Where (Endangered) Wildlife Come First
Endangered and threatened species need national wildlife refuges—the only public lands where wildlife come first
Wildlife First
Whooping cranes on Aransas NWR; photo credit USFWS
As the first nation to develop a formal network of protected areas, the US has led the way in sharing the landscape with our wildlife neighbors. Today, our National Wildlife Refuge System includes some 568 national wildlife refuges, dedicating 95 million acres of land and 760 million acres of submerged lands and waters as a sanctuary for our nation's wildlife. Every state and US territory has at least one wildlife refuge, and most major US cities are within an hour's drive of one.
While their awe-inspiring beauty attracts many human visitors, wildlife comes first on our refuges. The mission of the refuge system goes hand in hand with the goals of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) - the most effective law in the world for saving imperiled species and the ecosystems on which they depend. We have known about the special relationship between the ESA and refuges for decades, but unfortunately there has been no robust tally of how many threatened and endangered species are found on the National Wildlife Refuge System. Defenders of Wildlife and the National Wildlife Refuge Association teamed up to figure it out.
What we found is astounding: 513 ESA-listed species are found or are dependent on at least 444 refuges.
Here we celebrate the refuge system and the diversity of imperiled species that call it home, reveal critical threats to refuges and their wildlife, and look to the future of America's public lands network dedicated to our wildlife.
Spurred on by concerned citizens eager to protect wildlife, President Theodore Roosevelt established the first refuge by Executive Order in 1903. From that single acquisition grew our refuge system, a network of lands and waters with a primary purpose of protecting wild animals and plants. From refuge designation, to the recreational activities offered and the resource management tools used, the system is designed to serve and protect species and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
right: The 568 units of the National Wildlife Refuge System with circle size proportional to the number of ESA-listed species (0 - 32 ESA-listed species).
In 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the ESA, a landmark, bipartisan law that is now the global gold standard for saving wildlife in danger of extinction. The majority of species listed under the ESA are still with us today, and many are on the path to recovery. Species listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA are afforded basic protections from harm, but when they are found on refuge lands, they receive dedicated attention for their conservation.
Florida manatees on Crystal River NWR; photo credit Jan Reyniers
The National Wildlife Refuge System’s well-protected landscapes are essential to the existence of many ESA-listed species and harbor amazing biodiversity. Yet many refuges are under threat even though they serve as essential anchors for protecting wildlife and habitats into the future.
left to right: Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR (USFWS), Chassahowitzka NWR (USFWS), Arctic NWR (USFWS), Buenos Aires NWR (USFWS)
Finding Refuge
Many refuges are the only place in the world--or a critical stronghold--for listed species.
Harboring Diversity
Some refuges harbor a particularly high diversity of ESA-listed species, underscoring their importance not just to a select few species, but many.
Hakalau Forest NWR
Hawaii is home to more threatened and endangered species than any other state, so it’s no surprise that a refuge like Hakalau Forest would be at the top of the list for diversity of ESA-listed species. This includes over a dozen plant species and animals from invertebrates to bats. (32 ESA-listed species live here)
Phyllostegia floribunda; photo credit John Game
Not only that, but the refuge is part of a recent ESA success story: it is home to the Hawaiian Hawk, which was declared recovered while our research tallying ESA-listed species on refuges was being done.
Hawaiian hawk; photo credit USFWS
Key Deer NWR
Extending out along the Florida Keys and surrounding waters, Key Deer NWR is home to 31 marine and terrestrial ESA-listed species, from corals and sea turtles to Snail Kites and Key deer.
Key deer; photo credit USFWS
In the face of the complex threats of climate change and development pressures, lands and waters where wildlife comes first--like Key Deer NWR--are essential.
Corals; photo credit NOAA
Facing Threats
While they harbor essential and abundant imperiled species diversity, refuges themselves are often imperiled.
Arctic NWR
Sitting at the northern end of the nation, like the crown at the top the refuge system, the unspoiled landscapes of Arctic NWR harbors the highest biodiversity of any protected area north of the Arctic Circle, including iconic ESA-listed species like polar bears. (6 ESA-listed species live here)
photo credit: Johanna Grasso
Now the Trump administration is pursuing a long-running threat to the refuge: drilling for oil on the Coastal Plain (outlined in black). Oil extraction will only accelerate another massive threat to wildlife (and humanity): climate change.
Lower Rio Grande Valley
The Lower Rio Grande Valley and Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuges include some of the last parcels of subtropical thorn forests in the U.S., and they represent the best chance for their protection and recovery. USFWS
But like other lands along the border, Lower Rio Grande Valley and Santa Ana NWRs are threatened by the ill-conceived and incredibly harmful border wall. (17 ESA-listed species live here)
Okefenokee NWR
Okefenokee NWR protects over 400,000 acres of North America's largest blackwater wetlands and shelters a vast mosaic of pine islands and 500 year-old cypress forests. As such, it is home to countless species, including ESA-listed species like the iconic Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and the largest non-venomous snake in the country, the indigo snake.
Red-cockaded woodpecker; photo credit USFWS
Okefenokee NWR
But this jewel is threatened--again--by the mining industry, which is proposing to dig into the ridge that forms the eastern border of Okefenokee Swamp, threatening to contaminate or even drain the area. (4 ESA-listed species live here)
photo credit: Jay Blanton
Ensuring Futures
With the biodiversity crisis at hand and common-sense, science-based solutions like 30x30 coming to the fore, now is the time to grow and strengthen our National Wildlife Refuge System.
Take Action
To ensure that National Wildlife Refuges continue to serve their conservation purpose, we must work together to protect, strengthen, and grow this incredible network of conservation lands.
The National Wildlife Refuge System is the public lands system for wildlife and is particularly crucial for protecting threatened and endangered species. From lush tropical forests in Hawaii to the tundra of Alaska, and from the northeastern forests of New England to the tropical waters of the Florida Keys, refuges are a cornerstone of protecting our Nation’s wildlife. But the refuge system can’t do it alone—your support is essential to protecting the places that polar bears and Florida manatees, California condors and bog turtles call home. Here are a few simple things you can do:
- #Vote4Wildlife . Election season is coming up and you have a chance to tell our leaders the importance of protecting wildlife. Vote for people who support the National Wildlife Refuge System. Vote for people who will support and strengthen the Endangered Species Act. When you make your voice heard, wildlife and refuges win.
- Volunteer for Wildlife. Your local national wildlife refuge needs your support, and many have groups dedicated to helping people like you contribute locally. Can’t get out? Help advance threatened and endangered species conservation using new technologies .
- Become a member. Defenders of Wildlife and the National Wildlife Refuge Association are the leading voices for protecting the National Wildlife Refuge System and the Endangered Species Act. Become a member and join millions of others in speaking up for refuges and threatened and endangered species.
Use the interactive map below to explore listed species on NWRs.
Zoom, scan, and click on the dark refuge boundaries to see a list of species!
ESA on NWRs
Methods
Defenders of Wildlife and the National Wildlife Refuge Association pored over hundreds of federal documents—with a focus on refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCP)—to develop an up-to-date list of species found on or dependent on units of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The full dataset backing this report, as well as a copy of every CCP available, is available here .
