WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today led a hearing on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) proposed budget for fiscal year 2025.

HIGHLIGHTS:

ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND STAKEHOLDERS WORKING COLLABORATIVELY AND PROACTIVELY TO CONSERVE WILDLIFE:

Chairman Carper:

“We have heard time and time again in our committee that wildlife conservation works best — for people and for species — when it's collaborative, when it's inclusive, when it's proactive, and Director Williams leads the Service with those thoughts in mind. The president's fiscal year 2025 budget request also embodies … this approach.”

Martha Williams, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:

“The Fish and Wildlife Service is a field-based organization that works collaboratively and creatively to meet our responsibilities. Our 9,000 dedicated employees carry out our work across eight regional offices and 800 field stations across the country. These biologists, refuge managers, hatchery operators, law enforcement officers, maintenance professionals, wildland firefighters and more depend on relationships to help implement our mission in ways that respect the needs of local communities and fit the places where we work. We partner with everyone. Although we're a relatively small agency, these many partnerships greatly increase our effectiveness and reach.”

ON THE USFWS’ CONTINUED WORK TO MAINTAIN OUR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES:

Chairman Carper:

“The budget request includes some $602 million for the National Wildlife Refuge System. That's … [a 14] percent increase from fiscal year 2024’s enacted levels. This funding would support habitat conservation, as well as law enforcement and visitor services at over some 500 national wildlife refuges across the country.

“Two weeks ago, I was privileged to visit one of Delaware’s two national wildlife refuges. It’s called the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. It’s in the central part of our state. Imperiled species — such as red knot and piping plover birds — call this refuge home. People come literally from all over the world to see these species in their natural habitat, and they also come to hike, they come to bicycle, and they come to hunt in these special places. When they do, they support our local economies, and I think the same is true in refuges in every one of our other 49 states.”

ON EFFORTS TO INCREASE THE USFWS’ ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW CAPACITY:

Chairman Carper:

“[O]ver the last 20 years, the Service’s capacity has eroded significantly. Meanwhile, costs and workloads have increased, and challenges to wildlife conservation have become not less complex, but more complex. I believe that we, in the legislative body and Congress, have an obligation to address this problem … Would you elaborate on how specifically this budget request prioritizes capacity building within the Service, particularly as it relates to consultation and relates to permitting?”

Director Williams:

“This budget request absolutely prioritizes capacity to provide those services that are necessary for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law projects to go forward to allow us to meet our mission. Specifically, the 2025 budget request includes a $146.6 million increase in our planning and consultation under ecological services.”

Click here to watch Chairman Carper’s round of questions.

Click here to watch Chairman Carper’s opening statement.

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