Public lands and waters belong to you, whether it is a National Wildlife Refuge, National Park, Forest, Marine Sanctuary or Marine Monument. Your tax dollars provide a way for you to safely visit, hunt, fish, birdwatch, swim and hike. These lands and waters are where native wildlife have reared their young for millennium and are now protected in perpetuity for the specific purposes laid out by Congress in their establishment.
Know the facts:
Elected leaders are threatening to sell partials of your public lands for extractive purposes and derail the protection for federally protected waters. These efforts are on-going while many thousands of employees responsible for taking care of public lands and waters were illegally fired last month.
was fired on Valentines Day for no reason other than she had been selected for a position among very highly skilled applicants.
In Hawai'i, over 23 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) staff were fired. Midway Atoll is a National Wildlife Refuge managed by the USFWS. Their staff lost a critical position that manages transportation logistics and supplies to and from all island field camps in the more remote Hawaiian Islands within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. There is no rhyme or reason to these firings and DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) used coercion and intimidation methods forcing employees to make immediate decisions as to whether to resign, retire, or be fired the next week. Those who took the so-called Fork in the Road, also cut deeply into the services that you, an American taxpayer, should be receiving.
This is not just about talented and skilled people suffering, it is about the harm now being caused to native wildlife. For example, in Hawai'i many of the last of the species of their kind nest on public lands. Many of them exist within predator proof fences that must be maintained. This takes people power. And it takes countless hours of sweat equity suppressing highly aggressive non-native mammals and plant species so native wildlife can thrive.
We are asking you to call your Congressional representatives. Every day. Ask that the staff fired under the DOGE be rehired, the vacated positions be refilled, that recent cuts to funding be restored, and that our public lands and water are not for sale! These elected officials work for you, not Elon Musk or the President.
Your elected officials addresses and phone numbers can be easily found here:
➡https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
➡https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
There is hope!
- The incoming new director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Brian Nesvik is supportive of keeping invasive species at bay. This is something we can support and encourage. This invasive species work requires consistent vigilance at the field level with tactical measures being often employed by federal employees and supervised volunteers. This takes people power.
- Some employees were offered their former positions with back pay but there are no legal guarantees that offer will be extended past 45 working days.
- Elected officials are complaining about the number of calls, so that is a good thing! Listening to YOU is their priority job.
- We encourage you to join the National Wildlife Refuge Association where you can find the latest National updates and Call to Action!
Article written by Ann Bell