National Wildlife Refuge System — Staffing Crisis

Decade of Decline:   The National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) has been severely understaffed for over a decade. From 2011 to 2024, total staffing dropped 24%, from 3,244 to 2,348 employees. Meanwhile, visitation surged 50% from 45 million to 67 million visitors.

Collapse Under Trump:  The administration has thrust the Refuge System staffing into a crisis. With layoffs and buyouts, it has cut staff an additional 25% to 1,750. And more staffing cuts could be in the works.

Trump's Budget Proposal:  President Trump has proposed cutting funding for the NWRS to $416 million - a 22% below current levels. 

Congress Deciding:  Congress is now deciding on the 2026 spending bill for NWRS. Good news — the current draft bills reject Trump's cuts and fund NWRS at close to 2025 levels. But there is still a long road for these bills to pass and it is uncertain if Trump will follow what they say. 

Vast Conservation Network:  The National Wildlife Refuge System includes 570 wildlife refuges, 38 wetland management districts, and 5 marine national monuments that cover 856 million acres of land and water. It plays a critical role in protecting our nations wildlife and ecosystems. 

Critical Staffing Shortfall:  Today, 10% of refuges are completely unstaffed and not a single refuge has the resources it needs to meet its mission. NWRA calculates that 7,330 full time staff are needed to adequately manage the Refuge System. 

Stark Comparison:  Compare the Refuge System to its sibling (also understaffed) National Park Service:

Refuge System = approx. 1,750 staff.   96 million acres (land).
National Parks =  approx. 18,000 staff.  84 million acres (land). 

Needs Support:  National Wildlife Refuge Association is the leading advocate for NWRS funding. Please follow them on social media and support them anyway you can.