Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge Staff Cut, Services Imperiled

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge Staff Cut, Services Imperiled

Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
Contacts: Sue Hix, past president and advocacy team lead
Friends of Sherburne NWR Myrna Krueger, past president and campaign chair
Friends of Sherburne NWR Contact: friendsofsherburne@gmail.com

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge—one of four refuges in a refuge “complex” managed at Sherburne NWR, Zimmerman, Minnesota—lost two essential staff members, a biologist and a park ranger, in the first wave of terminations last week across the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

According to long-time Friends of Sherburne leaders Sue Hix and Myrna Krueger, the cuts will have negative effects on refuge wildlife and public programming. Both women have presided over the Friends of Sherburne board of directors. They led fundraising efforts to furnish the refuge’s Oak Savanna Learning Center and, recently, to construct an amphitheater adjacent to the learning center.

Said Hix, “Any loss is serious because Sherburne administers all US Fish and Wildlife Service lands—including Sherburne, Rice Lake, Crane Meadows, and Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuges— in the northeast quarter of Minnesota from Anoka County to the border of Ontario.

“The loss of a wildlife biologist has severe staff implications for the tiny USFWS staff, now with just one biologist—to manage 50,000 acres of habitat, which has more than 250 species of birds and 300 species of native wildflowers,” Hix noted. “However, we have more than 150,000 visitors who use these lands every year. People may not notice right away what’s happening deep within a landscape short one biologist. But I believe the effects of losing the park ranger will be immediately apparent this spring to our visitors.”

According to Myrna Krueger, the park ranger terminated last week is the person who coordinated volunteer work, planned events and activities, maintained the refuge website, managed communications with the public and media, and supported student visits and the refuge’s Partner School Program. “She is essential if we are to offer visitor services. Loss of our park ranger is very likely to limit Friends events, activities, services, and even access to parts of the refuge.”

Paid for with funds raised by the Friends of Sherburne, an amphitheater was constructed last year that was first used by the public at the annual Wildlife Festival in September. “It’ll be disappointing if this amphitheater sits unused,” said Krueger, “which could happen if we don’t have the USFWS staff to lead volunteers in staging events – like the Wildlife Festival, for example, which drew over a thousand visitors last September.”

According to Hix, her contacts at the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) (https://www.refugeassociation.org/) tell her that this is just the beginning of what she believes will be a disastrous slashing of staff and services across the refuge system. “The Refuge System has experienced serious budget cuts for more than a decade,” Hix pointed out. “At Sherburne NWR, the 2 staff capacity today is only about 50% of what it was during its peak in 2010; Crane Meadows and Rice Lake have just three total staff members today, down from eight at their high point.”

Krueger agreed, and she noted there are more than 200 volunteers who dedicate thousands of hours each year to support the refuge, working at Friends of Sherburne events like Spring Celebration but also for the USFWS doing tasks from seed collecting to trail maintenance.

Krueger believes the cuts will eliminate many of these volunteer hours, which require USFWS staff oversight. The result will be many more closed hours at the refuge headquarters office and slower response to calls and messages. Very limited ability to purchase passes, including the America the Beautiful Pass and the Senior Pass. Very limited, if any, public events and activities.

Said Krueger, “If there should be a fall event, it will likely look very different from our muchloved Wildlife Festival, the popular crane tours may not be possible, and certain hunting activities may be affected as well.”

“Staff shortages are likely to affect maintenance and public safety,” added Hix. “Some favorite trails may need to be closed. We may see extended closures of the Wildlife Drive after storms and other weather events, and limited maintenance could result in closure of vault toilets at trailheads.” The Friends leaders also pointed to the possibility of limits to their popular Partner School Program, with its student visits in fall, winter and spring.

Sadly, says Hix, “We cannot expect help from elsewhere in our eight-state region because refuge staff have been cut everywhere.” According to Hix, nationwide the Refuge System had been operating with just 2,353 employees, a 30% staffing decline over the past 15 years. After recent cuts, staff numbers are down an additional 15%, but those who remain are expected to manage 573 refuges, 95 million land acres, and 750 million marine acres. “This is more than any other federal land agency and with far fewer resources,” Hix reported.

Hix and Krueger have been meeting with Friends members and Sherburne Refuge supporters since budget cuts were announced, hoping to persuade supporters to contact their Congressional representatives to communicate the importance of wildlife refuges. “Please join us and raise your voice!” said Hix. “Contact your Senators and Congress members and tell them how these changes at the refuge are affecting YOU. Ask them to fund the Refuge System. And sign up for National Wildlife Refuge Association updates to follow Congressional actions that will affect refuges and other public lands: https://www.refugeassociation.org/ “

“And join the Friends of Sherburne,” added Krueger, “at https://www.exploresherburne.org/give to stay informed and engaged. We appreciate your support and will keep you posted!”

Friends of Sherburne NWR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to nurture an appreciation for, and the conservation of, the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge through education, volunteerism and philanthropy.

Photo attached from 2024 Wildlife Festival at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
Photo credit: Bruce Ellingson Photo Caption: More than 1,000 people attended the refuge’s 29th annual fall Wildlife Festival last September and enjoyed nature-based activities as well as presentations in the new amphitheater. The loss of staff may affect the refuge’s capacity to host similar events in the future.