Published Saturday, November 8, 2003
By Gale Norton

Refuges Aid Wildlife, Economy, People

Washington. Located on a remote barrier island off the coast of Virginia, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is exactly the kind of place Teddy Roosevelt had in mind when he founded the Na- tional Wildlife Refuge System 100 years ago.

During the fall and spring, millions of ducks, geese, and other birds migrating along the busy Atlantic Coast find a welcome resting area in its shallow marshes, windswept beaches, and maritime forests.

For George Katsetos, the owner of a family restaurant in nearby town of Chincoteague, however, the refuge is more than a beautiful place for his daily walks - it is the lifeline of his business and his community.

"If it weren't for the refuge, we wouldn't have a business," Katsetos says. "Everyone would be out of work and the whole town would go bankrupt."

ACROSS THE country, citizens like Katsetos will tell you that caring for our refuges, national parks, and other public lands has benefits beyond providing a home for wildlife. It is also provides jobs and binds together communities.

An economic study conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently found that 35.5 million people visit our nation's 542 national wildlife refuges, pumping $809 million into local communities and supporting nearly 19,000 jobs.

At Chincoteague, for example, 1.5 million bird watchers, hikers, anglers, beach goers, and other visitors each year cross the bridge that connects the town to the refuge across a narrow stretch of briny water made famous by the town's annual pony swim and the children's book Misty of Chincoteague. Many stop at Katsetos' restaurant and other businesses, adding another 600 jobs to the local economy.

THIS YEAR marks the refuge system's centennial, and President Bush has made an unprecedented commitment to the future of our refuges. He has proposed a $402-million budget for the system. This represents a 25-percent increase since 2002 and more than twice the 1997 budget.

These additional funds will go a long way to ensure that our refuges - and the communities that depend on them - are healthy for another 100 years. But additional dollars alone are not enough. Conservation in America must continue to be a partnership between the government and the people.

One of the greatest strengths of the refuge system is the number of Americans who donate their time and labor to their local refuges. Overall, 40,000 people volunteer on refuges, donating a million hours of their time each year. Others manage their property near refuges to benefit wildlife. No one asks for any credit. They do it out of love for wild places and wild creatures. They do it because one person can make a difference.

DOUGLAS AND Janet Hardie, for example, are managing brushland, grasslands, and wetlands on their ranch bordering Lacuna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in south Texas to benefit two endangered species found on the refuge, the ocelot and the Aplomado falcon.

"As a private landowner, I understand I have a responsibility to actively manage my land for the conservation of wildlife and their habitat," Hardie said.

As we celebrate this 100th anniversary, we encourage all Americans to catch hold of this spirit and volunteer on our refuges and other public lands. For more information on how you can help, go to volunteers.fws.gov or www.takepride.gov.

Our national refuges are good for wildlife, good for people, and good for our communities. Working together we will ensure that they continue to be the world's finest system of lands set aside for wildlife - and the appreciation of wildlife.

Gale A. Norton is the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.