1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Our public lands have suffered long enough from underfunding and neglect by Congress, and DOGE has only made it worse, leaving skeleton crews on wildlife refuges if anyone remains at all. Congress needs to fully fund and staff the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other land management agencies. Further deterioration due to lack of care and funding is unacceptable. National wildlife refuges are not empty land. They are working ecosystems that support migratory birds along flyways like the Pacific, provide clean water, flood control, and outdoor recreation for millions of Americans, and sustain wildlife that cannot survive without active management. When the levees don't get opened, the wetlands don't flood. When the wetlands don't flood, the birds don't come. These are the direct, visible consequences of letting staffing collapse. Restore the positions that were cut, fully fund these agencies, and make clear that public lands cannot run themselves. Americans across the political spectrum value these refuges. Congress should act like it does too.