Any government entity needs public support to thrive. We need to provide a product our customers are willing to pay for with their taxes. Public support will improve NWRS more than anything else. Filtering more funds to the field instead of additional upper administrative level. We are going backwards from our streamlining middle management.
Money always seems to be siphoned off to non-refuge projects.
Placing the bulk of funding, resources, and effort out to the field. Make sure every field station has at least one true biologist doing good biological work such as surveys, censuses, monitoring changes due to mgmt., and keeping current on recent research. We have done more with less for so long it seems it is now expected of us. We work hard to start new refuges but we don't take care of the ones we have. If you are not a showcase you're on the bottom of the money pile.