WILDLIFE MUST BE THE TOP PRIORITY.

This article reports on the declaration of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of the United States that the top priority of the system is wildlife conservation. The 1997 act required each refuge of the country to create a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) to determine management priorities for the next 15 years. National wildlife refuges are increasingly popular places for those who enjoy birding and other forms of recreation. Bill Reffalt, who played a major role in shaping the 1997 proposal before retiring from The Wilderness Society recalled that they felt strongly that this was a latent need. According to Reffalt, who was director of the Refuge System under President Jimmy Carter, the System won't be a system until it is planned and operated as such. Another vital CCP component is a recommendation identifying lands pristine enough to warrant addition to the National Wilderness Preservation System and thus permanent protection. According to Leslie Catherwood, who oversees wildlife refuge work for the Wilderness Society, the CCPs have tremendous potential to improve wildlife protection across the country.