1. January 19, 2016 Refuge Friends Fly In

2. What we do…  Advocate with Decision- makers  Mobilize/Educate Public  Conserve Refuge Landscapes

3. Advocate with Decision-Makers  Operations & Maintenance  Land Acquisition  Construction  Fire  Law Enforcement  Visitors Services  Invasives  FWS programs: Partners, SWG, NAWCA, NeoTrops

4. Advocate with Decision-Makers Challenge Harmful Threats  Take over of federal lands  Law Enforcement  Arctic  Izembek

5. Biggest Threat of all… Lack of Funding impacts EVERYTHING that happens on a refuge and threatens ability to do core functions Hard Choices but forces prioritization and collaboration with partners, other agencies and Friends

7. The Refuge Association seeks $508 million for the Refuge System’s FY17 O & M budget and incremental increases to reach $900 million GOAL: Full Funding

8. We also seek to reduce the operations and maintenance backlog

9. Disaster Relief  $400m in supplemental funding (FY05-FY16) $459 m added to deferred maintenance backlog Annual Approps:  FY08 - FY10: $105 million increase  (FY 10 was the high point of refuge funding at $503 m) Stimulus (FWS) $290 million Refuge Funding: Successes

10. Refuge funding Refuge Funding hit an all time high of $503 in FY10 From FY11-FY13: refuges lost $50 m – huge impacts FY 14-FY16: modest increases ($481 m now) When factoring inflation, the Refuge System is still about 20% down from six years ago

11. Funding: Big Picture  October 2013: Government Shutdown  December 2013 – Budget Control Act, a 2 year Budget deal reached (FY14 & FY15)  End of 2015 –second 2 year budget deal reached (FY16 & FY17).

12. Refuge Funding - Outlook  We are told not to expect big increases – but it’s about PRIORITIES!  Deficit, Veterans, Health Care, Middle East, Education, Wildfire, etc…  Must have MOC request increases for Refuge System or it won’t happen – direct from the mouth of the appropriations staff Minimal Increases

13. Funding: Actual vs. Management Capabilities

14. Status of the Refuge System  Refuge System is operating at a massive deficit (-20%)  Management responsibilities have grown by hundreds of millions of acres  Public wants more and more of what the Refuge System has to offer. FY10 – FY14:  Visitation has increased by 2.6%;  Photography participants have increased by 45%;  Interpretation participants involved in programs has increased by 55%;  Auto tour visits has increased by 11%.

15. Status of the Refuge System  Service cannot meet the public’s growing needs.  Service has lost 500 positions - Reduction in public programs and hours of operation.

16. Status of the Refuge System  Between FY10-FY14:  Hunting and fishing visits are down by 5% and 7%;  Prescribed burns are down by 44%;  Volunteer numbers have dropped by 15%;  Volunteer hours have dropped by 6%;  Acres of improved forest and shrub land declined by 56%;  Wetland acres restored declined by 69%;  Control of invasive animal populations decreased by 59%;  Acres treated for invasive plants decreased by 41% resulting in a 63% drop in acreage where invasive plant control was achieved.

17. Your Refuge is impacted Ding Darling NWR 20102014% Change Refuge Budget $2.1$1.4-33% Refuge Staff 2011-45% Visitors 623K803K+29%

18. Your visits make a difference!  FY 08: Norm Dicks, Chair, Interior Appropriations Subcommittee: “Do it.”  FY 10: Highest funding for Refuge System ever – appropriators knew the need, had the opportunity  FY16: $500K increase (T= $2.092 million) to ensure that volunteers maintain a robust presence at wildlife refuges – staff said to tell you that it was because of your information to them