Help ensure Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge remains a sanctuary for wildlife and people — today, and for generations to come.Every spring and fall, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, one of 573 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System, transforms into one of the most vital migratory bird stopovers in the world. Over 300 bird species — from delicate warblers to mighty bald eagles — depend on this sanctuary to rest, refuel, and nest. But these wild places don’t protect themselves. They depend on all of us.
Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving, enhancing, and sharing the magic of this incredible refuge. 
What is happening at National Wildlife Refuges?
A staffing shortage is quietly challenging America's wildlife sanctuaries, putting decades of conservation work and billions in economic benefits at risk. Over the past 15 years, the National Wildlife Refuge System has seen a 30% reduction in its workforce, leaving just 2,353 employees at the start of 2025 to manage 90 million acres of land and 760 million acres of marine habitats nationwide. The chart below shows how the federal budget for the National Wildlife Refuge System has not kept up with increasing demands and inflation. |
What's Happening at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge?
Since the beginning of the year, we have lost 4 federal employees stationed at Ottawa NWR. Future concerns include more reductions in staff, budget cuts, possible closing of refuges, and possible selling off of lands in the National Wildlife Refuge System.
At Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge — one of the nation's premier migratory bird sanctuaries — the effects of this staffing shortage are felt across its 11,245 acres of wetlands, grasslands, and forests. The refuge, which anchors a complex that includes Cedar Point and West Sister Island refuges, provides critical habitat for birds and wildlife and welcomes over 400,000 visitors annually — ten times the population of Ottawa County.
Economic and Health Impacts
Nationally, wildlife refuges contribute over $3.2 billion in economic output and support 41,000 jobs, with every federal dollar invested generating nearly five dollars for local economies. At Ottawa, ecotourism draws international birdwatchers and local families alike, providing a strong economic boost to the region’s businesses.
The importance of Ottawa Refuge extends far beyond wildlife. Its wetlands play a vital role in protecting Lake Erie — a drinking water source for 11 million people and home to half the fish species found in the Great Lakes. These natural systems filter pollutants, support a thriving fishing industry, and help defend shorelines against erosion and flooding.
Maintaining these benefits requires consistent management and care. Without sufficient staffing and funding to steward fragile habitats, conduct research, and engage future generations, refuges face growing challenges. Protecting these sanctuaries into the future will depend on ensuring they have the resources — and the people — needed to keep them thriving.
Your Support Matters!
Wildlife can’t wait for slow-moving federal budgets and bureaucracy. Without help, habitat restoration slows, trails close, invasive species spread — and future generations lose their chance to experience the wonder of bird migration at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Help us protect the refuge. When you support the Friends group, you’re making an immediate difference — restoring wetlands, protecting rare species, and ensuring that Ottawa NWR remains a vital refuge for wildlife and people. Every gift, every hour, every voice matters. Especially now.
Since the beginning of the year, we have lost 4 federal employees stationed at Ottawa NWR. Future concerns include more reductions in staff, budget cuts, possible closing of refuges, and possible selling off of lands in the National Wildlife Refuge System.
At Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge — one of the nation's premier migratory bird sanctuaries — the effects of this staffing shortage are felt across its 11,245 acres of wetlands, grasslands, and forests. The refuge, which anchors a complex that includes Cedar Point and West Sister Island refuges, provides critical habitat for birds and wildlife and welcomes over 400,000 visitors annually — ten times the population of Ottawa County.
Economic and Health Impacts
Nationally, wildlife refuges contribute over $3.2 billion in economic output and support 41,000 jobs, with every federal dollar invested generating nearly five dollars for local economies. At Ottawa, ecotourism draws international birdwatchers and local families alike, providing a strong economic boost to the region’s businesses.
The importance of Ottawa Refuge extends far beyond wildlife. Its wetlands play a vital role in protecting Lake Erie — a drinking water source for 11 million people and home to half the fish species found in the Great Lakes. These natural systems filter pollutants, support a thriving fishing industry, and help defend shorelines against erosion and flooding.
Maintaining these benefits requires consistent management and care. Without sufficient staffing and funding to steward fragile habitats, conduct research, and engage future generations, refuges face growing challenges. Protecting these sanctuaries into the future will depend on ensuring they have the resources — and the people — needed to keep them thriving.
Your Support Matters!
Wildlife can’t wait for slow-moving federal budgets and bureaucracy. Without help, habitat restoration slows, trails close, invasive species spread — and future generations lose their chance to experience the wonder of bird migration at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Help us protect the refuge. When you support the Friends group, you’re making an immediate difference — restoring wetlands, protecting rare species, and ensuring that Ottawa NWR remains a vital refuge for wildlife and people. Every gift, every hour, every voice matters. Especially now.
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Interested in additional details? Learn more with the National Wildlife Refuge Association. The NWRA is the only nonprofit exclusively focused on protecting, promoting, and enhancing the 850-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, the world’s largest network of lands and waters set aside for wildlife conservation. |
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“The real wealth of the Nation lies in the resources of the earth — soil, water, forests, minerals, and wildlife. To utilize them for present needs while insuring their preservation for future generations requires a delicately balanced and continuing program, based on the most extensive research. Their administration is not properly, and cannot be, a matter of politics.” Rachel Carson Biologist, Author, and Conservationist |
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