Jim Saxton: “as the author of H.R. 1856, the National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Act, I am pleased to…”

“as the author of H.R. 1856, the National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Act, I am pleased to report that the Senate has passed this bill with amendments and returned it to us. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a very successful program to encourage volunteer activities at National Wildlife Refuges and other Service field stations. Last year, for example, over 25,000 volunteers donated nearly $11 million worth of services, ranging from staffing visitor centers, to hunter safety classes, and operating heavy equipment. I introduced H.R. 1856 after a field hearing held near the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in my district in New Jersey. That hearing addressed the large maintenance backlog at refuges. We heard from several local volunteer conservation groups who pointed out problems with the existing volunteer program. This bill is intended to solve those problems. The biggest obstacle to improving the volunteer program is a shortage of staff at refuges. We can't expect refuge employees who have full-time operation and maintenance duties to also donate all of their weekends to working with volunteer groups. H.R. 1856 would address this problem by establishing up to 20 pilot projects for the purpose of hiring full-time volunteer coordinators. This will make it much easier for the Service and conservation groups to work together for the benefit of refuges.”