Refuge Update: One Friend's Perspective

by Peg Hall,
former Friends’ president and board member, relentless believer that if we lose the work of our refuges, we will lose community resilience.

As we said in the April News Brief, our Refuges are experiencing major disruption. It matters. Why?

Why Disruption Matters
Because if the Refuges cannot protect the Suwannee River and the Gulf Estuary, the economy and quality of life of our communities take a worrisome hit. Also, we need people like Andrew, George, and Johnny to make our communities strong, resilient, good places to live.

Over the past month, Friends reacted with disappointment, sadness, anger, and fear to the turmoil at the Refuges.

What turmoil?
On April 1, our Refuges were down to 6 full-time staff members, as well as a project leader responsible for managing much of the interface with the regional and national offices for ours and several other refuges. He lifted some weight from our Refuge Manager. There was a cohort of managers, heavy equipment operators, and burn crew members at nearby refuges with whom our team collaborated to get work done at our Refuges and theirs when big teams were needed.

Staff positions authorized in 2012. Those in green were vacant because of hiring freezes.

Staff at the beginning of April 2025

Staff in May 2025

By May 1, we had only 3 full-time staff members. Refuge Manager Andrew Gude is gone. Heavy equipment operator George Pelt is gone. Administrative Officer Johnny Mendoza is gone. Project Leader Dan Frisk is gone. All the managers and deputy managers at nearby refuges are gone. The cohort of colleagues that our Refuge staff turned to is as decimated as our staff.

And yet, over the past month, Friends has been surprised by the success, accomplishments, and optimism at our Refuges.

What success?
In these first few weeks since Andrew, George, Johnny, Dan and the folks at St. Mark’s and Crystal River NWRs had to leave, Friends has been amazed at the how much the three remaining staff members have achieved. They have racked up successes on several major projects. For example,

• The contract to repair the Shell Mound fishing and observation pier is finalized and work will begin in June.
• Implementation continues on the multi-year, multi-million dollar grant to rebuild the natural flow of water across Refuge lands allowing it to naturally filter and remove contaminants before reaching the River and the Estuary.
• A large, prescribed burn was completed on the Refuge.  Additional fire crews not affected by federal cutbacks came to work with our three staff members so that it was possible and safe.
  
• Arrangements were set in place for 60,000 longleaf pines to be purchased by the Refuge, transported and planted by a contract crew under the supervision of our Refuge Forester Daniel Barrand.
  
• A law enforcement collaboration was put in place to help address years of having few or no officers at our Refuges.
• In collaboration with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and University of Florida researchers, the annual Nesting Bird Flight Count was completed.
• Research on the damage to Shell Mound by Hurricane Helene and on possible recovery advanced in partnership with Dr. Ken Sassaman, Dr. Ginessa Mahar, Lukas Desjardins, and others from the University of Florida.
• Care of buildings and equipment, as well as mowing and repairing the 55 miles of access trails needed for safety and fire protection, as well as for hunting and hiking, continued albeit more slowly.
• Researchers whose work in areas such as Swallow-tailed kite tracking, biting-fly abatement, and migratory birds helps inform management practices on the Refuge were supported.

The River the Refuge protects

One of many miles of access roads to be maintained

Shell Mound research and recovery

Prescribed burning

So, what do we lose?
If all that can be accomplished with three staff members, what do we lose if staff are forced out and budgets are not renewed?

It has taken months and years to tee up those projects and successes. Without them, the Suwannee River and the Estuary suffer. Our economy suffers. Our communities lose resilience.

All of us who know the Refuges and the staff know that regardless of their dedication, it is not possible for three people to keep up with everything needed to keep our communities whole. Yes, the staff accomplished herculean amounts of work with just the three of them. But that doesn’t mean they can do it again month after month, without time to plan and set up future projects.

Creating success
To protect the wildlife and their habitats, the Refuge staff must figure out what the wildlife, the River, and we need several years out.  They must vet the plans and meet with law enforcement agencies, fire crews, the water management district, city councils, chambers of commerce, aquaculturalists, fishers and fishing businesses, and landowners. They must find the areas of mutual interest and negotiate what can be done by whom within their individual missions and constraints. It all takes skill, vision, and TIME.

Saving our communities
By protecting the waters of the Suwannee River and the Gulf Estuaries from commercial and agricultural infringement that would destroy aquaculture, oyster farming, recreational fishing, and much of our ecotourism, the Lower Suwannee and Cedar Keys NWRs protect the life blood that maintains the economy of our rural communities and enables our cherished way of life.

Standing with our Refuges
Our communities need the Refuges to thrive. Let’s take every opportunity to shout it from the roof tops that we need the Lower Suwannee and Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges to keep our communities resilient. Let’s encourage our community leaders and everyone with access to tell the decision makers that our Refuges are essential to our infrastructure, economy, and rural life choices. Let’s stand with our Refuges so they can stand with us.