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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Walk Off the Calories at Utah's Bear River Bird Refuge

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Wednesday, November 21, 2012   

BRIGHAM CITY, Utah - The weekend after Thanksgiving is a great time to walk off those holiday calories, and some of the most scenic places to do that are Utah's three national wildlife refuges.

At the largest, Bear River near Brigham City, there are still plenty of migrating birds to see. But the nation's bird and wildlife refuges are bracing for budget cuts in the new year. At Bear River, says park ranger Jason St. Sauver, they've already gotten very creative at applying for grants and count on a roster of volunteers.

"We have a small bookstore run by our Friends group, so we have volunteers that help out in there. We have volunteers that help our biology team do surveys out on the refuge for birds; help our maintenance team, especially in the summer, with mowing and different maintenance projects. So, we have a lot - and we really love them."

This weekend, the Bear River refuge will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday for turkey-themed crafts, walks on the nature trails and showings of the PBS documentary, "My Life as a Turkey," about a researcher who became a surrogate parent to some orphaned birds.

Desirée Sorenson-Groves, vice president of the National Wildlife Refuge Association, says the system of 560 refuges operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is severely underfunded, and that volunteers already perform 20 percent of the work systemwide. She thinks the refuges should get more credit for attracting 45 million visitors a year and adding $4 billion to local economies.

"People go there for hunting, fishing, wildlife watching. But when they're there, they're going to go to restaurants, they get gas, they may stay overnight. People come from around the world only to go birding."

If Congress doesn't reach a budget agreement by year's end, she says, automatic 10 percent budget cuts threaten both wildlife and local businesses. She represents a coalition of 22 wildlife, sporting and conservation groups ranging from the National Rifle Association to Defenders of Wildlife, calling for full funding of the refuge system.


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