Date: May 26, 2006

To: Refuge Managers, Southeast Region,

From: Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System, Southeast Region

Subject: Declining Budgets and Workforce Management

Over the last few years the Refuge program in the Southeast Region has managed through declining operational budget margins by reducing positions (FTEs) as opportunities occurred through transfers, retirements or promotions. Many refuges have lost FTEs as we have reduced over 60 permanent positions in the last 3 years. We have been successful in increasing our average operational margins in the field from around 5% to 10% through this process. These measures were not easy to accomplish and have required us to make some tough decisions. Unfortunately, future funding forecasts for the next few years do not look favorable and we must continue to reevaluate our budget and staffing situation. While we have been able to avoid major problems with balancing the regional refuge budget by reducing staff, these actions have been largely opportunistic in nature and have, or soon will, result in imbalances in the distribution of staff. If left unmanaged this will lead to serious problems with meeting our highest priority activities and may result in some refuges being below minimum capabilities.

We discussed many of the issues surrounding flat or declining budgets and managing operational margins at the recent Refuge Project Leader meeting. I very much appreciated the frank dialogue at the meeting. I am hopeful that the need for action with regard to our budget situation and outlook is clearly understood. In my continuing discussions with other Regional Chiefs it is apparent that to some degree - other regional programs are experiencing the same problems. As a result the Chief of the Refuge System and all of the Regional Refuge Chiefs have met and agreed to look at the budget issue on a system wide basis in a consistent manner.

It is clear that we need a strategic plan to help guide us through a period of flat or declining budgets. The effort must be program wide and strategic in nature. It is clear we need to manage towards a greater operational margin so that refuges are able to function and achieve priority activities and not just survive. Accordingly, we will include in our plan measures to increase operational margins up to a goal of 20%. To accomplish these measures there will be sacrifice and significant change. Some changes may occur soon but for the most part I expect the plan to be implemented over a period of several years with adjustments made along the way.

As I mentioned above each Region will be completing an identical workforce planning exercise. The Northeast Region developed a model using budget projections to illustrate the impacts of the expected loss of staff that would occur over the next 4-5 years. Each Region has agreed to conduct the same planning exercise as Region 5 to allow all data to be compiled into a national plan. The hope is to have these completed and compiled in time to present some of the information at the Directorate meeting in mid July.

To meet the deadline we will need to complete our work on or about June 30. I have tasked Ricky Ingram, Refuge Supervisor for Area 2, to be the Coordinator of 3 Teams (Field, Regional Office, and Outreach). Ricky will serve as the lead for the Field Team, Mark Musaus will lead the Regional Office review team, and Jeff Fleming will lead the Outreach Team. Please give these leaders and the team members your support.

One of the clear messages arising form the recent Project Leaders meeting was no surprise to me. There is a clear desire for field involvement in undertaking a task such as this. Field involvement will result in a better product and in the end no plan, no matter how well thought out will be implemented if those charged with implementation do not understand it or believe in it. While that is our goal it will not be easy to achieve. We are widely dispersed and very busy and we must complete our task quickly. It will take all of us communicating and asking questions to make sure we stay together. You should voice any issues you have with the representatives on the Teams below as the very tight time constraints will not allow a lot of back and forth exchanges. I will do my best to keep you informed as we move along.

The Field Team has been tasked to draft a plan on how the field stations will deal with declining budgets and at the same time try to raise our operational margin over time up to 20%. The Regional Team is tasked specifically with developing a plan to implement the Director's recent charge to reduce each Regional Office by 10%. Finally, the Outreach Team will be in charge of in-reach to our employees and outreach to our State partners, congressional folks, Friend's groups, visitors, NGOs, and others with an interest in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

This is my highest priority for the next 35 days and I have given these teams a deadline to have drafts completed by June 30. Obviously, all plans have to be approved by me and ultimately the Regional Director before finalizing. Below are the names of people serving on the various teams:

In identifying team members we were challenged to keep the teams small and mobile. We are blessed with an abundance of talent and dedication in the Southeast Region so it was difficult to keep from adding many more people. For those not on a team I ask that you stay tuned. There will be work products to review and comment on and the deadlines will be short. Lastly, please consider this the first step in actively managing our work force and budgets in a new way. There will be future opportunities to adjust our approach. Who knows-we may even get to an increasing budget in some future year. In that event we will be well positioned to direct the increase to the locations where they will provide the greatest benefit to the resource.

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