2005

Refugesat

America’s 10 Most Endangered National Wildlife Refuges

Risk2005

National Wildlife Refuge System

Introduction .............................................................................................2

THE 10 MOST ENDANGERED REFUGES

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge................................................................4

Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge .....................................................5

Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge.....................................................6

Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge ................................................7

McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge .........................................................8

Mingo National Wildlife Refuge .............................................................9

Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge..................................................10

Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge......................................................11

Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge .................................................12

Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge ..................................13

Conclusion .............................................................................................14

Table of Contents

CARIBOU HERD, ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE: © MICHIO HOSHINO/MINDEN PICTURES

Introduction

rom butterflies to bison, cactusto caribou and salmon to song-birds, the National WildlifeRefuge System protects a widevariety of plants and animals

making it unquestionably one of America’sgreatest gifts to posterity. The American bison,red wolf and whooping crane all live on todaychiefly because, beginning in 1903, the federalgovernment had the foresight to set aside primehabitat where wildlife can thrive—or struggle tosurvive. In 2004, the ivory-billed woodpecker,thought to be extinct for more than 60 years,joined their esteemed ranks. Rediscovered in theaptly named “corridor of hope” within theCache River National Wildlife Refuge inArkansas, the ivory-billed is unexpected proof that each of our nation’s wildliferefuges is a priceless gem that deserves our protection. Unfortunately, not everyonesees them that way.

When President Theodore Roosevelt established the first-ever national wildliferefuge to protect birds on Florida’s Pelican Island in 1903, about 80 million people

called this nation home. Today nearly300 million vie for land and resources,and that number is expected to double inthe next century. More people meanmore land development, more water use,more mineral extraction and more threatsto our country’s incredible array of plantsand animals. For species on the brink ofextinction, these safe havens are their lastgreat hope. That’s one reason why—onpaper—federal law requires that wildlifeprotection be paramount in the morethan 540 federally protected wildliferefuges across the country. Yet more oftenthan not, the very places set aside to safe-guard wildlife face their own sobering set

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JAGUAR: © STAFFAN WIDSTRAND/NATUREPL.COM (CAPTIVE)

YOUNG ALLIGATOR: © KATHY ADAMS CLARK/KAC PRODUCTIONS

of threats: invasive species, air and water pollu-tion, funding shortfalls and government neglect.To draw attention to this dilemma, Defenders ofWildlife is releasing its second annual list of the10 most endangered national wildlife refuges,highlighting the challenges the refuges face whilealso offering viable solutions to ensure that theywill survive in the centuries to come.

Not surprisingly, making the list a second yearis the severely imperiled Arctic National WildlifeRefuge. Despite opposition to oil and gas drillingby a majority of Americans, the Bush administra-tion and congressional leaders still refuse to pro-tect the “crown jewel” of the refuge system. Otherrefuges profiled in this report face threats that originate just outside their borders, as inthe case of the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge in California and thelesser-known Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada. Both are battling tohold on to water that if siphoned away from the refuges will further jeopardize alreadyendangered species and may seal the fate of at least one. Elsewhere the future ofrefuges, such as those on the Mexican-U.S. border, hinges on an even more compli-cated matter: U.S. immigration policy. To the east, Florida Panther National WildlifeRefuge faces a threat that confronts virtually every refuge in the country—expandingdevelopment beyond its boundaries. In this case, that development threatens one of theworld’s most endangered animals, the Florida panther. But there is still time to turnaround the fate of these at-risk refuges if we make sound decisions now.

Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the National WildlifeRefuge System still teems with life. Some700 bird species, 220 mammal species,250 reptile and amphibian species and200 fish species find shelter and suste-nance within it. Together, our refugesform an important series of steppingstones for millions of migrating birds,and also provide a solid foundation forspecies that need it most—residents suchas the ivory-billed woodpecker, keptalive and hidden all these decades by one55,000-acre, federally protected piece ofwildlife paradise.

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BLACK SKIMMERS: © TALE-FEATHERS.COM

DESERT TORTOISE: © LARRY MINDEN/MINDEN PICTURES

Arctic NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

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ucked away in the spectacular northeast corner ofAlaska, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is asweeping, awe-inspiring expanse of more than 19million acres of marsh-studded tundra and lagoons

laced with rivers dramatically situated between the ruggedfoothills of the Brooks Range and the wide, icy waters of theBeaufort Sea. Ten major rivers pass through the refuge, making itan important feeding ground for millions of migratory birds thatfly in to nest from the Lower 48 and at least five other conti-nents. Each year more than 100,000 caribou trek a thousandmiles across the tundra to their summer calving grounds alongthe coastal plain, a journey undertaken by their ancestors for tensof thousands of years, and second longest only to the migrationof the wildebeest on Africa’s Serengeti. An important onshoredenning area in the United States for polar bears, the refuge alsoharbors arctic foxes, Dall sheep, eagles, grizzlies, lynx and wolves.Overflowing with life, it’s arguably America’s wildest spot—butalso one of the country’s most vulnerable.

THE THREATAmericans overwhelmingly oppose opening the refuge to oil

drilling, but the Bush administration and congressional leaderscontinue down a destructive path, determined to drill in one ofthe world’s most fragile and ecologically sensitive ecosystems. Andit makes no sense: Even if operations began tomorrow, no oilwould flow from the refuge for at least 10 years. That’s a longtime to wait for what would likely be less than a year’s supply ofoil. But that’s how long it would take to conduct exploratorydrilling and put in place the pipelines, roads, airports, dwellings

and processing plants that would accompany oil development—in the process turning the refuge’s coastal plain into a large indus-trial complex.

Drilling in this fragile ecosystem would irreparably harm cari-bou, polar bears, musk oxen and snow geese, among other wildanimals. Biologists project that the birthrate of the Porcupine cari-bou herd could fall by 40 percent if drilling is allowed. Similarly,polar bears, highly sensitive to disruption, might decide to aban-don their dens and leave their cubs to die. And with spills a cer-tainty—not just a possibility—the impacts of drilling on wildlifewould be catastrophic. At the Prudhoe Bay oil field just west ofthe refuge, there’s an average of more than one spill a day and,according to Alaska’s Department of Environmental Conservation,55 contaminated sites.

THE SOLUTIONCongress must pass legislation to permanently

protect this treasure trove of charismatic creatures.A national energy policy that pushes for fuel effi-ciency and greater use of renewable energy is amuch better way to kick our dependence on for-eign oil. According to the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency, increasing fuel efficiency stan-dards for new vehicles by a mere three miles pergallon would save more oil than could ever be pro-duced on the refuge.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge shouldnot be the casualty of an outdated energy policy.

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OIL OPERATION, PRUDHOE BAY, ALASKA: © BRYAN & CHERRY ALEXANDER

SADLEROCHIT RIVER VALLEY, ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE: © SCOTT T. SMITH

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his 20-square-mile refugeis nestled in a remotenorthwest corner ofColorado adjacent to

Dinosaur National Monument and shel-ters elk, moose, mountain lions, otters,pronghorn and sage grouse. It also pro-vides essential habitat for 20,000 waterbirds and hundreds of thousands ofsongbirds that stop to refuel as theymake their seasonal journeys through thesky. About 2,500 ducklings hatch hereeach spring, and in winter thousands ofelk descend from snowier elevations to feast on the open grass-lands that spread away from the cottonwood-lined Green River.Great-horned owls nest in these trees, and nearby crags sheltergolden eagles and cliff swallows. Its relatively mild climate andsheltered location make it an ideal place for wildlife.

THE THREATNot all of Browns Park refuge is owned by the federal gov-

ernment. For years, FWS has leased two parcels of state land con-sidered significant habitat for the vast array of wildlife that livethere, including some 200 species of mammals. When one ofthese leases expired in 2000, FWS entered into an agreementwith the Colorado State Land Board topurchase the parcel for $250,000 andincorporate it into the refuge permanently.The land board and Moffat County com-missioners reneged on the deal, issuing apermit that allows cattle to graze on theland for just $500 a year while they spend$37,000 on a grazing study. With thisprime wildlife habitat lost, FWS officialshave had to make the costly move oferecting fencing to prevent cattle frommoving farther onto sensitive lands in therefuge. In 2006, the lease on anotherimportant parcel within the refuge willexpire and its future is uncertain. This600-acre expanse is the biggest wetlandwithin the refuge’s boundary and a criticalfeeding and nesting ground for canvasbackducks, mallards, redheads and teal, amongother waterfowl species.

With the refuge abutting Bureau of

Land Management (BLM) lands, includ-ing the Diamond Breaks WildernessStudy Area, it faces another problemrelated to grazing concerns: The GreenRiver is the only source of water for cat-tle in the area, but the only way they canget to it is to trudge through the refuge.For decades FWS allowed cattle access toeight water gaps in Browns Park—andthat’s why the surrounding vegetation iscompletely denuded today. Last year,FWS gave BLM notice that cattle wouldno longer be welcome anywhere on the

refuge. But as of mid-year, cattle are still being herded down thetrails to the water gaps—and the area remains stark and uninvit-ing for most forms of native wildlife.

THE SOLUTIONThe Colorado State Land Board and Governor Bill Owens

owe it to the taxpayers of Colorado to revoke the rancher’s graz-ing permit and allow FWS to purchase both tracts of land. At thevery least, FWS should be allowed to renew the leases for a mini-mum of 50 years. Further, FWS must enforce its demand forBLM to close and restore water gaps on the refuge.

Browns ParkNATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

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CINNAMON TEAL: © WENDY SHATTIL/BOB ROZINSKI

GREEN RIVER, BROWNS PARK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE: © SCOTT T. SMITH

ear the base of the ruggedBaboquivari Mountains and lessthan an hour’s drive from Tucsonlies Buenos Aires National

Wildlife Refuge, a sanctuary established in 1985to provide critical habitat for the endangeredmasked bobwhite quail. Kept afloat by a cap-tive-breeding program within the refuge, therare bobwhites are the only known wild popula-tion of the species in the country. The refuge’s118,000 acres are mostly grasslands, but BuenosAires also boasts cottonwood- and sycamore-lined streams that meander amid expanses oflive oak. It’s here that other endangered speciesmake a last stand: Cactus ferruginous pygmyowls and southwestern willow flycatchers findshelter here, attracted by streams and ephemeral ponds. Jaguars,although rarely seen, are known to traverse the mountain range.Gila monsters and rattlesnakes claim the dryer sections. Also pres-ent are bobcats, coatimundis, javelina and kit foxes.

THE THREATOnce stripped nearly bare by cattle allowed

to overgraze the land, the area now faces an evenbigger threat: Immigrant traffic from Mexico,spurred eastward by the clampdown on tradi-tional points of entry through urban areas, nowfunnel through remote areas of the Arizonadesert, damaging the landscape as they desper-ately make their way across the border for workand a better life. Based on the numbers ofundocumented migrants captured, experts esti-mate that 1.2 million people cross through thedesert each year. In one instance, law enforce-ment officials stationed along a popular foottrail on the refuge counted 1,000 people passingby in a 24-hour period.

In their ongoing efforts to seal the border—and also to prevent deaths on this searing stretchof land—U.S. Border Patrol officials are givencarte blanche to drive off-road vehicles throughfragile habitat in pursuit of undocumentedmigrants and drug smugglers. For conservation-ists, it’s a catch-22: Preventing damage to therefuge depends on the Border Patrol’s ability toimpede illegal movement through the refuge,

but at the same time the officers cause theirown share of damage. The patrol also bringswith it a high level of militarization—campscomplete with helicopter pads, high-voltagelights and septic tanks. But when these campsgo up, the migrants move on, searching for lessscrutinized avenues through other areas—withthe Border Patrol and more camps close behind.

THE SOLUTIONUsing high-tech surveillance equipment

and erecting a vehicle barrier along the refuge’sborder with Mexico are short-term solutions tocurb damage to the desert’s delicate landscape.

Ultimately these efforts will only shift human traffic further east,creating the same problems in other delicate wilderness areas. Inthe end, the only lasting solution is to reform the Border Patrol’spolicy of funneling migrants into the desert and to realisticallyaddress the important issue of migrant labor in the United States.

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ABANDONED VAN, BUENOS AIRES REFUGE: USFWS

BABOQUIVARI PEAK IN BROWN CANYON, BUENOS AIRES NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE: © JACK DYKINGA

ominated by hardwoodhammocks, pine forests andcypress swamps, and con-taining one of the greatest

densities of native (and increasingly rare)orchids in North America, the 26,400acres (40 square miles) that make up theFlorida Panther National Wildlife Refugeis a haven for black bears, bobcats, woodstorks and alligators. It’s also the home ofits namesake—the Florida panther—asubspecies of puma and one of the world’smost endangered animals. Of the fewerthan 100 panthers that survive in the wild,five to 11 traverse the refuge during anaverage month on their way to BigCypress National Preserve, EvergladesNational Park, Fakahatchee Strand StatePreserve, Okaloacoochee Slough StateForest, Picayune Strand State Forest andadjacent private lands.

THE THREATInvaded by non-native species—such as melaleuca, a thirsty

Australian tree planted in the early 1900s to drain the wetlandsfor farming—the refuge also faces challenges from agricultural

run-off, water shortages and airbornemercury pollution blown in from powerplants. But the biggest problem for therefuge, established in 1989 to provideoptimal panther habitat and protection, isthe development boom just beyond itsborders.

Panthers, territorial animals thatneed as much as 200 square miles of landeach, do find an oasis here, but the safehaven is just one part of an interconnect-ing system of habitats that is increasinglyfragmented by large-tract housing devel-opments, roads, shopping centers andgolf courses. Florida’s human populationhas doubled since the 1970s with, onaverage, 1,000 people moving to the stateevery day. More people mean more roads,and more roads often mean more deadpanthers. From 1972 through June 2005,

motor vehicles killed 78 panthers, with 39 of those deaths occur-ring since 2000. Despite the problem, plans persist to widen arearoads to support a proposed 5,000-acre private university campusand new town on primary and secondary panther habitat nearthe refuge.

THE SOLUTIONTo keep the refuge connected to pan-

ther territories and travelways, the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service and the ArmyCorps of Engineers must incorporatesound, scientific evaluations of long-termcumulative impacts in their biologicalopinions and permitting decisions.Proposed projects, especially major onessuch as the new university and towndevelopments and area road expansions,must not cut off panther movement intoand out of the refuge. On State Road 29and U.S. 41, and other stretches of high-way with a record of panther fatalities,transportation officials must installwildlife underpasses and fences that allowpanthers and other animals to safely crossthe roads that fragment their habitat.

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SOUTH FLORIDA SPRAWL: © LARRY W. RICHARDSON

FLORIDA PANTHER: © LYNN M. STONE (CAPTIVE)

he upper coast of Texas becomes speckled withcolor in spring when McFaddin National WildlifeRefuge fills with grosbeaks, orioles, vireos, warblersand other migratory songbirds completing their

exhausting journey across the Gulf of Mexico. Alligators glideamid vast stretches of cord grass on the 55,000-acre coastal pre-serve, which is also a year-round haven for river otters and mot-tled ducks, a species found only in the fresh and brackish wet-lands of the Gulf Coast. Mottled ducks rely heavily on refugehabitat, but a recent study shows their numbers are declining onrefuges throughout their narrow range.

McFaddin is the state’s largest freshwater marsh, but it alsocomprises thousands of acres of brackish, saltwater wetlands—essential winter habitat for the tens of thousands of snow geese andmore than two dozen duck species that feed in the watery expanse.

THE THREATThe heyday of the Texas oil and gas boom is long gone, but

the recent surge in oil and gas prices has renewed interest in thereserves beneath McFaddin—a refuge already dotted with oil andgas wells. To find out where energy reserves lie in the refuge, thegas and oil industry is conducting intensive seismic surveys. The

process involves blazing trails across marshlands in tank-like swampbuggies equipped with drills, drilling holes and setting off explo-sives at the bottom of the holes. From the resulting shock waves,oil and gas companies can determine the location of deposits. Butthe exploration process is only the beginning. Next comes the sink-ing of wells, more habitat disturbance as roads and infrastructureare built, and the possibility of oil spills and gas leaks.

Unfortunately, the presence of the energy industry onnational wildlife refuges is far from an isolated threat. In fact,nearly a quarter of the nation’s more than 540 national wildliferefuges are either currently used for oil and gas production anddistribution or have been in the past, according to a 2003 U.S.General Accounting Office report. On many of these refuges,including McFaddin, much of this oil and gas activity is thelegacy of “split estates” through which the federal governmentowns the surface rights but private owners control the mineralrights below.

THE SOLUTIONShockingly, unlike the National Park Service and the Forest

Service, FWS has essentially no regulations to govern oil and gasoperations on refuges. This prevents FWS from enforcing restric-tions on where, when and how operators can drill and explore foroil and gas beneath refuges and leads to spills, habitat damageand other environmental problems. FWS must adopt regulationsthat give refuge managers more authority over extractive industryactivities on refuges. Over the long term, Congress should dedi-cate funding to buy out private mineral estates within nationalwildlife refuges.

McFaddinNATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

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YELLOW WARBLER: © ROLF NUSSBAUMER

MOTTLED DUCK: © CLIFF BEITTEL

ingo National WildlifeRefuge is the only remain-ing large tract of bottom-land hardwood forest left

of the original 2.5 million acres that oncecovered Missouri. Today this lush,ancient swamp is an important link inthe Mississippi River flyway. The refugeattracts a wide array of songbirds, includ-ing seven types of vireos and more thantwo dozen species of warblers. Duringfall, the wetland fills with as many as100,000 mallards and thousands of pin-tails, widgeons and wood ducks arrivingto raise their broods. Eagles, great blue,little blue and yellow-crowned nightherons nest here amid the oaks, tupelos,swamp cottonwoods and the northern-most cypress trees in the country. And it’snot far from where the ivory-billed woodpecker was rediscoveredin Arkansas. Although there have been no sightings in Mingo yet,wildlife experts say it’s possible the refuge could support four orfive breeding pairs.

THE THREATDespite the fact that the fed-

eral Clean Air Act provides specialprotection for nearly 8,000 acreswithin Mingo’s 21,676 acres, theIllinois Environmental ProtectionAgency has issued permits to allowthe construction of a coal-firedpower plant just 85 miles northeastof the refuge. Several plant andtree species—including ash, blackcherry, flowering dogwood, sas-safras and common milkweed—already suffer from smog, accord-ing to FWS surveys conductedfrom 1998 to 2000, and a newpower plant would only com-pound the pollution problem. ThePeabody Prairie State GeneratingCompany coal-fired power plant isexpected to emit more than 25,000tons of air pollution annually.

In evaluating the proposal, FWSscientists found that soot- and smog-forming pollutants emitted from thepower plant would adversely affect therefuge by creating visibility problemsdue to haze. But the Illinois EPA issuedthe permit anyway, accepting Peabody’sskewed numbers, which discountednighttime pollution. Company officialsargued that during the darkness of night,sight-obscuring haze—also known assmog—doesn’t count. Overlooked is thefact that the concentrated pollutantsdon’t just block the view, they can alsodamage trees, wildlife, soil and waterquality—as well as lungs.

THE SOLUTIONA coalition of environmental groups appealed Peabody’s

power plant permit all the way to the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C. This appeal hastemporarily halted the project. Both the U.S. EPA and theIllinois EPA need to revamp the pollution permit to protect theMingo Wilderness and the health of area residents and wildlife.

MingoNATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

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COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT: © RICK POLEY

CYPRESS TREES ON THE MINGO RIVER, MINGO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE: © WAYNE NELSON/EARTH IMAGES

ne of the fourrefuges that makeup the immenseDesert National

Wildlife Refuge Complex,Moapa Valley lies just 60 milesoutside of Las Vegas. It was cre-ated in 1979 to prevent theextinction of the Moapa dace, arare fish found only in the five-thermal-spring oasis near thecenter of the small refuge andin the six miles of stream along the upper Muddy River. Coldwater acts as a natural barrier to these fish, which measure onlythree inches, keeping them from migrating from their originalhabitat.

THE THREATIn the Nevada desert, everyone’s scrambling for water.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, theColorado River—an important source of waterfor millions of people across the arid West—pro-duced the lowest flow on record between 2001and 2003. As a remedy, the Southern NevadaWater Authority (SNWA), in one of the mostintensive water development projects ever pro-posed, is hoping to tap into ground water sourcesthroughout Nevada, including the aquiferbeneath Coyote Springs Valley 15 miles outsidethe Moapa Valley refuge. This aquifer directlyfeeds the springs of the refuge, which have alreadysuffered unprecedented declines in flows fromexcessive groundwater pumping. SNWA’s pro-posal and a developer’s plan to build a new city inpristine lands near the refuge would compromisethe aquifer even more and further endanger thesurvival of the 1,000 or so Moapa dace that clingto existence.

Unfortunately, instead of fighting these ill-advised plans, high-ranking officials in the Bushadministration and the Interior Department areproposing that FWS relinquish the water rights itholds at the refuge. But if that happens andsiphoning of the aquifer begins, the first thingthat will go is the overflow from the natural ther-mal springs, and with them, the Moapa dace.

THE SOLUTIONIn an area where water is

scarce but demand for it ishigh, there will always beefforts to tap more sources. Butwhen it comes to habitatdestruction on national wildliferefuges and potential extinctionof species, FWS needs to morestrongly assert its water rights

and ensure that SNWA focuses on avenues of development thatpose the least possible threat to wildlife. Before launching intoprojects in this area, the authority should also conduct carefulstudies to see what effects they would have on wildlife and habi-tat. Its current plan to monitor the aquifer while it is beingdrained is not an acceptable option. Once billions of dollars areinvested, it’s unlikely SNWA will let the extinction of a fish standin its way. And even if something could be done, by then itwould probably be too late.

Moapa ValleyNATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

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MOAPA DACE: USFWS/GRANT WEBBER

STREAM FLOWING FROM A THERMAL SPRING: © SCOTT T. SMITH

ust outside theconcrete andasphalt ecosystemof New York City

exists a small but significantstretch of wild habitat on thenorth shore of Long Island.Composed of salt marsh, tidal-bottom bay and a small fresh-water wetland, Oyster BayNational Wildlife Refuge servesas essential habitat for 15species of finfish that use itswaters as a nursery. At about3,000 acres, this is the largest ofthe seven refuges that comprise the Long Island Refuge Complex.It’s a roosting place for bald eagles and an important stopover forthousands of migratory waterfowl, especially diving ducks, andshorebirds that feed on the refuge’s abundant shellfish. Amongthe most common are American black duck, bufflehead, greaterscaup and red-breasted merganser. The bay waters also attractharbor seals, gray seals, Kemp’s ridley sea turtles and loggerheads,and it shelters one of the largest populations of diamondback ter-rapins on Long Island. New York’s oldest commercial oyster farmoperates on the refuge, harvesting 90 percent of the state’s oysterharvest. Fittingly, it all happens in the backyard of Sagamore Hill,the home of President Theodore Roosevelt, who started thenational wildlife refuge system more than a century ago.

THE THREATAs in other areas of New

York, Oyster Bay faces water-quality issues due to failing sep-tic sysytems, polluted stormwater run-off, an outdatedsewage treatment facility, pollu-tion from motorboats, andfuture development that wouldfurther erode important habi-tats and increase sewage flowinto Oyster Bay from even

more homes and businesses. Also jeopardizing the health of the bay is the future redevel-

opment and decontamination of two sites where massive heatingoil storage tanks have leached pollutants into the water. Exxon-Mobil’s plans for the tanks no longer in operation on ColdSpring Harbor have yet to be disclosed. Tanks on the easternwaterfront owned by Commander Terminals LLC are still inoperation, and it is unlikely that Commander will address con-tamination concerns any time soon.

THE SOLUTIONThe primary way to save Oyster

Bay is to slow the pace of development.To do this, municipalities bordering therefuge need to join together to developa comprehensive plan to better addressthe cumulative impacts of the proposeddevelopment within the Oyster Baywatershed. In addition, the U.S.Environmental Protection Agencyshould designate Oyster Bay a “no dis-charge zone,” which would prohibitboats from dumping sewage into theestuary. To remedy the contaminationfrom the oil tanks, local and stateauthorities should work together toassess the extent of the contaminationand then develop a plan to carefully,but promptly, decommission anddecontaminate the sites.

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BALD EAGLE: © KRISTA SCHLYER (CAPTIVE)

HARBOR SEAL: © NORBERT WU/MINDEN PICTURES

ecognized internationallyas an important waterfowlarea, Pocosin LakesNational Wildlife Refuge

hosts the largest concentration of migra-tory waterfowl on the eastern seaboard.As many as 25,000 tundra swans, 65,000snow geese and tens of thousands ofducks, including green-winged teal, pin-tails, widgeon and wood ducks, concen-trate in its expansive wetland during win-ter. But the 113,000-acre wilderness isbetter known as one of the four nationalwildlife refuges that played a significantrole in helping to return one of theworld’s most endangered canids into thewild. Red wolves—declared extinct in thewild in 1980—survived only in captivityuntil a reintroduction program success-fully returned them to a portion of their ancestral home inPocosin Lakes.

THE THREATAlthough it’s an integral part of the Atlantic flyway, the

refuge will soon see another sort of flight pattern should militaryofficials get their way. The U.S. Navy is proposing the construc-tion of a fighter jet landing field—a training runway positioned

within 3.5 miles of the refuge—thatwould see 31,000 landings and depar-tures each year, approximately one every15 minutes. This round-the-clock bar-rage of noise from takeoffs, landings andlow-level holding patterns would disturbresting and feeding waterfowl and couldcause them to eventually abandon thesanctuary. The possibility that birds willcollide with the jets is another real dan-ger—and not just for the birds. TheNavy’s own assessment rates the likeli-hood of catastrophic bird collisions thatcompromise pilot safety as “severe” dur-ing no less than six months of the year.Although Defenders and a coalition ofother conservation groups won a tempo-rary injunction against construction ofthe landing field in 2004, the Navy con-

tinues to push forward with the project.

THE SOLUTIONDefenders is a plaintiff in a lawsuit that has so far stalled the

project. A U.S. District Court ruling in February found that theNavy’s Environmental Impact Statement was flawed and filledwith inaccurate assessments on how the landing field would affectsurrounding wetlands. The court also stated that, despite the

Navy’s utterances to the contrary,both national security and envi-ronmental responsibility could beachieved from an alternate site.The Navy had sought a stay afterthe injunction was ordered but wasdenied by the 4th Circuit Courtin May. The Navy is currentlyappealing the ruling and the fateof the landing field and PocosinLakes refuge is far from certain.Defenders will continue to exhaustall legal action to block the site. Inaddition, the Bush administrationand members of Congress shouldensure that the Navy pursues alter-native sites for the landing field—far enough away from the refugeto keep its wildlife protected.

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RED WOLF: © STOUFFER PRODUCTIONS/ANIMALSANIMALS.COM (CAPTIVE)

SCUPPERNONG RIVER, POCOSIN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE: © GEORGE OSTERTAG

hen mudflats turninto chattering car-pets of shore birds,it’s a signal that

spring has arrived at the SonnyBono Salton Sea National WildlifeRefuge. With nearly 95 percent ofCalifornia’s inland wetlands lost todevelopment in the last century,the refuge is a critical refuelingpoint for birds making the journeyfrom Mexico and Central andSouth America to Canada andAlaska. But it’s also full of life allyear long, with 400 types of birdsfound here—nearly two-thirds of all the bird species in theUnited States. Located on the south end of California’s biggestinland lake, which refilled when a swollen Colorado River surgedpast a dike in 1905, the refuge is an important part of the vibrantSalton Sea ecosystem. The sea is the only North American inlandbreeding site for the endangered brown pelican and supports 80percent of the world’s American white pelican population and alarge population of endangered Yuma clapper rails. An unusualassortment of subtropical species, such as frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies, join the egrets, herons and gull-billed terns thatfeed along the shores of California’s desert jewel.

THE THREATAlthough it began as a fresh-

water lake, a combination of natu-rally salty soils, high evaporationrates and mineral-laden agricul-tural runoff has already made theland-locked Salton Sea, whichabuts the refuge, 25 percent saltierthan the ocean. But recently thesea’s troubles have become evenmore urgent thanks to an agree-ment to divert 300,000 acre-feetof water into the thirsty faucets,

pools and golf courses of Southern California. This water transferwill reduce the amount of water that flows into the sea and lowerthe lake’s water level by as much as 26 feet, exposing up to 120square miles of sea bottom to the area’s intense heat and whip-ping winds. Deadly dust storms will result, similar to those thatoccurred for decades on Owen’s Lake after the diversion of waterto the city of Los Angeles began in the 1930s.

The planned water transfer could also cause the sea to becometoo salty to support fish as early as the next decade. And with thefish go the fish-eating birds, including brown pelicans and double-crested cormorants. Further, this water transfer would also concen-trate toxic levels of selenium—known for its deadly effect on birdreproduction—in the rivers and drains that surround the sea.

THE SOLUTIONFortunately, the Salton Sea, and with it, the Sonny Bono

refuge, can be saved. Just like Lake Tahoe and Mono Lake, theSalton Sea can be “restored” to provide a safe and healthy placefor the birds, fish and people that depend upon it. As part of theagreement to allow the water transfer project, the state ofCalifornia promised to develop a restoration plan for the SaltonSea to be presented to the California legislature at the end of2006. In order for the state to fulfill its promise, two importantactions must be taken. First, the state secretary of resources mustdesign a restoration project that provides for cleaner water andecological restoration of fish and wildlife habitat. Second, thestate and federal government must secure funding to ensure thatthe Salton Sea restoration project is implemented. Failure todesign and implement a restoration plan not only dooms theSonny Bono refuge, it creates an ecological and public health dis-aster of huge proportions.

Sonny Bono Salton Sea NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

C A L I F O R N I A

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DEAD FISH ON THE EDGE OF THE SALTON SEA: © TOM BROWNOLD

SUNSET, SALTON SEA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE: © CLIFF BEITTEL

eminders of what once was, national wildlife refuges comprise everytype of habitat found in the country. From deserts to tropicalislands and coastal marshes to prairies, they show us a bit of whatthe early explorers saw, but they also offer much more.

For some native plants and animals, refuges provide a last chance to survive. For thebird enthusiasts among us, refuges provide unrivaled bird-watching opportunities, aswell as other activities, such as canoeing, hiking, fishing and nature photography. Andwith at least one national wildlife refuge in every state and territory, most are within anhour’s drive of major cities. Yet the National Wildlife Refuge System is still often over-looked. The system currently has a crippling operations and maintenance budget back-log of billions of dollars, and nearly 200 refuges have no staff on-site. Consequently, thesystem-wide goals of restoring habitat, monitoring wildlife populations and offeringquality recreation and education programs are severely compromised.

Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to drawing attention to the refuge system’ssplendor and plight, and is committed to working with federal, tribal, state and localagencies; private organizations; and landowners to ensure that this system of pricelesssafe havens—respites without parallel anywhere in the world—is better protected.

As the country once again marks National Wildlife Refuge Week in earlyOctober, it’s the perfect time for the United States to renew its commitment to a sys-tem that is mandated by federal law to put the survival of wildlife and wild landsfirst. In making decisions today that strengthen refuges that are in danger of decline,we carry on the noble tradition of protecting something for the future, just as thepeople of previous generations did for us.

Conclusion

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FALL BIRDWATCHER: © MASLOWSKI PRODUCTIONS

DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE1130 17th Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20036

(202) 682-9400

www.defenders.org