Reinventing the Real - On Saying Yes When the White House Says No
By Safina Center Conservationist-in-Residence Hob Osterlund
Thomas Daubert, Executive Director, Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuges and Hob Osterlund, Safina Center Conservationist in Residence. ©Hob Osterlund
By now most folks who follow national news are likely aware that tens of thousands of federal jobs, grants, and a disturbingly wide variety of programs have been cut off from government funding. Some of the jobs have since been reinstated, but people filling them might say they feel like lying under a guillotine waiting for the next beheading.
Beheadings have benign-sounding names like Reduction in Force (RIF) and Deferred Retirements (DR).
In the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (U.S. Department of the Interior), a wave of early retirements have occurred across the Service in a push to vastly decrease the size of the federal workforce. If those reductions don’t cut deep enough, an RIF is expected to follow. How many more people will lose their jobs? How many unfilled positions frozen? What other financial restrictions will accompany the job losses?
Questions beget more questions: In such unpredictable times, can non-federal agencies, NGOs, donors and volunteers pick up the slack left by talented, hard-working and passionate wildlife specialists? Can positive precedences be set?
Here on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi, things got bleak fast on the February 14 “Valentine’s Day massacre.” First the entire biology team, as well as a key habitat maintenance position—covering three national wildlife refuges—were suddenly axed. Many weeks later the positions were reinstated, but only one person accepted the offer. She now works with much less operational capacity, and who among us would not be thinking about the upcoming RIF?
Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge overlook. ©Hob Osterlund
Thankfully, many wildlife refuges are blessed with “friends” groups and other passionate partners. These organizations have been supporting our national wildlife refuges for many years, but have federal restrictions regarding what they can pay for and how they can help. Even without those restrictions, it is a huge shift to be able to privatize and cover the cost of salaries and benefits of this life-saving conservation work that has historically been considered the kuleana (responsibility) of the federal government.
Thomas Daubert, Executive Director of Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuges (FKWR), has been tackling these and many additional concerns.
Hob Osterlund: You and FKWR have taken a leading role in addressing the many issues related to staff cuts. What have been your biggest challenges and successes?
Thomas Daubert: First, please allow me to paint a picture of where we are: FKWR has supported our island’s three national wildlife refuges (Hanalei, Huleʻia and Kīlauea Point) for 42 years. In those decades, our USFWS colleagues have never received the level of funding needed from the national level to adequately sustain the work required.
In fiscal year 2024, the National Wildlife Refuge System received an allocation of just $542M to manage 573 refuges and 38 wetland management districts, covering over 850M acres. This vast network of protected lands had just 2,300 employees NATIONWIDE.
We were already hobbled locally. In the last two years, the Kauaʻi National Wildlife Refuge Complex operating budget (not including salaries and benefits) was reduced from $147K/year to a shocking $40K/year. Forty thousand dollars to manage three refuges covering nearly 1,400 acres of key wildlife habitat which supports numerous native Hawaiian seabird and waterbird species – many of which are at critical levels.
Hawaiian duck (koloa maoli) pair, endangered, estimated worldwide population 700, Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge. ©Hob Osterlund
Hawaiian gallinule (ʻalaeʻula) pair, endangered, estimated worldwide population 700, Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge. ©Hob Osterlund
Then, this year:
A federal Hiring Freeze was initiated, leaving the Refuge Complex with several key positions vacant and unable to fill them.
On February 14th, four positions in probationary status (highly performing employees less than two years in their roles) were wrongfully terminated.
Days later, all the credit cards across the Service were frozen, making it impossible to conduct business and manage day-to-day operating expenses.
Then, a push for early retirements and staff buyouts was initiated, to further reduce staffing levels across the Service.
The threat of an additional RIF exists if deeper cuts are needed to meet the mandates coming from the administration.
Thankfully, due to a court order, the four positions fired on February 14th were reinstated. However, only one of the employees felt safe enough to return. The remaining positions are now vacant and blocked due to the hiring freeze, leaving the Refuge Complex down two biotechs and one key habitat maintenance position—all of which have direct impacts upon the health, safety and vitality of our local refuges.
We still await the full impact of the retirements, buyouts, potential RIF and the resulting forced reduction
Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge predator-resistant fence. ©Hob Osterlund
HO: Whatʻs specifically at risk on the refuges?
TD: One key area of concern is habitat management for the highly endangered waterbirds—ensuring access to clean water, removal of invasive plants, encouragement of natives, and protections from invasive predators such as cats, dogs, rats and pigs, particularly at Hanalei NWR. At Kīlauea Point NWR, the 2.1 mile predator-resistant fence can continue to protect over 145 acres of prime seabird habitat, but only if we can remain vigilant about the constant encroachment of non-native vegetation and the possible reappearance of predators.
HO: What do you imagine FKWR’s role to be in the future?
TD: With the leadership of an amazing Board, FKWR donations have shot up from $38K/year to $371K/year in the last few years. We’ve made lots more connections with residents and visitors to build our community of supporters. We have been able to raise some of the initial funds needed to immediately respond to this emergency.
Several waterbird populations are at critical levels and it is up to us and our generation to pledge they will not go extinct on our watch. I see FKWR continually finding means by which we can privatize and underwrite costs as well as positions, internships and contracted work formerly funded by the federal government.
Hawaiian duck (koloa maoli) ducklings, endangered, estimated worldwide population 700, Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge. ©Hob Osterlund
Hawaiian gallinule (ʻalaeʻula) parent feeds chick, endangered, estimated worldwide population 700 ©Hob Osterlund
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Despite these uncertain times, I believe in the power of passion, compassion, and community. Not just because I believe in it, but because our wildlife depends upon on it.