TWS statement on the U.S. government shutdown

On Oct. 1, the U.S. federal government largely ceased operations when Congress was unable to reach agreement on the federal budget for the coming fiscal year. This means that critical conservation operations of our federal partners will halt, and many federal employees will be furloughed.

Our sympathies are with the thousands of furloughed wildlife professionals who will now face greater uncertainty and financial strain because of this shutdown and with the conservation partners, states, Tribes, private landowners and others who rely on cooperation and support from the federal government.  

Any lapse in funding has the potential to degrade science-based wildlife conservation and management efforts, with the potential for long-lasting, detrimental effects. This includes efforts to recover threatened and endangered species, detect and control emerging wildlife diseases, conserve and restore habitats across our nation’s public lands, and steward America’s public trust resources for the benefit of current and future generations. In some cases, the timing of the shutdown will disrupt the collection of important seasonal wildlife data or result in incomplete data sets, which could delay or alter management decisions. It may also hinder education and training opportunities for new wildlife professionals that are dependent on valuable partnerships with federal agencies.

This shutdown continues a concerning and ongoing trend of the loss of scientific and technical expertise from the federal workforce and the devaluing and defunding of federal conservation programs. Across the nation, thousands of dedicated civil servants have already departed from federal natural resources agencies since the start of this administration. These losses, combined with years of programmatic budget cuts, have left remaining personnel stretched beyond capacity and unable to fulfill their legal mandates.

We will continue to monitor developments in the U.S. government shutdown and advocate for the critically important work of our members and wildlife professionals. We encourage the U.S. Congress and Administration to work towards a swift resolution to the shutdown, to restore the operations of federal natural resource agencies, and to reaffirm their support for the conservation of our nation’s natural resources.