Congratulations Are in Order!

By Joan Patterson, Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates

Molly Krival Refuge Friends Group of the Year: Friends of Seal Beach NWR (CA)

America’s Best Kept Secret

Tucked within the boundaries of a naval weapons station is a 965-acre national wildlife refuge that provides habitat for migrant waterfowl, shorebirds, and other birds. Naval security must approve access to the site. Do you know what national wildlife refuge this is? Here’s a hint: It provides essential habitat for migratory birds of the Pacific Flyway. Here’s another hint: It’s breeding habitat for the endangered California least terns.  

Yes, it is Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge. This tidal marsh refuge is in California between Long Beach and Huntington Beach. The refuge was established in 1972 by President Nixon. USFWS, the Navy, and the California Department of Fish and Game have a cooperative plan to manage the refuge.

With so many barriers to community involvement, what refuge can be without a Friends organization? I can’t think of any.

The Friends of Seal Beach NWR have overcome all of these barriers. They are constantly adapting so that they can engage individuals and community groups. When they talk, their passion for this unique place in an urban area is palpable. Both past and present staff of the Seal Beach NWR and the San Diego NWR Complex are so thankful for this partnership that they nominated the Friends for the 2022 Molly Krival Refuge Friends Group of the Year Award.

Some of the Friends of Seal Beach NWR accomplishments include:

  • Conducting monthly refuge tours prior to COVID

  • Carrying out all the bird surveys on the refuge

  • Monitoring endangered California least terns during the breeding season

  • Taking the refuge out to the communities, including many that have not been visited before.

  • Partnering with local groups like El Dorado Chapter of the National Audubon Society, the Los Alamitos/Seal Beach Rotary Club, the Environmental Charter High School, and the Los Angeles River Conservation Corp

  • Publishing a series of articles in the Seal Beach Sun newspaper to increase awareness of the refuge

  • Cleaning a 2-mile stretch of highway bimonthly and promoting the refuge in the process. 

USFWS staff states that the partnership with the Friends is unparalleled. They act like a 2nd and 3rd employee at a refuge with only one employee and sometimes none. Rick Nye, the former Refuge Manager, says, “The Friends are amazing. They enthusiastically and tirelessly support the refuge and provide an incredible contribution to the success of the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge.”  

Congratulations to the Friends of Seal Beach NWR for developing an exceptional partnership, accumulating an impressive list of accomplishments, and for being recognized as the 2022 NWRA Molly Krival Friends Group of the Year.

NWRA Refuge Advocate of the Year

The Queen and David Raskin

I’m not sure that David ever met Queen Elizabeth, but I know, like her, he is devoted to service. His service is focused on supporting the Alaska national wildlife refuges, the Refuge System, and the Friends community. We congratulate David on being named the 2022 NWRA Refuge Advocate of the Year!

In 2005 David co-founded the Friends of Alaska NWRs, a group that supports the 16 refuges in Alaska. These refuges encompass more than 76 million acres, which is more than 50% of all the lands in the Refuge System. The Friends mission is to promote the stewardship of Alaska’s unique national wildlife refuges through education, support, and advocacy.

These refuges face significant threats, including development of roads in wilderness areas, extraction of oil and gas, and climate change. Such threats require constant monitoring and action. David, as the Chair of the Advocacy Committee, is pivotal in addressing these threats and educating decision-makers about the invaluable natural resources on these refuges. Some of the highlights of David’s engagement include:

  • Collaborating with other conservation groups

  • Submitting comments on Comprehensive Conservation Plans

  • Testifying before the House of Representatives

  • Publishing opinion editorials

  • Acting as a co-plaintiff in numerous federal lawsuits

David has also consistently advocated for and submitted testimony to increase appropriations for the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Thank you, David, for advocating for the refuges in Alaska, the Refuge System, and for Friends. You inspire us all.

David Raskin accepting his award virtually during the 2022 Wildlife Refuge Awards ceremony | National Wildlife Refuge Association