Fulfilling the promise: the National Wildlife Refuge System

This report on the National Wildlife Refuge System is the culmination of a year-long process involving teams of Service employees who examined the System within the framework of Wildlife and Habitat, People, and Leadership. The report was the focus of the first-ever System Conference held in Keystone, Colorado in October 1998 attended by every refuge manager in the country, other Service employees, and scores of conservation organizations. The report is a reflection on where the System has been, a review of the present, and a vision for the future. The heart of the report is the collection of vision statements and 42 recommendations which are presented below in paraphrased form. Each recommendation is indexed to the page in the report where the full recommendation, with preceding discussion, can be found.