As I sit down to write these words, I am pondering multiple questions. Even more than usual, the beginning of November this year presents many things we do not yet understand.
The biggest uncertainty, of course, is what sort of winter will we enjoy? Wet or dry? Uncommonly cold, or surprisingly mild? And there is more. The migratory birds that rely on Malheur also reply on other environments—places that stretch from the rain forests of Central America to the arctic tundra of Canada and Alaska. What will the new season bring to all those places?
A very different set of questions circle around how our Congress and the Administration will treat the National Wildlife Refuge system during the coming year. Will Malheur suffer additional reductions in funding and staff? This has huge implications for the Friends of Malheur because these reductions create gaps in refuge operations that we may need to fill. Over the past fifteen years, the staff at Malheur has been reduced by about two thirds, from almost 40 in 2010 to thirteen at the end of FY 2025. If there was ever fat to cut, it is long gone.
The most immediate question, of course, focuses on when our political system will finally find a way to move beyond the government shutdown that has seen almost all of the refuge’s staff locked out and prevented from working since October 1st. How much longer can this go on?
Sadly, I must report, this shutdown has affected not only government operations at Malheur but also the operations of our organization. Following government instructions, we closed our Crane’s Nest store on October 1st, and it has remained closed ever since. This has not only cost us a month’s revenue, but also, and more importantly, it has denied visitors to the refuge access to the information and resources that make it possible for them to enjoy and appreciate their visits.
We approach all these uncertainties from an uncommonly strong position. We’re coming off a very successful fundraising event that has put new resources in the hands of the Friends of Malheur—resources that we will put to good use this coming year to benefit our refuge. To the many of you who were able to attend our Bend event, thank you for coming and thank you for being so generous.
Finally—despite all this uncertainty—the priceless natural systems of the Malheur ecosystem are still working. This fall’s waves of migratory birds found what they needed as they passed through Harney Basin. Thanks to support from many of you, Malheur remains a living landscape—and also a place that never stops changing.
– W. Tweed
