaborative enterprise far broader than

the responsibility of Service employees for stewardship

of the Refuge System. It is absolutely essential that the

entire conservation community comes together and tackles

the complex and large-scale threats we face. The Refuge

System will be fully engaged in the effort to conserve

America’s great outdoors, leading when we can, and

following when we should.

We also recognize that conservation cannot wait; we must

take action and articulate the contribution of the Refuge

System to the conservation of America’s great outdoors.

Our actions must be informed by strong principles and

28 Wildlife and Wildlands Conserving the Future 29

a clear vision. To help preserve the ecosystems that

preserve us, we must undertake immediate but thoughtful,

scientifically-based and proactive conservation planning,

design and delivery in the management of America’s

national wildlife refuges.

Vision: We are caring stewards of the world’s premier

system of lands and waters dedicated to the conservation

of fish, wildlife, plants and the healthy, resilient habitats

that sustain them. We are catalysts and leaders for

conservation, known and trusted for scientific excellence,

professionalism and commitment to partnerships and

public service.

Doing the Right Things in the Right Places:

Conservation Planning and Management

The expansive new challenges we face from environmental

stressors such as climate change and increasing

fragmentation of wildlife habitats demand that we take an

adaptive, broad, landscape-level

approach to our

conservation actions. Such

an approach requires that we

tap into the knowledge base

of our neighbors and partners

to help identify conservation

priorities. We will address

these issues using State

Wildlife Action Plans, other

federal agency plans and

conservation organizations’

strategic plans.

The Service works closely

with state fish and wildlife

agencies, recognizing

our shared authority and

responsibility for managing

fish and wildlife on national wildlife refuges. This federal-state

partnership, grounded in mutual respect and shared

Landscape

Conservation

Cooperatives (LCCs)

are public-private

partnerships that

transcend political

and jurisdictional

boundaries and

take a collaborative,

scientific approach

to managing

wildlife, habitats

and cultural

resources.

http://www.fws.gov/

science/shc/lcc.html

priorities, is essential to effective conservation work.

We must build on this important relationship, widen our

perspective beyond the boundaries of

refuge, state and nation, consider the

impacts our actions have on species

that regularly cross borders (such as

migratory birds), and determine how we

can help meet international conservation

goals. The larger consortium of partners

gathered by LCCs will also contribute

to our planning efforts. Through the

LCCs, we are adding scientific capacity

to do better biological planning and

conservation design that will inform our

land protection strategies and improve

conservation delivery.

For such an adaptive, landscape-level

approach to succeed, it must be based

on quantifiable conservation objectives,

including population objectives for

target species. This will allow us to

clearly identify the purpose and judge

the relative priority of a project,

determine how it fits in with the efforts

of others, measure the success of our

efforts, and adapt and improve our work over time.

Vision: We embrace a scientific, adaptive, landscape-level

approach to conserving, managing and restoring refuge

lands and waters, and work to project conservation benefits

beyond our boundaries.

In the past, we focused largely on what happened within

our refuge boundaries, in isolation from the landscapes

around them. Today, we realize we must view and manage

refuge lands as pieces of fabric woven into a landscape-level

tapestry of conservation. We must engage our neighbors,

conservation partners and surrounding communities in

creative conservation strategies to achieve our collective

“In conservation science, as in so

much of our vision, we will not

succeed alone. We intend to be both

strong leaders and strong partners.”

— Greg Siekaniec, USFWS

30 Wildlife and Wildlands Conserving the Future 31

species – and ecosystems – management goals. In addition,

our conservation strategies should advance hemispheric

partnerships to conserve migratory birds, wide-ranging

animals and marine mammals.

We must collaborate effectively with a wide

array of partners to leverage resources,

avoid duplication of effort, and collectively

develop and implement mutually beneficial

solutions. This collaborative landscape-level

approach applies equally to our long-term

planning efforts and to our day-to-day

management decisions. While we are already

working “beyond the boundaries” in many places,

including internationally, we must do better. Taking

this broader approach will allow us to identify potential

threats and conflicts and develop innovative solutions to

those challenges. It will also allow us to share best practices

and capitalize on opportunities. This mindset will also

encourage our employees on the ground to work with local

landowners, nearby communities and other conservation

partners and strengthen community ties.

Conservation Planning for the Next Century

Our ability to conserve fish, wildlife and

their habitats for future generations of

Americans begins with our commitment

to long- and short-range conservation

planning and full implementation

of management actions. Our

management planning documents

guide on-the-ground stewardship of

threatened and endangered species,

migratory birds, interjurisdictional

fish and other species of special

concern entrusted to us by the

American people. We develop our

plans using an interdisciplinary

approach, to ensure management

activities address the diversity of biological and

socioeconomic issues we face.

During the past decade, more than 50

million acres of new marine national

monuments in the Pacific have been added

to the Refuge System. The Service now

has stewardship responsibilities for some

of the most important coastal, marine

ecosystems in the world. We must

build capacity to do the science and

management required to be good stewards

of these marine national monuments, much

like we have in places such as the Alaska

Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Threats

of coral bleaching and ocean acidification

require us to study these sensitive areas

carefully. We must work closely with

our partners at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration and other scientific institutions who share

our interest in exploring and caring for these places. The

responsible stewardship of the coastal, marine units of the

Refuge System is one of the great challenges of the decade

ahead.

The key strategic tool we use to guide our work on each

refuge is the Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP).

Congress mandated the completion of such plans in the

National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of

1997. We’ve learned a great deal from the first round of

preparing these plans. Some CCPs successfully created

visions for dealing with complex issues such as sea-level

rise caused by climate change, while others were caught

in controversy and barely maintained the status quo.

We now have a great opportunity to improve upon our

planning legacy by incorporating a new vision and set of

conservation strategies in the next generation of CCPs.

This new vision requires that we keep several principles

in mind. First, the new plans must integrate the

conservation needs of the larger landscape (including

the communities they support) and ensure that we

function as a “System.” Second, they must be flexible

32 Wildlife and Wildlands Conserving the Future 33

enough to address new environmental challenges and

contribute to the ecological resiliency of fish and wildlife

populations and their habitats. Third, the plans must be

written so those who read them will clearly understand

what is expected and be inspired to take action to become a

part of our conservation legacy. Fourth, they should explore

ways to increase recreational opportunities, working

closely with regional recreation, trails and transportation

planners to leverage resources that make refuges more

accessible to the public.

Secondary to the CCP, but still a key component for

strategic management and planning on refuge lands, is

the habitat management

plan (HMP). The HMP

“steps down” the direction

in a CCP to provide specific

guidance for managing the

lands and waters under our

stewardship. An HMP uses

the best available scientific

information and ecological

principles; develops habitat

goals, objectives and

management strategies

to conserve wildlife

populations; addresses

ways to better protect areas

with special designation

status (such as wilderness,

marine protected areas

and public-use natural

areas); considers a range

of management strategies;

uses adaptive management;

and relies on peer review to

provide credible assessments of our actions.

Each year about 3.5 million acres of refuge lands and

waters are actively managed under these plans—but there

are another 5.7 million acres in need of ongoing habitat

management, and an additional 3.5 million acres in need

of restoration. We must develop new habitat management

plans that implement our policies on biological diversity,

integrity and environmental health,

along with our climate change strategic

plan. We need to scrutinize our farming

programs, looking to restore natural

habitats where possible and reduce

carbon emissions. We need to continue

to advocate for fire policy that does not

focus exclusively on hazardous fuels

reduction in the wildlife-urban interface,

but also includes other important aspects

of healthy landscapes and watersheds.

By following the adaptive management

process, we will identify each refuge’s

contribution to the larger conservation

effort undertaken by a multitude of

conservation stakeholders. We will

describe the vision for the refuge’s

future, determine appropriate

management direction to achieve desired

scientifically based goals and objectives,

and analyze the impacts of proposed

actions on the wildlife we manage. We

will seek and respond to public input

throughout our process. We will monitor

the success of our management actions

to ensure we are achieving our goals and

objectives, and revise our management

direction, as needed, to adapt to

changing environmental conditions, new

biological and social information, and

new objectives.

Recommendation 1: Incorporate the lessons learned

from our first round of CCPs and HMPs into the next

generation of conservation plans, and ensure these new

plans view refuges in a landscape context and describe

actions to project conservation benefits beyond refuge

boundaries.

Adaptive

management:

A deliberate,

science-based

process for decision-making

in the face

of uncertainty.

This approach

treats management

actions as

experiments, and

uses the outcomes of

those experiments

to inform and

improve future

actions. Because

it is based on a

continual learning

process, adaptive

management

improves long-term

management

outcomes.

“America is changing. We must

connect with communities around

the wildlife refuges that we have

been entrusted with. The habitats

we manage are intertwined and

connected to the greater landscape.

Thus, we have to connect.”

— Cynthia Martinez, USFWS

34 Wildlife and Wildlands Conserving the Future 35

The Challenge of Climate Change

The Earth’s climate is changing at an accelerating rate that

has the potential to cause abrupt changes in ecosystems

and increase the risk of species extinction. Climate change

transcends the Service and the National Wildlife Refuge

System and poses one of the largest conservation threats of

the 21st century.

Climate change has very likely increased the size and

number of wildfires, insect outbreaks, pathogens, disease

outbreaks and tree mortality in the interior West, the

Southwest and Alaska. In the aquatic environment,

evidence is growing that higher water temperatures

resulting from climate change are

negatively impacting cold- and cool-water-

adapted populations across the

country. Rising sea levels have begun

to affect fish and wildlife habitats,

including those used by shorebirds and

sea turtles that nest on coastal national

wildlife refuges. Ocean acidification and

coral bleaching represent major threats

to marine life in more than 50 million

acres of refuge waters and beyond.

We acknowledge climate change is a

crosscutting theme as we continue to

work with the conservation community

to develop and implement conservation

strategies. We also recognize that a

changing climate interacts with other

ongoing environmental threats and

stressors such as destructive fires,

water shortages, invasive species and

disease transmission. The Service is

committed to taking a holistic approach

to assessment and management that

accounts for interactions between

climate change and other stressors.

Our mandate to conserve and manage Refuge System

lands and waters to maintain biological integrity, diversity

and ecosystem health requires us to support ecological

resilience and provide fish, wildlife and plants with

opportunities to adapt to climate-changed landscapes.

Wilderness will be a key part of our understanding

of climate-mitigated changes. Large, unfragmented

wilderness areas will support ecosystem resiliency and

species adaptation, and be a source of valuable baseline

data as the climate

changes. But it is not

enough to respond to this

most urgent conservation

challenge. The Service is

working in partnership

with state fish and wildlife

agencies and other federal

partners on a national fish,

wildlife and plant climate-adaptation

strategy. The

National Wildlife Refuge

System must contribute

significantly to this

emerging strategy through

its land protection, land

management, inventory,

monitoring and research

efforts.

Strategies that will enhance ecological resilience and

provide opportunities for fish, wildlife and plants to adapt

to climate change include maintaining or restoring the

ecological integrity of existing refuges and other protected

areas, enhancing linkages and connectivity among

protected areas, buffering core protected areas, such as

wilderness, with conservation efforts on private working

landscapes, identifying and protecting climate refugia, and

ensuring adequate representation, size and redundancy of

ecological communities in the collective conservation estate.

The Refuge System must contribute to all of these efforts.

The Service developed a strategic plan for responding to

climate change in 2010. This far- reaching and visionary

“More change has taken place on

the land, in the air, the wildlife -

the fabric of life, and certainly in

the ocean in the 20th century than

during all preceding human history

put together.”

— Dr. Sylvia Earle, oceanographer

Ecological

resilience:

The capacity of a

system to resist

and recover from

natural or human-caused

disturbances.

Resilient systems

can maintain their

essential structure

in the face of floods,

fires, pest outbreaks,

pollution and other

stressors.

36 Wildlife and Wildlands Conserving the Future 37

plan emphasizes reactive approaches in the short term.

Although planning and management at the refuge

and landscape scale will continue to be important, we

must recognize that, over time, a changing climate may

transform these areas into new habitats, new ecosystems

and new landscapes. If the Refuge System is to continue

to fulfill its mission, we must undertake a comprehensive

assessment of the challenges that climate change poses.

Such an assessment will allow us to better understand

the vulnerability of ecosystems and plant and animal

populations to environmental change. As this occurs,

the Service should shift to a more proactive approach to

conserving and managing refuge lands and waters.

Targeted restoration will also be necessary in many

wildlife refuges to bring altered landscapes back into

balance. Restoration efforts should create landscape-level

habitats or habitat complexes capable of supporting viable

populations of target species; be

resilient to short-term climate

fluctuations and long-term climate

change; restore as many ecosystem

processes as possible on the

landscape; integrate partnerships

with other agencies, groups and

private landowners; and integrate

with future acquisition efforts.

The Refuge System also needs

to quantify and reduce its overall

carbon footprint. Refuge system

operations and facilities generate

heat-trapping gases and have

other impacts on the environment

and wildlife. The Service’s

stewardship of the Refuge System

should provide cutting-edge leadership in reducing carbon

emissions and implementing sustainable, green business

practices. Our plans should include prioritizing land

restoration activities that effectively sequester carbon.

Recommendation 2: Develop a climate change

implementation plan for the National Wildlife Refuge

System that dovetails with other conservation partners’

climate change action plans

and specifically provides

guidance for conducting

vulnerability assessments

of climate change impacts to

refuge habitats and species as

well as direction for innovation

in the reduction of emissions

and improved energy efficiency

on federal lands.

Strategic Growth



of the Refuge System

The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act

provides clear direction to the Service to “plan and direct

the continued growth of the System in a manner that is

best designed to accomplish the mission of the System,

to contribute to the conservation of the ecosystems of

the United States, to complement efforts of States and

other Federal agencies to conserve fish and wildlife and

their habitats, and to increase support for the System and

participation from conservation partners and the public.”

The Service’s land protection strategies in the future

must be cutting edge and visionary, placing refuges in the

context of landscape conservation. We must consider how

established and future refuges, other protected areas and

working landscapes can function collectively to conserve

fish, wildlife and their habitats for future generations. This

is key to the effort to conserve America’s great outdoors.

The Service is committed to being an active partner, leader

and catalyst in this effort.

Strategic growth of the Refuge System requires creating

a portfolio of prioritized acquisition sites based on an

adaptive management strategy. To create our land

protection portfolio, we need to define the Refuge System’s

38 Wildlife and Wildlands Conserving the Future 39

role in working with others to achieve wildlife population

objectives, assess the status of current habitat protection

efforts, evaluate which entity is best positioned to

undertake the long-term management of protected lands

and prioritize the conservation gaps. The Refuge System’s

role in filling some of these conservation gaps will include

protecting existing habitat to safeguard against future

losses, as well as targeted restoration to strategically grow

the conservation estate. These efforts should be forward-looking

and keep the future needs of wildlife in mind. This

assessment and gap analysis must be done both through

the lens of the System’s statutory obligations—habitat

protection efforts required to fulfill migratory bird treaties

and endangered species recovery plans, for example—

and more broadly through a consideration of existing

and future wildlife needs across the landscape—habitat

corridors, lands and waters that wildlife need to adapt to

a new climate regime and ecological communities missing

from the conservation estate.

Recommendation 3: Undertake a rapid top-to-bottom

assessment of the status of all Refuge System land

protection projects and complete a report that will

inform development of a plan for the strategic, future

growth of the Refuge System.

Our approach to planning future growth of the Refuge

System will be enhanced by the new scientific capacity

for biological planning and conservation design being

developed by LCCs. Land protection efforts must focus

on representation of ecological communities in protected

areas, the redundancy of protection, adequate size of

protected areas and the connectivity of protected areas.

Conservation in the future must include the important roles

of working ranches, farms and forests, as well as privately

owned recreational properties with conservation provisions

that can link and buffer protected areas.

After the Refuge System completes its comprehensive

assessment, we will ensure that our habitat protection

priorities are transparent and based on an objective

analysis of both wildlife requirements and the need to

conserve large landscapes and a full spectrum of ecosystem

types. Land protection will be prioritized nationally using

the best available science, and reflect contributions toward

achieving national, regional and species-specific goals and

objectives. Our land protection efforts will be adaptive,

changing to keep pace with the science and immediacy

of new threats. This effort will also be integrated with

our partners’ programs,

recognizing the potential

to leverage protection

efforts to achieve mutual

conservation goals.

The future growth of the

Refuge System will be

guided by the following

priorities: habitats to fulfill

the goals and objectives

identified in threatened

and endangered species

recovery or habitat

conservation plans; habitats

to fulfill the goals and

objectives identified in

national bird, anadromous

and interjuridictional

fish, and marine mammal

management plans;

habitats that are unique,

rare, declining or under-represented in existing protection

efforts; climate refugia as identified by LCCs; and

modifications to existing refuge boundaries to adapt to

climate change as identified in the second generation of

CCPs. We will develop a conservation planning tool to align

with these priorities and principles of conservation biology.

We must also carefully consider our investment strategies

as the System grows. We must balance the need to

complete high-priority protection at existing refuges with

the opportunities presented by new protection projects. We

will stretch dollars by using easements when appropriate,

while also considering the important recreational

“You cannot have landscape

conservation without landscape

conversation...these landscapes are

fragile, but we have the people that

have the passion, the heart to make

change.”

— Jim Stone, Blackfoot

Challenge Chairman & Partner

40 Wildlife and Wildlands Conserving the Future 41

opportunities provided on refuges

where we own the land. These

questions point to the importance

of the LCCs’ increased scientific

capacity in biological planning and

conservation design to understand

and evaluate projects and identify

the most important ones. They also

highlight the need for effective

inventory and monitoring to assure

the ongoing success of our protection

and management.

Recommendation 4: Ensure future

land protection efforts are based on

explicit priorities, rigorous biological

planning and conservation design

that support achieving quantifiable

conservation and population

objectives that are developed in

cooperation with

state fish and

wildlife agencies.

We recognize that

habitat conservation

and restoration

efforts go beyond

the boundaries of the Refuge

System and require partnerships. We

are committed to working with other

programs throughout the Service

and we look to new partnerships

with other local, state and federal

governmental agencies, conservation

organizations, and private landowners

to achieve shared conservation goals.

We can accelerate conservation in priority areas by working

strategically with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s

Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service

Agency to better access and target Farm Bill dollars. Many

conservation programs in the Farm Bill fund land

protection through conservation easements and

long-term rental contracts as well as restoration of

forests, wetlands, grasslands, riparian buffers and

other wildlife habitats. With the urgent need to

both buffer conservation lands and connect them,

we must aggressively pursue these and other

opportunities to leverage habitat restoration

and protection efforts—recognizing that, in

many cases, outright acquisition of crucial

habitat by the Refuge System is neither

possible nor preferable.

The Service’s Partners for Fish and

Wildlife (PFW) program can help the

Refuge System achieve these goals.

In some regions, the objectives of

PFW are well-coordinated with the

Refuge System’s objectives and help

leverage the benefits of national wildlife

refuges, waterfowl production areas and

conservation easements across a landscape.

PFW biologists are fully conversant with Farm

Bill and other federal, state and conservation

organization conservation programs, and help

private landowners choose the most appropriate

and effective conservation tools available. In addition,

the partners program often works to accomplish Refuge

System goals by helping to restore high-priority habitats

on private lands and then perpetually protecting them with

conservation easements. This model of cooperation and

shared objectives should be expanded nationwide.

Recommendation 5: Use all of the Service’s

conservation tools, especially Partners for Fish and

Wildlife, to work nationwide to project conservation

benefits beyond refuge boundaries, leveraging resources

through partnerships with other governmental agencies,

conservation groups and private landowners and

achieving mutually shared and scientifically sound

restoration and protection goals around refuges.

42 Wildlife and Wildlands Conserving the Future 43

A Commitment to Science

The Refuge System has always relied upon science to

inform its actions. From bird-banding studies in the early

20th century to modern-day satellite imaging, we have

collected and analyzed data, and used that information

to guide conservation actions. But our ability to

implement science has been uneven, hampered by various

combinations of lack of staff, funding, clear objectives and

organizational change. When we lack science capacity, it

has a debilitating effect on our conservation work. Our

credibility as professionals

and as an organization

is based on our scientific

expertise and objectivity. To

ensure our future success,

we must enhance our

science capacity to support

refuge management.

While we acknowledge the

challenges, we recognize

and affirm the primary

role science plays in

all of our work. Our

commitment to scientific

excellence permeates and

transcends the Refuge

System. We demonstrate

this commitment by

applying relevant

science to all aspects of

refuge management,

and developing new methods of utilizing science to build

conservation models, set habitat and population objectives,

strategically plan the growth of the Refuge System,

design conservation delivery actions, and measure our

success. We also strive to expand the application of science

within the Refuge System beyond biological sciences and

include physical, social, historical and cultural sciences in

our programs and management. And we are beginning

to examine how we can apply adaptive management

to our visitor services, law enforcement, fire, and even

administrative functions.

The Refuge System is committed to four foundational

elements for conservation

science: apply science to refuge

management; complete robust

inventory and monitoring;

develop deliberate research

agendas; and expand

communication, collaboration and

contribution within the Service

and among our partners. Our

dedication to these principles

helps maintain our credibility,

ensures conservation efficacy and

promotes our leadership in the conservation community.

Vision: We are committed to a culture of scientific

excellence, adhering to the highest standards of integrity

and transparency, and are viewed as valued contributors to

the broader scientific community.

Application of Science

Refuge management decisions must always be made in a

scientific context. Science-driven management decisions use

better information, improve efficiency, reduce uncertainty,

and increase our ability to solve complex problems and

adapt to changes in populations, habitats and systems. We

must gather and integrate data from our robust inventory

and monitoring efforts and directed research on refuges

and use these data to inform our management decisions.

Equally important, we must use these data to learn from

our experiences and continually improve our conservation

delivery through adaptive management. Grounded in this

way, our management efforts will have impacts beyond the

boundaries of our refuges and integrate with landscape-scale

habitat conservation frameworks.

“Our level of scientific accountability

must be higher in these times

of increased expectations...all

employees, not just biologists, must

be well-versed in science.”

— Dr. Gabriela Chavarria, USFWS

44 Wildlife and Wildlands Conserving the Future 45

Recommendation 6: Provide each refuge with access

to resources to fully implement the principles of

adaptive management.

Robust Inventory and Monitoring

Most wildlife refuges do not currently have a

comprehensive baseline inventory of the fish, wildlife and

plants that live there. This poses a challenge to the delivery

of effective conservation, which requires an understanding

of the abundance and distribution of species and their

interactions with the habitat across space and time. It

also requires the ability to detect trends and project shifts

in these relationships brought about by environmental

change. Understanding these complexities and anticipating

management impacts will require robust inventory and

monitoring approaches.

There is no better place to monitor environmental change

than in wilderness. The Refuge

System includes at least 20

million acres of wilderness,

about 22 percent of lands

within the nation’s National

Wilderness Preservation

System. This wilderness

includes some of the largest

and most intact landscapes

in the country. Because

wilderness areas emphasize

natural conditions, they can

serve as baseline or reference

areas to be compared with

similar ecosystems undergoing

active management. Natural

processes predominate without

human intervention in wilderness areas, making these

areas an important component in a national strategy for

monitoring long-term ecological change, such as climate

change.

In 2010, the Service

launched a national effort

to increase the collective

ability to inventory and

monitor wildlife and

habitats and inform

conservation within the

Refuge System. For

this effort to succeed,

it must have several

elements. First, it must

be institutionalized and

purpose-driven, with clear

goals. Second, although

each refuge will have its

own unique inventory and monitoring needs, it must be

coordinated on both the regional and national levels, so

data are comparable and useful in determining the status

and trends of key species on broad geographic scales and

timeframes. Third, it must encompass not only animals

and plants, but other natural systems such as soils, air and

water quality, and water quantity.

Collecting consistent wildlife and habitat data on

refuges is critically important, but it is only the first

step. Data must be analyzed, explained and reported.

This information will be crucial not only in informing

refuge management and policy decisions, but also in

contributing to the knowledge of the broader scientific

and conservation communities. We must use information

management tools to make our data readily available

to these communities. Through these efforts, we can

provide vital information for State Wildlife Action Plans

and other conservation partners’ planning efforts, inform

eco-regional planning efforts through the LCCs and

others, and actively promote collaborative conservation.

Additionally the availability of the data, analysis and

transparency of the applications will help us both educate

and demonstrate accountability to the public.

“Look closer. You’ll see more

than meets the eye.”

— Alesha Ouren, age 10,

Prairie Wetlands

Learning Center Student

46 Wildlife and Wildlands Conserving the Future 47

Recommendation 7: Institutionalize a purpose-driven,

nationally coordinated effort to inventory and monitor

wildlife and habitats to obtain data that inform planning

and management decisions; and develop a state-of-the-art

data management system that can be integrated with the

broader scientific community and key partners.

State of the System

Among the benefits of a more systematic and robust

inventory and monitoring program and the associated

sharing of information is that it allows identification of

status and trend data on a regional or national scale. Our

inventory and monitoring program should regularly publish

this information in a report that focuses on the fish, wildlife

and plants the Refuge System is

charged to conserve. This “State

of the Refuge System” report

should assess factors such as:

a) the current condition

and observed trends of natural

resources on refuges within the

context of overall conservation of

our nation’s fish, wildlife and plants;

b) the major challenges

currently facing the Refuge

System;

c) expected future trends

and their associated implications

for potential changes in mission,

roles and responsibilities;

d) current organizational

capabilities compared to current

and projected future needs.

“We must work collaboratively.

Partners ranging from other

Service divisions, state and

local agencies, organizations,

and the landowners all need

to be engaged. While more

difficult and challenging,

the end result is certainly

vastly improved and a more

comprehensive product.”

—Charlie Pelizza, USFWS

48 Wildlife and Wildlands Conserving the Future 49

We do not envision this report as a decision document, but

rather as a tool to stimulate thought and discussion about

how the Refuge System can best continue to contribute to

the conservation of the nation’s fish, wildlife, and habitat

in the future. The goals of the report should be to further

collaboration on improving the condition of the Refuge

System, highlight and celebrate successful programs

underway, and encourage strategic approaches to adapting

to changing conditions.

Recommendation 8: Create a new, quadrennial report

on the state of the Refuge System starting in 2015, as

part of an effort to report on the status and trends of

wildlife and habitat in the System and ensure that all

data gathered are easily accessible and shared widely

among the Service, the scientific community and



the public.

Deliberate Research Agenda

To date, much of the scientific research taking place

on refuges has not been coordinated or guided by an

overall strategy. We must do a better job of articulating

and guiding our research so that it is both relevant and

contributes to management decisions. To help set a

deliberate research agenda, we must routinely and openly

identify and challenge the assumptions that influence our

management decisions. We must then determine which

of those assumptions are the most significant and least

certain, and elevate those as research priorities. We must

fully engage our partners in setting our research agenda

so that we can identify common priorities, coordinate our

efforts and share the costs. A focused research agenda will

not only inform management decisions across the System,

it will also contribute to the broader body of science.

Recommendation 9: Develop and clearly articulate

a research agenda for the Refuge System that is

management-oriented and grounded in the testing of

assumptions, with the explicit purpose of reducing

uncertainty in our planning and management decisions.

Communication, Collaboration and Contribution in Science

Just as we cannot overcome the management challenges

of the future alone, neither can we overcome the scientific

challenges alone. We must embrace communication and

collaboration in all fields if we are to achieve our goals.

In the realm of conservation science, that means we

must both lead and be strong partners. If we coordinate

research and monitoring projects with our partners and

communicate the results to the conservation community,

we will improve our ability to leverage assistance; enhance

our opportunities to share ideas, plans and strategies; and

maximize our chances to capitalize on shared interests and

opportunities.

We must build shared inventory and monitoring efforts;

combine our scientific and technical capabilities with others;

and work more closely with business, industry, conservation

organizations, academia, private landowners, interested

citizens and, in particular, with our state, federal and tribal

partners. To conserve, restore and manage our nation’s

wildlife, we will actively coordinate and communicate both

within the Service and among stakeholders. We will encourage

coordinated research in all fields—including the social

sciences, where researchers can utilize our refuges as outdoor

laboratories to benefit both the refuge and the broader body

of knowledge. We will search for new partners while we seek

to renew and reinvigorate existing partnerships. Equally

important, we will commit to communicating effectively,

helping the public and our partners to understand and

appreciate our stewardship of refuge lands and waters.

Recommendation 10:: Become a major contributor to

the scientific community by sharing information and

data; publishing scientific findings; participating in

professional societies; and engaging with local, regional

and national organizations and communities to solve

conservation problems.

50 Wildlife and Wildlands Conserving the Future 51

Chapter 2:

A Connected Conservation

Constituency

America is a different place than it was a century or even

a decade ago. Our society is more ethnically and culturally

diverse, increasingly urban and older—and Americans

strive to not only accommodate diversity, but celebrate it.

We have moved far away from our agrarian roots, with 80

percent of Americans now living

in urban or suburban areas.

Though nature may seem farther

away, and we struggle to explain

the mystery of its benefits, many

agree that time in nature is vital

to our health and mental well-being,

and helps nourish our

sense of wonder, imagination

and curiosity. The psychological,

ecological and economic

amenities that nature provides

are a boon for Americans from

all walks of life, including those

who may never visit a national wildlife refuge. As we

work to keep pace with a changing America, we recognize

that more Americans will appreciate nature and refuges

“virtually.”

Today’s conservation challenges are far too big for any one

agency or organization to surmount—they require all of

us to take steadfast action together. As leaders, partners

and role models in conservation efforts, we seek to inspire

others to work with us —so that together we can leave a

legacy of abundant and healthy wildlife and wild lands for

future generations of Americans to enjoy.

Though our fundamental mission is wildlife conservation,

we recognize that to be successful we must inspire the

52 A Connected Conservation Constituency Conserving the Future 53

American people to connect with their wildlife heritage

and participate as stewards of the System. As an integral

part of local communities, refuges are great places to

build a broader conservation constituency. Refuges work

with schools, civic groups and individuals to share our

passion for the environment and our mission. We must

push ourselves to reach out to those who are yet unfamiliar

with who we are and what we do. Part of our mission is

ensuring that all our citizens benefit from refuges, and this

helps sustain strong support for the Refuge System. Our

goal must be to inspire all Americans to become part of a

conservation constituency.

Vision: Engage the American people, so that we better

understand their expectations and they are increasingly

aware of the National Wildlife

Refuge System and its role in

conservation.

Public Stewardship

The growth of the refuge

volunteers and friends

groups during the past 30

years has been a remarkable

achievement of public

involvement and stewardship.

Volunteers of all ages and

abilities now provide a wide

array of vital services on

refuges: Working side by

side with Service staff, they

greet the public and teach

the young; they clear trails

and control invasive species; and they provide biological

expertise with precision and enthusiasm. If a job needs

doing on a national wildlife refuge, chances are good that

a volunteer is ready to help. The Refuge System could

not function without the 1.3 million hours of work that our

almost 40,000 volunteers contribute every year.

The Refuge System has similarly been fortified by the active

involvement of friends groups. These locally established,

nonprofit citizen organizations have many different names,

but they all share our passion for wildlife and our love of

wild places. They are a refuge’s best ambassador in the

community—sharing knowledge with their neighbors and

standing firm when fish and wildlife are in peril. They

epitomize the idea that all conservation is local.

Recommendation 11: Develop and nurture active and

vibrant friends groups or community partnerships for

every staffed refuge or refuge complex.

The Refuge System must continue to build on these

successful citizen partnerships and take advantage of

the opportunities that an active baby boom generation

provides. A large generation of skilled and motivated

people is moving into retirement and looking for new

challenges and ways to continue to contribute to their

communities. Demographers also tell us that these

‘boomers’ love the outdoors. We have what they need.

Many refuge volunteer programs have been limited by a lack of

refuge staff to recruit, train and supervise volunteers. Refuge

System staff growth will likely not keep pace with the needs,

but if we accelerate the development of a more self-directed

and self-perpetuating volunteer program, there is no limit to

the work we can accomplish. Who better to recruit and train

volunteers than a retired human resources manager? Who

better to work alongside a refuge biologist and help with a new

system-wide biological inventory and monitoring effort than

a retired researcher? Who better to help us develop a school

partnership than a retired teacher? They have what we need.

The National Wildlife Refuge Association and other

partner organizations, as well as our local friends groups,

can help us develop a new model of a self-sustaining

volunteer workforce. With training and mentoring,

we can continue to build a Refuge System that meets

the needs of wildlife while filling lives with purpose.

Refuge management will continue to evolve as a shared

responsibility between the Service and the public.

“Whether you are with the Fish and

Wildlife Service, a state agency, an

NGO, or a Friends group, you are on

the front lines of conservation.”

—Evan Hirsche, President, National

Wildlife Refuge Association

54 A Connected Conservation Constituency Conserving the Future 55

Recommendation 12: Develop a national strategy

for recruiting, coordinating and supporting a more

self-sustaining volunteer corps, while creating

new opportunities for community involvement in

implementing refuge priorities.

An Urban Refuge Initiative

The Refuge System now spans the continent and reaches

across oceans, providing safe homes for our nation’s fish,

wildlife and plants. But despite our broad geographic

reach, we face challenges in connecting with all Americans.

We struggle to remain relevant to urban citizens who have

competing priorities and few outside experiences; we strain

to find ways to connect with young Americans who are

technologically fluent but deficient in nature experiences,

and we toil to recruit and retain a more inclusive workforce

that reflects the diversity of America.

While there are several national wildlife refuges close

to large cities, most refuges are in the wilder corners of

America, beyond easy reach for most people living in our

largest metropolitan areas. Though some cities are now

expanding into the countryside – changing once ‘rural

refuges’ into ‘urban refuges’ – it is not likely that many new

national wildlife refuges will be established near our largest

cities. To help an urban America continue to benefit from

its wildlife heritage, we propose an urban wildlife refuge

initiative that relies more on partnerships and collaboration

than on the traditional refuge establishments.

This new initiative will have three major parts. First, it will

establish measures to help existing urban wildlife refuges

define and achieve excellence. The Service is fortunate

to have many refuges near urban centers and several

at the heart of some of our largest cities, including San

Francisco, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Denver

and Washington, D.C. But we have never articulated the

extraordinary opportunities and expectations we have for

these refuges to reach urban audiences. Before we can

achieve excellence in these or other urban centers, we must

define excellence. We will convene a summit of our existing

urban refuge managers to help describe and measure

success.

The elements of excellence might include the following:

successful urban school partnerships reaching a diverse

student population; full integration with urban green-space

planning; a wide array of volunteer opportunities; youth

employment and internship opportunities; information

that helps people connect

with the entire Service;

objective evaluation of

the various education

and outreach activities;

and a robust interpretive

effort that inspires the

imagination and engages

the public through

multiple media. Once we

have defined excellence

and analyzed gaps in our

existing efforts, we will

focus our resources to

achieve excellence in each

urban refuge.

Second, the new

initiative will create

urban presences for the Refuge System. Fortunately,

most large cities have excellent parks and nature areas;

these provide a huge opportunity for the Refuge System

to establish an urban presence through cooperation and

partnerships. We will offer our urban partners technical

assistance with habitat and wildlife management activities,

help with establishing wildlife education efforts, help with

conservation employment opportunities for urban youth

and help with giving their urban population knowledge of,

and access to, the Refuge System.

Third, the new initiative will reach cities of various sizes.

We will establish refuge partnerships in a sampling of

cities ranging from large to midsize, from old to young and

“We need to configure a

landscape that gives wildlife a

chance to adapt.”

—Greg Siekaniec, USFWS

56 A Connected Conservation Constituency Conserving the Future 57

assets to the communities around them, evoking a deeply

meaningful sense of place and generating both economic

and environmental benefits.

The diverse habitats in refuges directly

or indirectly provide such essential and

irreplaceable benefits as clean air and

water, reduced erosion and flooding,

pollination of crops, and many other

ecological services. The value these

ecosystem services provide on a global

basis is approximately $33 trillion per

year; more than half the global gross

domestic product. Recreational use on

wildlife refuges generated almost $1.7

billion in total economic activity just

to local economies in 2006. In addition,

property values surrounding refuges

are often higher than equivalent

properties elsewhere. These and other

economic benefits of wildlife refuges are

undeniable.

Yet the economic and environmental

benefits of refuges are neither well

understood nor widely appreciated.

The Refuge System remains largely

unknown to most Americans. Even

those who visit a refuge property may

not realize that they are at a national wildlife refuge, that

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages it or that

it is part of a system with breadth and mission. Before

Americans can support that mission, they must have

opportunities to experience, care for and value the land

that we manage on their behalf. The land must become, as

Aldo Leopold expressed it, something people “can see, feel,

understand, love or otherwise have faith in.”

If we want broad support, communicating what we do, and

why, is as important as doing it. We must articulate and

promote the benefits as well as the opportunities offered

by refuges and the importance of conservation—especially

growing. Each region will seek to establish at least one

or two new urban refuge partnerships, in a measured and

coordinated way so that cities of many shapes and sizes

are represented. Over time, we will share the successful

elements of these efforts and expand them to other urban

centers.

We are also mindful that reaching citizens of diverse

ethnicities involves connecting not just with urban areas,

but also with rural communities. For example, many

refuges in the South could develop an African-American

constituency, while in other parts of the country, we could

reach out to tribal and

Hispanic communities.

While our overarching

goal is to build broad

awareness and support

for our national wildlife

refuges, engaging these

rural constituencies is

vital to the success of

landscape conservation

strategies. Rural areas

can also serve as a

pipeline for Service

professionals who have a

fundamental connection

to, and appreciation of,

the natural world.

Recommendation 13: Create an urban refuge

initiative that defines excellence in our existing urban

refuges, establishes the framework for creating new

urban refuge partnerships and implements a refuge

presence in 10 demographically and geographically

varied cities across America by 2015.

Getting the Word Out

Refuges are home to some of the nation’s most treasured,

iconic and rare wildlife and wilderness. They are important

Ecosystem services:

The benefits people

get from nature.

These are generally

divided into

four categories:

provisioning

services (such

as food and

water); regulating

services (such as

flood and disease

control); cultural

services (such as

spiritual renewal

and recreational

opportunities);

and supporting

services (such as

crop pollination and

nutrient cycling).

58 A Connected Conservation Constituency Conserving the Future 59

“Bring unconventional partners into

our fabric of interest. Ultimately

people might then care about

wilderness.”

—Majora Carter, Executive Director,

Sustainable South Bronx

in fresh venues such as city parks, community centers,

shopping malls and other public gathering spaces. Many

national wildlife refuges are successfully collaborating with

community groups and are a consistent and fully integrated

presence in their communities. We must replicate such

models and improve communication with nontraditional

audiences to determine how refuges can better serve their

interests and whet their appetites for wildlife experiences.

Wherever we find Americans

interested in preserving our

natural or cultural heritage,

undertaking citizen science,

volunteering their services

or participating in healthy

outdoor activities, we must

engage them as stewards of

our land and waters.

Vision: Every employee

is fluent in the ecological

and societal benefits

of the System and is a

tireless ambassador to all

Americans.

We are all ambassadors for

the Service and the Refuge

System. Employees need to

be not only experts in their

specialties, but familiar with

the mission and goals of the

System as a whole—and

both willing and able to articulate the many benefits and

accomplishments of refuges to the community at large.

But to be truly effective ambassadors, we need a clear and

consistent message that is understandable, memorable

and effective in building an engaged and informed

conservation constituency. Fostering the development

of citizen conservationists with strong connections to

America’s great outdoors is an ambitious undertaking, but

to remain relevant to a changing society, we must engage

people, inform them about natural places and inspire them

“Technology is the key to getting

‘generation next’ back outside. ”

—Michael Gale, USFWS

to visit. To do this, we must have an integrated, long-term

communications strategy.

Such a communications strategy must identify key

audiences, develop and test messages that resonate with

those audiences, and create

benchmarks for measuring

success. It must ensure that

a professional and positive

Refuge System brand is

promoted at all times, and that

this brand is consistent and

recognizable not only across

communications platforms—

publications, websites and signs,

for example—but also in publicly

visible infrastructure such as

facilities and uniforms. While

much of the work on refuges

involves active management, we should strive to provide

the public with a ‘natural’ and welcoming experience that

promotes the impression that these are unspoiled havens

for wildlife.

In developing a communications plan and promoting its

brand, the Refuge System can and should take advantage

of the expertise and resources available in both traditional

partners—such as hunters and anglers, and the rest of the

conservation community—and in nontraditional partners

such as corporations and marketing firms. In this way,

the Refuge System can leverage its limited resources and

tap into both the experience and marketing muscle of the

nongovernmental and corporate worlds—helping to get the

message out about America’s “hidden treasure.”

Recommendation 14: Create a strategic

communications plan that educates the public about our

mission and accomplishments, and creates a positive,

professional ‘brand’ for the System.

America is a wired nation, and an increasing number of

people are relying on smart phones, tablets and other

60 A Connected Conservation Constituency Conserving the Future 61

electronic devices to gather information and communicate

with one another. The Refuge System cannot rely solely

on posted signs, printed brochures or interpretive kiosks

to orient and educate the public. We need to fully utilize

electronic communications tools— such as websites, social

media and mobile applications—to invite and prepare

people to visit refuges, give them up-to-date information on

what is happening there and develop a greater appreciation

for natural values—even if they are unable to visit a refuge.

Modern communications tools are not only valuable for

external communications, but they also facilitate internal

communications. The Refuge System can increase

productivity by adopting communication

tools that facilitate the exchange of

experience, knowledge and ideas

among staff, and with practitioners

and specialists from other areas

and organizations. At present, such

“communities of practice” are often

isolated from each other by regional

or administrative barriers. These

barriers must be broken down. Sharing

knowledge is a fundamental strategy

for adapting during periods of rapid

change.

Recommendation 15: Develop

integrated mechanisms for using

web-based and other emerging tech-nologies

to store and share data,

communicate within the System, and

inspire and educate visitors and the

public.

The Outside Connection

Spending time outdoors is good for both our spirit and

our health. Recreation and relaxation in nature reduces

stress and anxiety, promotes learning and personal growth,

nourishes the imagination, and provides mental and physical

restoration. Direct experiences in the outdoors often lead

to a commitment to, and involvement with, stewardship of

our shared natural legacy. The Refuge System’s wildlife

dependant uses promote getting outside and experiencing

nature. Americans must learn anew that national wildlife

refuges not only provide essential

habitat for wildlife, but they also are

beneficial and relevant places for

people. We must actively encourage

and provide new opportunities for

people of all ages and backgrounds to

connect with nature by visiting their

national wildlife refuges, personally

or virtually.

Vision: Refuges are welcoming, safe

and accessible for visitors, with

a variety of ways to enjoy, learn

about, appreciate and help conserve

America’s wildlife.

Conservation law enforcement has

been the first step in effective refuge management since

Paul Kroegel patrolled the nesting bird colonies at Pelican

Island more than a century ago. A top priority for the

Refuge System must be to adequately staff refuges with

sufficient officers to protect wildlife and habitat and make

refuges safe places for staff and visitors. If refuges don’t

provide for basic public safety and resource protection,

they won’t be successful in accomplishing their purposes

and the mission of the Refuge System. If efforts to reach

new visitors are successful in drawing a larger and more

diverse audience to refuges, they must first and foremost

feel safe. Refuge law enforcement officers are on the front

lines in making refuges safe and visitors feel welcome.

They are often the most visible ambassadors to the visiting

public. Although we have made progress in modernizing

refuge law enforcement during the past decade, much work

remains to be done to complete needed reforms.

62 A Connected Conservation Constituency Conserving the Future 63

The National

Wildlife

Refuge System

Improvement Act

of 1997 identified

the “Big 6”

wildlife-dependent

recreational uses

of the system:

hunting, fishing,

wildlife observation,

photography,

interpretation and

education.

There are myriad opportunities to expand wildlife-dependent

recreation on refuges. One is by working with

traditional conservation partners to market and promote

refuge visitation, improve access, and encourage young

people and other novices to take up hunting, fishing,

wildlife observation and photography. Another is by

forming and enlarging partnerships with interested groups

such as the birding community to provide strategic advice

on increasing birding opportunities in the Refuge System.

This has worked successfully

with the Refuge System

Birding Initiative, and we

should expand upon this

model.

We must also look for ways

to build relationships with

people who have not had

traditional links to wild

lands and wildlife, and

encourage them to visit

refuges. One way to do

that is to remove language

barriers. Adding bilingual

staff and multilanguage

signage on wildlife refuges

will not only make those

who do not speak English

feel more welcome, but will

expand the reach of our

interpretive and educational

programs. Another way to

encourage visitation is to

remove physical barriers.

Refuges should work with local communities to facilitate

transportation for seniors and people with disabilities.

We must also retrofit existing facilities so they comply

with Americans with Disabilities Act standards and the

Universal Trail Assessment Process. Refuges should

also train staff to relate to and assist people with special

needs.

Recommendation 16: Conduct a new, independent

analysis of refuge law enforcement to measure progress

and identify needed improvements.

The National Wildlife Refuge System provides some of the

finest outdoor recreational opportunities in the world. Indeed,

more than 44 million people visited national wildlife refuges in

2009. Most of these visitors came for the wildlife-dependent

recreational opportunities for which refuges are commonly

known: hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography,

environmental education and interpretation. The Refuge

System Improvement Act gave these wildlife-dependent

recreational uses priority over other uses on national wildlife

refuges.

The Refuge System has a steadfast commitment to, and

long-standing conservation partnership with, America’s

hunters and anglers. This partnership has protected millions

of acres, restored and enhanced land and waters throughout

the nation, and provided continuing opportunities for these

sporting traditions. Refuges must continue to work with

state conservation organizations to provide new hunting and

fishing programs, and will expand efforts to provide special

opportunities for children and those with disabilities.

The Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council

and the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership were

established under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to

provide guidance on our policies that support these types of

recreational activities. Working with these councils, we can

continue to expand our wildlife-dependent constituency by

creating innovative programs that engage underrepresented

users in the Refuge System.

Recommendation 17: The Service will work closely with

state fish and wildlife agencies to conduct a review of

its current hunting and fishing opportunities, especially

opportunities currently offered for youth and people

with disabilities. Based on this review, the Service and

states will work cooperatively to prepare a strategy for

increasing quality hunting and fishing opportunities on

national wildlife refuges.

“Thanks to the efforts of hunters and

anglers and other conservationists,

we now have extensive public

lands, including National Wildlife

Refuges, that support abundant fish

and wildlife populations that belong

to all of us as a people. This is the

heart of the North American Wildlife

Conservation Model.”

—John Kennedy, Deputy Director,

Wyoming Game and Fish Department

64 A Connected Conservation Constituency Conserving the Future 65

In the end, promoting our relevance to the lives of Americans

is about access. People care about what they know and what

they can experience. Wildlife refuges should be accessible to

all, regardless of their location or physical abilities.

Recommendation 18: Support and enhance appropriate

recreation opportunities on national wildlife refuges

by partnering with state fish and wildlife agencies,

other governmental bodies, conservation organizations

and businesses; and by updating relevant policies and

infrastructure.

Often described as the “front porch of the Service,” the Refuge

System provides an incredible opportunity for Americans to

meet the Service. The

most opportune way for

the public to experience

the Refuge System is

through the effective

use of interpretation.

Interpretation is often

misunderstood and

frequently confused with

environmental education.

However, the two are very

different. An interpretive

program on a wildlife

refuge is designed to

facilitate meaningful

and memorable visitor

experiences, and

encourage stewardship

of the wildlife and habitat

of the visited refuge and

the Refuge System as

a national network of conservation lands. Through the use

of interpretation, the Refuge System can create a personal,

emotional connection with visitors.

While some refuges have developed strong interpretation

programs, the Refuge System as a whole has not yet

capitalized on this powerful tool. The National Association for

Interpretation has developed standards and best practices

that should guide the Refuge System. Our interpretation

program should do the following: inspire the imagination of

visitors by increasing their enjoyment and understanding

of wildlife refuges; be delivered in multiple formats utilizing

technology to maximize effectiveness; reach multiple

audiences – connecting with people of any age, ethnicity,

gender, culture, class and lifestyle; and include an evaluation

component that helps us gauge the effectiveness of our efforts.

By expanding opportunities to experience a wildlife refuge

through a well-built interpretation program, we can meet

the diverse needs of visitors and show visitors the place that

wildlife refuges hold for them.

Recommendation 19: Develop an interpretation

strategy that builds upon current Service standards

and guidelines, takes advantage of multiple modes

of delivering messages, reaches diverse audiences,

and measures the effectiveness of our programs in

partnership with key government agencies, the

National Association for Interpretation and other

professional organizations.

Environmental education can be a key tool that provides

people a deeper understanding of their ecological place

in the natural world, offers a clear understanding of

the benefits of the Refuge System and other protected

areas, and provides an avenue to promote an ecological

conscience in future conservationists. Our education

programs are also pathways to articulate nature’s benefits

and demonstrate tangible contributions to community

schools. Environmental education is fundamental to

nurturing a strong land ethic in the next generation and is

a critical part of developing people’s appreciation of, and

participation in, decisions affecting wildlife and habitat

conservation.

Recommendation 20: Develop an environmental

education strategy that inventories existing efforts,

identifies priorities for investment of staff and funds,

and outlines basic standards for all refuges.

66 A Connected Conservation Constituency

“We need to educate our publics.

It’s fundamental to nurturing a

strong land ethic and critical to

developing people’s appreciation and

participating in decisions affecting

wildlife and habitat conservation.

We must act now.”

—Wendi Weber, USFWS

Conserving the Future 67

Chapter 3:

Leading Conservation

into the Future

The National Wildlife Refuge System faces an uncertain

future. Society and landscapes are changing; threats to fish,

wildlife and their habitats are escalating; federal budgets

are uncertain; and pressures

on employees are mounting.

With these challenges,

the organization needs

leaders who can embrace

change and innovation,

anticipate opportunities,

remain transparent and

take calculated risks. These

leaders must be adaptive and

visionary, inspiring employees

and partners to exceed

what is necessary and seek

what is possible. They must

possess agility, passion and

exceptional communication

skills, and they must be skilled in the use of technology.

And these leaders must be committed to developing the

next generation of conservation stewards.

The leaders of tomorrow also need to embrace and

extol the fundamental principles on which the Service

is based. These include integrity, fairness, hard work,

openness, collaboration, workforce diversity and service

to the American people. Equally important, they need to

demonstrate and instill in others the Service’s commitment

to being stewards of a sacred trust, and embody the land

ethic of Aldo Leopold, which holds that people must respect

and value as equals the animals, plants, soils and waters

that are part of their communities.

68 Leading Conservation into the Future Conserving the Future 69

Vision: Our workforce is diverse and inclusive, shares a

passionate conservation ethic, and works together as a

cohesive whole.

Organizational Efficiencies

Healthy organizations are continually changing, learning

from the past and striving to find new ways to achieve

their missions. Since the 1940s, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service has done just that, growing from an original five to

its present eight geographic regions to accommodate the

Service’s growing responsibilities.

Regional boundaries

have also expanded and

contracted through the

years. States such as

Virginia, Missouri and

Iowa have been shifted

to new regions and then

shifted back. Functions

similarly changed through

the years. Predator and

rodent control activities,

for example, were moved

out of the Service and

into the Department of

Agriculture. Within the

Service, programs and

authorities have shifted

from headquarters to

regions, and between

assistant directors and

offices. For example,

the Service’s law

enforcement program

has been through several

realignments. Many

other organizational changes occurred, each the result

of management seeking improvement in efficiencies and

effectiveness.

“Do not be afraid. History tells us

over and over again that we can have

great successes in difficult times if

we have a clear vision; if we have

strong leadership.”

—Jim Kurth, USFWS

Organizational change and realignment is inevitable and

healthy. In this time of budget challenges, we must take a

fresh look at our organizational structure to see if it still

makes sense. Our goal must be to align our resources to

efficiently deliver on our mission and effectively serve the

American people, while staying

as lean as possible. Among

the questions we must ask:

With the benefits of advanced

communication technology,

does the current headquarters-region-

refuge structure still

make sense? Do we need eight

assistant regional directors,

and eight regional program

branches? Are there support

functions that can be shared

among regions? Are there

elements of the past area-office

concept that make sense today?

Are there benefits to managing

as a system by having similar

organizational alignment in the

field, regions and headquarters

office? Can we reduce redundancies by having regions

share programmatic expertise? How can we realign to

find synergy and efficiency so that conservation planning

and design efforts are integrated and our conservation

delivery most efficient? Since refuges need to work beyond

their boundaries, should they have the organizational

reach of the Partners for Fish and Wildlife staff? These

and other questions deserve serious consideration. The

time is right for a new generation of leaders to find ways

to better manage refuges as a system, while increasing our

organizational efficiencies.

Recommendation 21: Assemble an evaluation team

consisting of Service and Refuge System leaders to

report to the Service Directorate on opportunities

for organizational realignments or programmatic

efficiencies.

70 Leading Conservation into the Future Conserving the Future 71

Succession Isn’t Just for Habitats

Several decades ago, the Service recognized the need to

diversify its workforce. Capitalizing on the cadre of women

with biological backgrounds and training, the Service

became a more inclusive workforce. Today, however,

we still do not reflect the diversity of America. We are

an overwhelmingly white and aging organization that

struggles with being relevant in this rapidly changing

society. We acknowledge and celebrate different cultural

values and recognize the importance of a workforce that

resembles the community in which it exists.

We recognize that the Service will not reflect the diversity

of the country by simply setting diversity targets. We

must engage and prepare a diverse group of qualified and

enthusiastic professionals that want to make the Service

and the Refuge System their life’s work. We have made

progress toward this goal with our student and youth

programs, but we need to do better. We must look to our

new urban wildlife refuge initiative and national and

regional offices located in urban centers as ways to recruit

and prepare young people

from diverse backgrounds

for a career in refuges.

We must be adaptive

and flexible to recruit a

workforce that reflects

society. In so doing, we

aim to not only enhance

public support for the

Refuge System, but to

ensure a workforce of the

best and brightest minds.

We recognize that

diversity in education,

discipline, skills and

background is also

important. As we

transition from an older to

a younger workforce, we

must look for ways to transfer knowledge from senior staff.

As part of this succession, we will value diversity of people

and skills to create a culture of inclusivity.

Recommendation 22: Within the next 10 years, make

our workforce match the diversity in the civilian

labor workforce. Recruit and retain a workforce that

reflects the ethnic, age, socioeconomic and cultural

backgrounds, and language

diversity of contemporary

America.

Leadership

In Fulfilling the Promise, a

detailed history of leadership in

the Refuge System and several

specific issues and solutions were

set forth. While some of these

recommendations have been

implemented, little progress has

been made on others—and in some cases, due to economic

and other challenges, we have actually lost ground. The

economic downturn and associated housing crisis have

made mobility in the workforce a daunting challenge.

Aggressive workforce planning efforts, required to address

reduced budgets, have resulted in fewer entry-level

management positions.

We do not need to rewrite Fulfilling the Promise, nor

reiterate the leadership challenges and recommendations

that are essentially unchanged in 13 years. Instead, we

must re-commit to the timeless principles of leadership set

forth in that document and build from that foundation.

Recommendation 23: Revisit Fulfilling the

Promise and seek innovative ways to address

the recommendations therein to reinvigorate our

commitment to leadership development.

Successful leaders focus on what they can do, what they can

contribute and how they can make things better regardless

72 Leading Conservation into the Future Conserving the Future 73

“You said you wanted a connected

conservation constituency...I’m here

with a message really to say that the

millenial generation is ready take

up these challenges.”

—Juan Martinez,

Children & Nature Network

of the circumstances in which they find themselves. This

inner focus, self-awareness and confidence drives leaders to

accept increasingly greater challenges.

We must equip our

workforce at every level

with the tools necessary

to be effective leaders. To

do so, we must provide

them with the mindset,

skills, experiences,

abilities and confidence

to know that everyone

can make a difference in

our organization and in

the greater conservation

cause.

This does not mean we

all must aspire to rise

to the top. It does mean

that we must aspire to

do the absolute best

we can in whatever

circumstances we find

ourselves. We must create

an environment where

every employee can

succeed and contribute

regardless of their grade,

organizational position or geographic location.

The Refuge System deserves excellence in leadership. We

have admittedly lamented at times that Refuge System

employees don’t either aspire to or attain higher levels of

responsibility in the Service; but leaders focus on what they

can do. What we can do, and what we must do, is prepare

our employees to be leaders in every job they hold.

74 Leading Conservation into the Future Conserving the Future 75

“The challenge lies before us—to

be the conservation leaders that

are needed today and to create

conservation leaders of tomorrow.”

—Rebekah Martin, USFWS

Recommendation 24: Develop and mentor Refuge

System employees so they are fully equipped to accept

the responsibilities of leadership at all levels in the

Service.

A Renewed Commitment to Our Guiding Principles

One of the most important responsibilities of our leaders

is to articulate the principles that guide our work, to teach

these principles to new employees and ensure they are

followed. As a generation of our leaders retires, we need

to ensure that our guiding principles, or core values, set

forth more than a decade ago are handed down to the next

generation of leaders and employees.

Among these principles, one of the most significant but

difficult to define is Aldo Leopold’s land ethic. In his classic

book A Sand County Almanac, Leopold devotes a chapter

to laying out his vision of the land ethic. In it, he offers a

sharp counterpoint to the then-prevailing view of absolute

human dominion over nature. He places humans not at the

top of a natural resources pyramid, but in a circle with wild

animals, plants and other elements of the natural world.

Leopold writes, “A land ethic of course cannot prevent the

alteration, management, and use of these resources, but it

does affirm their right to continued existence, and, at least

in spots, their continued existence in a natural state.”

We reaffirm our commitment to our guiding principles and

introduce a new principle to highlight our commitment to

science.

76 Leading Conservation into the Future Conserving the Future 77

Guiding Principles

We are land stewards, guided by Aldo Leopold’s

teachings that land is a community of life and

that love and respect for the land is an extension

of ethics. We seek to reflect that land ethic in our

stewardship and to instill it in others.

Wild lands and the perpetuation of diverse and

abundant wildlife are essential to the quality of

the American life.

We are public servants. We owe our employers, the

American people, hard work, integrity, fairness

and a voice in the protection of their trust resources.

Management, ranging from preservation to active

manipulation of habitats and populations, is

necessary to achieve Refuge System and U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service missions.

Wildlife-dependent uses involving hunting, fishing,

wildlife observation, photography, interpretation

and education, when compatible, are legitimate and

appropriate uses of the Refuge System.

Partnerships with those who want to help us meet

our mission are welcome and indeed essential.

Employees are our most valuable resource. They are

respected and deserve an empowering, mentoring

and caring work environment.

We respect the rights, beliefs and opinions of our

neighbors.

We are a science-based organization. We subscribe

to the highest standards of scientific integrity

and reflect this commitment in the design, delivery and

evaluation of all of our work.

Mission Statement

The mission of the National

Wildlife Refuge System is to





administer a national network

of lands and waters for the





conservation, management and,

where appropriate, restoration of

the fish, wildlife and plant

resources and their habitats within

the United States for the benefit



of present and future generations

of Americans.

78 Leading Conservation into the Future Conserving the Future 79

A Final

Call to Action

Conserving the Future was written by

you and for you—the next generation

of conservation leaders. It is one more

chapter in the story of the National

Wildlife Refuge System. This story

began when the last century was new

with a few small marks on our nation’s

map, staking a claim for the future of

wildlife. This story is built upon the idea

that the preservation of America’s fish

and wildlife must be a part of our shared

future. This tale has always been one of

optimism, innovation and vision. Now

this story compels you to add your own

chapter and take your place among a long

line of conservation heroes.

Which challenges will you accept, and

which future will you make?

80 A Final Call to Action Conserving the Future 81

82 Acknowledgements Conserving the Future 83

Acknowledgements

This renewed vision document would

not have been possible without the hard

work and dedication of many people. The

Steering Committee, Core Team members,

writers and editors of the document,

Director, Deputy Director, Chief of the

Refuge System, and all those who provided

comments, bold ideas, and feedback to make

a truly great vision document. This renewed

vision is a reflection of the dedication of

Service employees, conservation partners,

Friends, and all others to the future of

the National Wildlife Refuge System. In

addition, a special thank you to the National

Wildlife Refuge Association and Association

of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AWFA)

for their support throughout the process.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also

recognizes over 10,000 individuals who

commented on the renewed vision for the

National Wildlife Refuge System and the

thousands of members of the social network

at www.AmericasWildlife.org.

Relevance to a Changing America Core Team

Leadership and Organizational Excellence Core Team

Refuge System Vision Process and Conference Staff

Rebekah Martin – Vision Process and Conference Coordinator

Michael Gale – Vision Communications Coordinator

Conserving the Future Fellows

Dorothy Amatucci

Ben Bisbach

Heather Jerue

John Knox

Emily Loew

Ryan Strom

Magdalena Tsiongas

* Denotes Chair or Co-Chair

** Denotes main authors, although Core Teams members





 provided extensive review and editing

*Robyn Thorson

*Wendi Weber

Barry Stieglitz

Bridget Fahey

Christopher Weber

**Cynthia Martinez

David Ellis

Karen Leggett

Kristin Reakoff

Lamar Gore

Matthew Huggler

Sharon Marino

Sharon Vaughn

**Tom Worthington

Vicki Muller

*Geoff Haskett

*Noreen Walsh

Bud Oliveira

David Viker

Jimmy Laurent

Joe D’Arrigo

Jose Viramontes

Kofi Fynn-Aikins

Marianne Aplin

Marilyn Kitchell

Matt Hogan

Molly Comstock

Nikki Randolph

Rob Peloquin

Rollie Jacobs

Shannon Smith

Sylvia Pelizza

**Will Meeks

Conference & Report Steering Committee

Conservation Planning and Design Core Team

Conservation Delivery Core Team

Conservation Science Core Team

*Gregory Siekaniec

Aaron Archibeque

Barbara Boyle

David Lucas

Evan Hirsche

Hannibal Bolton

Janet Ertel

Jim Kurth

John Kennedy

Jose Viramontes

Larry Williams

Marge Kolar

Mark Musaus

Rick Coleman

Robin West

**Scott Kahan

Teiko Saito

**Tom Worthington

*Marvin Moriarty

*Jay Slack

David Drescher

David Lucas

**Deborah Rocque

Delissa Padilla

Ellen VanGelder

Heather Johnson

Joe McCauley

Kathryn Owens

Kelly McDowell

Mary Stefanski

Noah Kahn

Paul Heimowitz

Raul Molina

Susan Adamowicz

Tracy Fischbach

*Benjamin Tuggle

*Jerome Ford

Bruce Woods

Carol Damberg

Cathy Henry

Gabriela Chavarria

Grant Harris

Heather Abbey

Janet Ertel

Jill Webster

John Morton

Khem So

**Mark Chase

Michael Estey

Mike Coffey

Tom LaPointe

*Tom Melius

*Bryan Arroyo

Andy Loranger

Brian Salem

Charlie Stenvall

Janis Nepshinsky

**Jeff Rupert

John Blitch

John Segar

Kelly Purkey

Kipp Morrill

Marcia Pradines

Natoma Buskness

Pepper Trail

**Scott Kahan

Sherry Barrett

Susan Guiteras

84 Acknowledgements Conserving the Future 85

86 Vision Map Conserving the Future 87

Photo Credits

Cover: (main) Gail Diane Yovanovich, c/o NWRA. Sandhill

Cranes roost in the sunset at Bosque Del Apache National

Wildlife Refuge. (top) Nick Miller, Creative Commons.

Prairie Violet at Neal Smith NWR. (middle) USFWS.

Minnesota Valley Partner School Students birding.

(bottom) Roger Baker, USFWS. Greater Sandhill Crane at

Malheur NWR.

Page 2: Dave Menke, USFWS. Wetland scene at Lower

Klamath NWR.

Page 4: Evan Hirsche, NWRA. A view of Crystal Springs

on Ash Meadows NWR.

Page 6: Albert Lavallee, c/o NWRA. Collared lizard at

Wichita Mountains NWR.

Page 8: Doug Staller, USFWS. The shack of Aldo Leopold.

Page 9: The cover of Fulfilling the Promise.

Page 10-11: USFWS. Black skimmers at J.N. “Ding”

Darling NWR.

Page 10: Janelle Siekaniec, USFWS. Greg Siekaniec

hunting on a Waterfowl Production Area.

Page 11: Steve Greer, c/o NWRA. American oystercatcher

feeding her young chick.

Page 12: George Gentry, USFWS. Pintail duck drake at

Baskett Slough NWR.

Page 13: Carole Robertson, c/o NWRA. Tree frog on a

flower at St. Marks NWR.

Page 14: USFWS. Ernest Greenwalt, refuge manager at

Wichita NWR near Cache, Oklahoma, uses portable radio

in 1948. Toni Westland, refuge manager at J.N. “Ding”

Darling NWR sends a text with a volunteer and energy

efficient vehicle. (top)

Page 14: USFWS. Warden Paul Kroegel, with pelican on

Pelican Island.

Page 15: USFWS. Ira Gabrielson, first director of the Fish

and Wildlife Service, aiding in a migratory waterfowl

survey. Recovery efforts for pelicans after Deepwater

Horizon oil spoil. (bottom)

Page 15: Greg Stutzer, USFWS. Shannon Smith, refuge manager

at Kaua’i National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Hawaii.

Page 16-17: Lyza Danger, Creative Commons. View of the

sky entitled “Blue and White” at Malheur NWR.

Page 16: (top) Nick Miller, Creative Commons. Prairie

violet at Neal Smith NWR. (bottom) USFWS. Minnesota

Valley Partner School Students Birding.

Page 17: Roger Baker, USFWS. Greater Sandhill Crane at

Malheur NWR.

Page 18: Keenen Adams, USFWS. Boardwalk at Pelican

Island NWR.

Page 19: USFWS. Warden Paul Kroegel, with pelican on

Pelican Island.

Page 20: Rick Keen, USFWS. A buck at the Rocky

Mountain Arsenal NWR.

Page 21: USFWS. Artwork from 2010 Migratory Bird

Hunting and Conservation Stamp, artist James Hautman.

Page 22-23: Ian Shive. Boardwalk at Don Edwards NWR.

Page 22: USFWS. A heron at the USGS National

Wetlands Research Center in Louisiana.

Page 23: Sandra Noll, c/o NWRA. Moose and Calf in

Kenai NWR in Alaska.

Page 24-25: Kathleen Schleener, USFWS. Visitor in an

all-terrain wheelchair.

Page 24: Roger Smith, c/o NWRA. Sky glowing behind

cypress trees in Noxubee NWR.

Page 25: USFWS. Spider web.

Page 27: V. Adams, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

Kitchen Creek drains into Caddo Lake just north of Caddo

Lake NWR.

88 Photo Credits Conserving the Future 89

Page 28: William Radke, USFWS. Wetlands near Leslie

Canyon NWR.

Page 29: Nick Miller, Creative Commons. Prairie violet at

Neal Smith NWR.

Page 30-31: USFWS. Partners for Fish and Wildlife

Program staff meet with individual private landowners.

Page 30: Steve Hillebrand, USFWS. Bayou Sauvage

officers working with Louisiana Wildlife officers.

Page 32-33: Karyn Rode, USFWS. Biologist tranquilizes

polar bear near Arctic NWR.

Page 32: USFWS. Child holding a duck.

Page 33: USFWS. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist

collects data on fawn.

Page 34-35: Ian Shive. Visitor log-in book at Guadalupe-

Nipomo Dunes NWR.

Page 34: USFWS. Lake Reddington beaver lodge at

Patuxent NWR.

Page 36-37: USFWS. Solar panels on Necedah NWR

Visitors Center.

Page 37: James Watt, USFWS. Papahānaumokuākea

MNM French Frigate Shoals.

Page 38-39: USFWS. Brown boobies atop pier posts at

Johnston Atoll NWR.

Page 38: George Gentry, USFWS. Fish and Wildlife

Service worker driving large equipment at J.N. “Ding”

Darling NWR.

Page 39: USFWS. Loggerhead sea turtle at Wassaw NWR.

Page 40-41: USFWS. Birds in flight at Klamath NWR.

Page 41: USFWS. Bald eagle.

Page 42-43: Steve Hillebrand, USFWS. Volunteers work

hard to plant marsh grass at Big Branch Marsh NWR.

Page 42: Steve Hillebrand, USFWS. Young woman plants

marsh grass in the mud at Big Branch Marsh NWR.

Page 44-45: USFWS. Bison at the National Bison Range

in Montana.

Page 44: USFWS. Brown bear fishing at Kodiak NWR.

Page 45: USFWS. Prescribed fire at Charles M. Russell NWR.

Page 46-47: USFWS. Piping plover on beach.

Page 46: Tom Koerner, USFWS. A silvery blue butterfly

feeds on a milk vetch plant in the Dakota Grassland

Conservation Area.

Page 47: Jenny Ericson, USFWS. American crocodile at

J.N. “Ding” Darling NWR.

Page 48-49: Ian Shive. The dunes at Guadalupe-Nipomo

Dunes NWR.

Page 48: Jim Besley, USFWS. Fish and Wildlife Service

employee and volunteer working with a GPS device at

Cache River NWR.

Page 50-51: Gary Eslinger, USFWS. J. Clark Salyer NWR.

Page 52: Stephanie Raine, USFWS. Fishing day at Rocky

Mountain Arsenal NWR.

Page 53: USFWS. Minnesota Valley Partner School

Students birding.

Page 54-55: Steve Hillebrand, USFWS. Mountain Lake at

Togiak NWR.

Page 54: Jerry D. McDonnell. Volunteers from Friends of

Alaska NWR celebrate a successful weed pull.

Page 56-57: Lou Kellenberger. “Nature’s Classroom”

environmental education building at St. Marks NWR.

Page 57: USFWS. John Heinz NWR, with Philadelphia in

the background.

Page 58-59: Lamar Gore, USFWS. Kayaking at Rachel

Carson NWR in Maine.

Page 58: Carl Zitsman, USFWS. Children and an adult

fishing in West Virginia.

Page 60-61: Steve Hillebrand, USFWS. Visitors on a

trolley at Santa Ana NWR.

90 Photo Credits Conserving the Future 91

Page 60: USFWS. USFWS Director Dan Ashe “tweeting”

from a social media station with a youth volunteer at the

Conserving the Future conference.

Page 61: Steve Hillebrand, USFWS. Wildlife

photographers at Cape Romain NWR.

Page 62-63: Chuck Lafferty, USFWS. Planting a

pollinator garden at John Heinz NWR.

Page 63: Audra Haddock Martenot, USFWS. Members of

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Honor Guard.

Page 64-65: USFWS. Father and son hunting at sunset.

Page 65: USFWS. Fly fishing at Kenai NWR in Alaska.

Page 66-67: Elizabeth Kellenberger, c/o NWRA. Artist

doing “plein air” painting by canal on a refuge.

Page 66: Jesse Barham, USFWS. Boardwalk at Nisqually NWR.

Page 68: Ian Shive. View of sunset at Guadalupe-Nipomo

Dunes NWR.

Page 69: Roger Baker, USFWS. Greater Sandhill Crane at

Malheur NWR.

Page 70-71: USFWS. Ash Meadows NWR in Nevada.

Page 70: Jim Williams, USFWS. Great Egret with chick.

Page 71: Ian Shive. Yellow flowers and a shed by the water

at Don Edwards NWR.

Page 72-72: Steve Hillebrand, USFWS. The sunset over

the Chincoteague NWR.

Page 72: Brandon Marling, c/o NWRA. A young prairie

dog investigating what an adult prairie dog is eating.

Page 73: Mike Carpenter, USFWS. Spring wildflowers at

the Sacramento NWRC.

Page 74-75: USFWS. Mt. Cleveland, Chuginadak Island.

Page 74: Cynthia Martinez, USFWS. Marcus Young

working hard at Moapa NWR.

Page 76-77: Tom Koerner, USFWS. Dakota Grasslands

Conservation Area.

Page 78-79: USFWS. Castle Rock in California.

Page 80-81: Ian Shive. Refuge manager looking at the

stars in Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes NWR at night.

Page 82: Jim Burns, c/o NWRA. Sandhill Cranes at sunset

in shallow water on the Bosque.

Page 86-87: Alchemy ©. Visual representation of the

vision for the National Wildlife Refuge System in

Conserving the Future: Wildlife Refuges and the Next

Generation and the content of the Conserving the Future

Conference in Madison, Wisconsin from July 11-14, 2011.

This visual is designed to graphically capture the diverse

concepts, constituencies, and ideas in the Conserving

the Future vision. Achieving this renewed vision for the

National Wildlife Refuge System will require breaking

down the barriers to communication in our efforts to

connect our visitors to the natural world on national

wildlife refuges. Download this visual and other graphics

from the Conserving the Future conference online at http://

www.AmericasWildlife.org/vision. Alchemy: The Art of

Transforming Business is a business strategy consulting

firm with graphic illustrators with offices in Denver and

London.

92 Photo Credits Conserving the Future 93