Regulations have been inexistent for more than 50 years that governs disruption and development of wildlife refuges according to https://www.fws.gov/refuges/oil-and-gas/faqs.html/. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS) has proposed regulations that would standardize non-federal oil and gas development on national wildlife refuges. Read more on this issue at http://www.fws.gov/refuges/oil-and-gas/rulemaking.html.
Despite previous efforts to protect wildlife refuges from these oil and gas developments, the FWS is looking for support in ensuring that the new proposed regulations are implemented ASAP. I strongly urge you to help with the issue of protecting our natural resources. As stated by the FWS, “Past drilling in wildlife refuges has resulted in avoidable toxic spills, massive habitat destruction, air and water pollution, and wildlife mortality. There are currently over 5,000 oil and gas wells on more than 100 refuges across the country. Approximately one-third of all national wildlife refuges are dealing with the destructive impacts of non-federal oil and gas drilling, including wells, pipelines, storage tanks and other facilities.”
My effort in this petition is to take a step in ensuring that we encourage the FWS to move forward with the new proposed rules and regulations for the safety of national wildlife refuges. This new proposal need to include critical changes to woefully inadequate existing regulations that have not been updated for over 50 years. Assist me in speaking out so that the FWS finalizes this new proposal in protection of the National Wildlife Refuge System by signing and sharing this petition.
Fish & Wildlife Federation Services, Director Dan Ashe – We strongly urge you to finalize your proposal that would protect our National Wildlife Refuge System that would manage and control non-federal oil and gas exploration and development. These areas are critical to our wildlife and I urgently ask you to do what is necessary to protect and safeguard them for wildlife conservation.
