More than 250 leaders of National Wildlife Refuge System Friends groups will gather February 4 to 7 for the "Friends in Action Conference" in Washington, D.C. Representing scores of communities across the country, the conference will highlight nonprofit organizations that work on behalf of almost half the countrys national wildlife refuges. Gale Norton, Secretary of the Department of the Interior, is expected to address the group Saturday, February 5.
From a beginning of just 70 groups a decade ago, there now are almost 250 Friends groups that support environmental education, habitat restoration and outdoor recreation programs on national refuges.
"This conference is a reflection of the value the American people place on the National Wildlife Refuge System. We are proud to have these dedicated individuals unite with us to support conservation," said Steven A. Williams, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Federal agency responsible for managing the refuge system.
The Friends in Action Conference is a bi-annual event that brings supporters together to discuss the needs of the refuge system and to learn skills to support it. This year, the attendees will celebrate a record 40 million visitors to national wildlife refuges and the successful management of the refuge systems facility maintenance backlog.
The conference will offer more than a dozen educational workshops on topics such as fund raising, board development, community partnerships and the legislative process to help Friends groups address the refuge system's priorities during the next 15 years.
The conference also serves as a singular opportunity to meet with Friends representatives from across the country. "Our goal is to provide Friends groups with essential skills and information to build a stronger National Wildlife Refuge System to benefit the public and wildlife resources," National Wildlife Refuge Association President Evan Hirsche noted.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American Tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife agencies.
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