New National Wildlife Refuge for the Chesapeake
Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge Is the First New Refuge in the Chesapeake in More than 25 Years
Nanjemoy, MD – Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn issued this statement following an announcement by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams on the establishment of the Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge.
Photo by Sue Buyaskas
“Chesapeake Conservancy is proud to be a contributing partner in the creation of the Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge. Nearly 15 years in the making, this is the first national wildlife refuge established in the Chesapeake Bay watershed in more than 25 years and the first in Maryland in over 60 years.
“As the region's total human population is expected to surpass 20 million people in less than 10 years, the new Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge will help provide critical wildlife habitat and places for outdoor recreation as the global conservation movement strives to conserve 30% of the planet by 2030 for biodiversity.
“This is one of the most pristine landscapes in the Chesapeake Bay watershed’s western shore, and it faces many threats. Our forests continue to be converted at a rate of about 54 acres a day, and more than 6 million acres of the forestand wetland resources in our watershed remain vulnerable to development. We are losing our iconic landscapes.
“The world’s leading scientists have called for the protection of 30% of the Earth’s lands and waters by 2030 to protect biodiversity and the climate. And there is no more important moment to do it than this one. During my lifetime, we have seen a catastrophic 73% decline in the average size of monitored wildlife populations around the world.
“This new refuge offers an opportunity to halt and even reverse biodiversity loss in this important place, and in a way that that fully integrates and respects the leadership and rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities.”
Feature Photo by Matt Kane/The Nature Conservancy
