012103 News Release: Service

January 21, 2003

News Release: Service To Work More Closely With States on Refuge Policy

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to working more cooperatively with State fish and wildlife agencies in managing the 540 National Wildlife Refuges around the United States, under a policy issued by Service Director Steve Williams. "We are committed to involving our State counterparts early in all aspects of refuge management, not just as reviewers, but as participants,"Williams said. The new policy was developed in cooperation with a team of State fish and wildlife agencies. It requires the Service to involve States early in the process, when initiating national policy development to address either a legislative requirement or a broad-scale refuge management concern, need, or issue. Specifically, the Service will work cooperatively with interested State fish and wildlife agencies to help develop comprehensive conservation plans (CCPs). These plans guide management decisions for each refuge unit, and they outline a vision and the strategies to achieve it. They also provide valuable information about the refuge unit to other agencies and the public. The Service will also work cooperatively with interested State representatives, on assignment to the Service, to participate in working groups to develop policies that affect Federal and State interests. Further, we will continue to provide State fish and wildlife agencies with opportunities to discuss and, if necessary, elevate decisions made by Service field staff or regional offices. Soon to celebrate its Centennial, the National Wildlife Refuge System, the only system of federal lands devoted specifically to wildlife, is a network of diverse and strategically located habitats.

The system teems with millions of migratory birds, serves as a haven for hundreds of endangered species, and hosts an enormous variety of other plants and animals. "I expect the Service to involve our State counterparts early in all aspects of refuge management, not just as reviewers, but as participants," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Steve Williams told the agency’s Regional Directors in a Director’s order, "I am committed to seeing the Service strengthen it’s ties with the agencies." The Director’s Order requires that when the Service initiates national policy development to address a legislative requirement or to address a broad-scale refuge management concern, need, or issue, it will inform the States early in the process to obtain scoping or other preliminary information. The Service will invite interested State representatives to participate on working groups to develop policies that affect Federal and State interests utilizing intergovernmental personnel agreements (IPAs) to employ State representatives. Further, State fish and wildlife agencies will continue to be provided opportunities to discuss and, if necessary, elevate decisions within the hierarchy of the Service. Since he took office in February 2002, Director Williams has consistently emphasized the need for the Service to strengthen relations with State fish and wildlife agencies. Today’s Director’s Order reflects those efforts. "Fish and wildlife conservation is a responsibility shared by the States and the Federal government," Director Williams said. "We need the scientific expertise and local perspective of the State agencies."

The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 established wildlife conservation as the overarching mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and provided for six wildlife-dependent uses, including hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, interpretation and education. The act also requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to consult with other Federal agencies, State fish and wildlife agencies, State conservation agencies and refuge neighbors when making refuge decisions, expanding refuges and planning for new ones. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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