For Immediate Release

Enchroaching Development Puts Virginia Refuge and Wildlife at Risk

Lack of funds means lost opportunities to add land to Rappahannock River Valley Refuge

WASHINGTON – Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge is losing out to developers for lands bordering the popular refuge despite a congressional mandate to compete, according to a new report released Thursday by Defenders of Wildlife. In a state where developers offer top dollar for land, wildlife habitat is shrinking and becoming more fragmented each year, the report says.

Defenders of Wildlife, a national conservation organization, released the “Refuges at Risk” report in advance of National Wildlife Refuge Week, October 7-14. It highlights Rappahannock River Valley and nine other refuges throughout the country that are feeling the effects of years of inadequate federal funding and a failure to uphold core refuge values.

Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a haven for the largest concentration of bald eagles along the East Coast,” said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife. “But the investment in this refuge and the wildlife it is designed to protect will be lost if completion of the refuge is not made a priority. It should be receiving sufficient funding from Congress, and supported by the president, to compete with developers for quickly disappearing opportunities to expand and improve habitat for eagles and other wildlife. The region’s natural beauty is, after all, one of the reasons why land is such a precious commodity here.”

Rappahannock River Valley Refuge also provides important forest habitat for bird species such as the wood thrush and for grassland nesting birds such as grasshopper sparrows and northern bobwhite. With more than 225 species of birds living in or visiting the refuge, Rappahannock has become a rare haven in the densely populated East. In fact, the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission recently recognized the refuge for its critical importance to migratory birds by naming Rapp River Valley as one of only nine refuges in the country to receive land acquisition funds. While this money will help secure nearly 200 wetland acres, the refuge has only a third of the acres it needs to meet its goal. There are still thousands of acres of wildlife-rich lands surrounding it that remain susceptible to development. 

“When development comes knocking at the door offering big money, it’s hard to say no,” said Virginia landowner Mark Winters. “But I’m willing to sell the easement for my 410 acres to the refuge. I’d make significantly less from the deal, but I believe that you can’t put a price on nature and wildlife. Owning land that borders the Rappahannock River Valley Refuge, I feel a responsibility for preserving the natural beauty here, but not everyone feels like I do. If the refuge system really wants to buy up land that would otherwise be developed, it needs to be given the resources to compete financially with developers.”

This year’s “Refuges at Risk” report marks the 10-year anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act. The act outlines core values and standards that all national refuges should meet, including establishing a unified wildlife conservation mission. One key provision of the act mandates that the refuge system should be expanded strategically to help conserve wildlife and ecosystems. The report documents failures of the administration to implement this and other key provisions of the legislation.

To read the full report, go to www.defenders.org/refugesatrisk.

For more information, please contact Mark Winters at 410-531-4045.

Top 10 Refuges at Risk (in alphabetical order)

Cape May NWR, NJ – Each year, thousands of migratory songbirds, including the ruby-crowned kinglet and the Nashville warbler, arrive at this crucial stopping ground for birds traveling on the Atlantic Flyway. But year after year, they arrive to find that their precious habitat is not as they left it. Illegal all-terrain vehicle use, barely hindered by the refuge’s lone refuge enforcement officer, is tearing up the habitat, disturbing nesting birds and jeopardizing their food sources.

Hailstone NWR, MT – This refuge is a vital hub for hundreds of migratory bird species that use the 300-acre lake and the surrounding area as a stopover and breeding ground. However, agricultural runoff has allowed excess salt and selenium from the soil to accumulate in the wetlands, and each year mallards, American white pelicans and hundreds of other species are harmed or even killed by the deteriorating water quality.

Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR, TX – The territories of jaguarundi and ocelot extend into Texas from Mexico, where these rare cats roam among 300 species of butterfly and more than 500 species of birds. But the cats’ territories are not bound by international borders, and their habitat is threatened by a border wall that could destroy the biological integrity of the entire region.

Nisqually NWR, WA – For years, local children living in an increasingly developed region have enjoyed and learned from this rich landscape, where pacific tree frogs chorus in the night and river otters dart after fish. Fewer children will be given this opportunity, however, as refuge staff are forced to cut back or eliminate educational programs that teach America’s future leaders how to appreciate and protect our environment.

Pea Island NWR, NC – This refuge boasts an enormous array of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, including breeding American oystercatchers and loggerhead sea turtles. A planned replacement bridge and highway would carve through the heart of refuge wetlands, requiring constant maintenance as even mild storms regularly inundate the road with sand and ocean water.

Rappahannock River Valley NWR, VA – With one of the largest concentrations of bald eagles on the East Coast, this refuge provides wildlife with an island of wilderness in a region where urban development is steadily encroaching. Without the funds to acquire available neighboring land, the refuge is at risk of bring surrounded by development, making the refuge into a decorative center piece instead of a crucial wildlife oasis.

Rhode Island NWR Complex, RI – Local children have long been taught the importance of the wildlife, habitat and ecology of Rhode Island’s five refuges that provide a haven for thousands of birds traveling the Atlantic Flyway, including hawks, falcons and songbirds. But lack of funds has forced refuge staff to cease their educational programs, despite an increasingly desperate need for environmental education in a quickly developing area.

San Luis NWR, CA – With 95 percent of California’s wetlands drained, filled or destroyed, this critical stopover and wintering grounds for migratory ducks, geese and cranes along the Pacific Flyway is a haven for the weary travelers. But the water they find there is decreasing in quality and quantity, year upon year, due to commercial competition for California’s limited water supply.

Trempealeau NWR, WI - Thousands of wood ducks and black terns share these Wisconsin skies, located at the confluence of the Trempealeau and Mississippi rivers, with monarch butterflies, blue-winged teal, hooded mergansers and tundra swans. But these native beauties are under attack from a marching army of invasive plants and animals that severely undermine the environmental health of the refuge.

Yukon Flats NWR, AK – The retreat of a bitter winter and the arrival of spring brings millions of waterfowl to the refuge, where they transform the landscape from a quiet wilderness to a chaotic courtship and breeding ground. Efforts to drill for oil and natural gas in the refuge are threatening this ancient ritual as an ill-conceived land swap aims to trade away key habitat to industrial developers.

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Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 900,000 members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org.