MISSOULA, Mont. (November 6, 2026) – The Boone and Crockett Club applauded the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s findings from a comprehensive review of the National Wildlife Refuge System today during an event at Audubon National Wildlife Refuge north of Bismarck. The Refuge Review recommendations provide a clear directive for active habitat management, recognizes the importance of conservation collaboration with neighboring landowners, and recommits the Service to field-based staff leadership on Refuges.
Boone and Crockett Club Member and Silencer Central CEO Brandon Maddox joined Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik at the announcement in North Dakota. The Club deeply appreciates the thorough approach taken to evaluate the structure and function of the Refuge System, which was informed by staff surveys, site visits, and consultation with others within the Service and the many groups that support Refuge work.
“The Boone and Crockett Club’s founder Theodore Roosevelt established the National Wildlife Refuge System to help protect habitat critical for sustaining our nation’s wildlife. The System has filled this important mission and provided tremendous opportunities for hunters, anglers, birdwatchers, and other outdoor recreationists,” commented Mary Webster, president of the Boone and Crockett Club. “However, habitat must be actively managed to provide the diverse requirements for the many fish and wildlife species that depend on our wildlife refuges. We thank U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik and his team for their thoughtful review of the Refuge System and providing a clear, disciplined vision for the future of this vital public lands resource.”
The Refuge Review focuses on active habitat management that defines stewardship as the positive, hands-on practice of maintaining, improving, and otherwise caring for land, water, and wildlife - including grazing, agriculture, and forestry that advances conservation objectives. Specific recommendations to redeploy staff from offices to the field, ensure the broad variety of skills required to manage these lands, and to provide the accountability for refuge management plans to be clear and focused on execution are particularly important. The Review also recognizes that the success of national wildlife refuges depends on what happens both on the Refuge and around it and recommends strengthening the engagement with landowners around Refuges and private partners assisting on Refuges.
“We appreciate the Service recognizing that all Refuge staff should clearly understand the critical role that hunting and fishing play in both the creation of and the continued implementation of the Refuge system mission,” Webster concluded. “Hunters dollars supported acquisition of millions of acres of the Refuge system, and hunters are strong advocates and partners for wildlife conservation. We look forward to working with the Service as they implement the findings of this review.”