The Trump administration has ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to carry out a programmatic, comprehensive review of national wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries to ensure their purposes align with agency mission. Director Brian Nesvik instructed staff to "look for refuges or hatcheries established for a purpose that no longer aligns with the mission," and assigned Joshua Coursey and David Miko to lead the work. An initial set of organizational recommendations is due Jan. 5, with a detailed list of actionable proposals expected by Feb. 15. The review will assess governance, resources, community partnerships and opportunities for greater efficiency.
Trump Administration Orders Comprehensive Review Of U.S. Wildlife Refuges And Fish Hatcheries
The Trump administration has directed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to conduct a programmatic, comprehensive review of the nation’s wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries to ensure their purposes still align with the agency’s mission.
Directive And Leadership
FWS Director Brian Nesvik posted a directive on the agency website instructing staff to "look for refuges or hatcheries established for a purpose that no longer aligns with the mission." Nesvik assigned senior adviser Joshua Coursey and acting deputy director for operations David Miko to develop recommended organizational and programmatic changes.
Scope Of The Review
The review will examine mission alignment as well as organizational structure, current resources, the ability to work with local communities, and "opportunities to achieve efficiencies in the areas of governance, oversight, and span of control." The directive describes the work as "programmatic, comprehensive," signaling a system-wide evaluation rather than a narrow audit of individual sites.
What Systems Are Included
- National Wildlife Refuge System: 573 refuges and 5 marine national monuments.
- National Fish Hatchery System: 71 hatcheries, 7 fish technology centers and 6 fish health centers.
Timeline And Next Steps
Coursey and Miko were directed to provide an initial summary of organizational change recommendations by Jan. 5 and a more detailed report with a list of "actionable recommendations" by Feb. 15. The planned reviews were first reported by E&E News. FWS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
These reviews could result in recommendations for realignment, consolidation, or other changes to improve efficiency and mission focus, though any specific outcomes would require subsequent policy decisions and approvals.
Reported by The Hill.
