The only National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) located solely within the State of Kentucky faces a budget shortfall of $1.5 million. Clarks River NWR was established in 1997, culminating a ten-year effort to establish a refuge in Kentucky. The refuge has acquired 8,000 acres of a proposed 18,000 acres. The mission of the refuge is to protect and manage its bottomland hardwood forests and associated wildlife. The refuge is recognized for the diversity of migrant bird species that use the area annually. Common species groups include waterfowl, neotropical songbirds, wading birds, raptors, and shorebirds. Clarks River NWR has become an integral part of the local community and state wildlife conservation efforts. Wildlife-dependent recreation and environmental education opportunities have been enhanced significantly. The refuge is actively supported by the Friends of Clarks River NWR whose members help conduct wildlife surveys, promote refuge public use and environmental education, and restore degraded habitats. Partners are invaluable to refuge management; however, lack of funds and staff limit efforts to maintain and increase partnership opportunities. The Clarks River NWR plays a unique and vital role in partnerships for the conservation of wildlife and their habitats within the State of Kentucky. Due to rising costs and a flat budget, much needed staff positions are not being filled and critical management projects are not accomplished. Refuge operations are threatened by a $1.5 million budget shortfall for essential staff positions and high priority resource management objectives. Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge, Kentucky Clarks River NWR needs funding for its critical habitat and maintenance needs. Funding is needed to maintain important infrastructure, protect and manage the nation’s trust resources, and fulfill the mission of the Fish and Wildlife Service. National Wildlife Refuges: Kentucky Funding Crisis Clarks River NWR needs funds to hire four additional employees to meet the needs of an actively- expanding refuge that has surpassed the capabilities of initial staff resources.

National Wildlife Refuge Funding Crisis About C.A.R.E CARE is a unique coalition of 21 conservation, scientific, sporting, and recreation organizations with more than 5 million members across the United States. CARE has been working since 1995 to help the National Wildlife Refuge System fight a serious funding crisis. American Birding Association American Fisheries Society American Sportfishing Association Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation Defenders of Wildlife Ducks Unlimited International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Izaak Walton League of America National Association of Service and Conservation Corps National Audubon Society National Rifle Association of America National Wildlife Federation National Wildlife Refuge Association Safari Club International The Wilderness Society The Wildlife Society Trout Unlimited U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance Assateague Coastal Trust Wildlife Forever Wildlife Management Institute 1010 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 200 Washington, DC Phone: Fax: Web: CareHome.html CARE recommends a $700 million annual operations and maintenance budget for the Refuge System The National Wildlife Refuge System faces a crippling $3 billion operations and maintenance budget shortfall, which continues to grow. An annual increase of $300 million will prevent the Refuge System from spiraling into more debt and allow the Fish and Wildlife Service to begin restoring habitat, maintaining facilities and expanding public use opportunities that have languished due to lack of funds. Faced with a flattened budget and increased costs, in just three years 74% of the refuges in the northeast will be bankrupt, according to a Fish and Wildlife Service analysis. Other regions are facing similar problems. Able to absorb some budget pressure over the years, refuges have reached a threshold forcing the Fish and Wildlife Service to de-staff entire refuges, and cut visitor services and habitat management at scores of refuges. Investing in refuges is good for communities and for wildlife National Wildlife Refuges are economic engines in many rural areas. According to a recently released economic analysis, Banking on Nature, by the Fish and Wildlife Service: Recreational visits to national wildlife refuges generate substantial economic activity. In 2004, more than 36.7 million people visited refuges for recreation. Their spending generated $1.37 billion of sales in regional economies. This generated nearly 24,000 jobs and $453.9 million in employment income. At Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge in Kentucky, for every $1 spent on the refuge’s budget, $2.05 are generated in recreational expenditures to the local economy. Over $72,400 of local tax revenues are generated through recreational expenditures.