To all Friends of Patuxent Research Refuge,

During the last several months you have followed with us the very real threat that has been proposed by this Administration to essentially wipe out the budget, positions, and personnel at the Eastern Ecological Science Center of USGS that operates at Patuxent Research Center.

By way of brief background, the USGS operates 17 science centers across the country which are designated under the Ecosystems Mission Area, one of 7 mission areas of USGS. At the recommendations of the Department of Government Service (DOGE), the President’s budget for FY26 called for wiping out virtually the entire Ecosystems Mission Area, presumably because the Administration feels that the work they accomplish is no longer in line with their priorities. However, since that budget proposal was released earlier this year, the Friends of Patuxent and more than 75 national and international organizations have embarked on a campaign to inform the President and his Administration how vital the work of EESC is for our nation.

Under the Administration’s budget proposal, the staff and work units at Patuxent would be eliminated. These include but are not limited to the Bird Banding Lab, the repository of all bird banding records in the US and from around the world that are vital to not just scientists and researchers, but to waterfowl hunters across the country because of their importance in determining flyway populations and distribution of waterfowl species; the Breeding Bird Survey, an annual citizen science-aided collection of data that identifies breeding bird species throughout North America; and the Bee Lab, a research program that identifies, catalogues, and studies native bee populations which are seriously declining across America. All this, and more, would be eliminated if current budget recommendations are approved.

There is hope, however, that Congress will not allow such draconian cuts to be enacted. The House and Senate approved preliminary topline budget appropriations that would cut programs and spending in the EMA, but not at amounts contemplated by the Administration. It is vital that advocates like us speak out and encourage members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to reject the devastating cuts to USGS in the Ecosystems Mission Area, to save the Eastern Ecological Science Center at Patuxent and the other fish and wildlife science programs in the Eastern US, and to restore funding to the levels that the House and Senate Interior Appropriations Committees have already approved.

Won’t you take just a few minutes to compose an email or make a phone call to your Members of Congress?

Addressees: All members of the Maryland Congressional delegation matter, with special emphasis on those whose districts touch or encompass parts of the Patuxent Research Refuge, namely both Maryland’s Senators, Sen Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, and Representatives Elfreth, Ivey, and Hoyer, whose districts 3, 4, and 5 include a portion of the Patuxent Research Refuge.

NOTE: Any messages to Maryland’s US Members of Congress whose districts don’t cover Patuxent Research Refuge should appeal to the importance of this facility to Maryland and the nation. Members with a direct connection to Patuxent identified below are starred (*).

Handwritten letters or postcards are very effective, but they take a long time to process through Congressional mail handling. It is fine if you write a traditional letter and mail it, but please follow up with an email or phone call.

Very importantly, if you live in US Congressional district 3, 4, or 5, be sure to include “As your constituent…” in every call or message you write. This is extremely helpful and gets your message to the top of the pile!

US Senators in Maryland – you are a constituent of both Senators equally:

• Chris Van Hollen*
• Angela Alsobrooks*

US Representatives in Maryland – you have one Representative from your district:

• Andy Harris (1st-R)
• Johnny Olszewski (2nd-D)
• Sarah Elfreth (3rd-D)*
• Glenn Ivey (4th-D)*
• Steny Hoyer (5th-D)*
• April McClain Delaney (6th-D)
• Kweisi Mfume (7th-D)
• Jamie Raskin (8th-D)

Here are links to easily help you find your US Representatives and Senators:

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative 

https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

KEY POINTS - use any of these or compose your own:

• The Eastern Ecological Science Center of the US Geological Survey is under grave threat of having its appropriations slashed and all of its scientists, biologists, and other staff terminated. Please fight to preserve these people and the invaluable work they do protecting the natural resources and wildlife of Maryland and the Nation.
• I am writing to ask you to pass a fully funded budget for the Interior Appropriations and other agencies budget for FY26. The Eastern Ecological Science Center at Patuxent Research Refuge is threatened with losing all funding and staff.
• I am proud to see our Maryland Delegation fight to protect the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and dedicate new funding for its needs. We now need you to continue to fight to protect the science center staff at Patuxent Research Refuge. This is an even more dire situation than BARC since the 80+ EESC positions at Patuxent are proposed to be wiped out in the President’s FY26 budget. Please save them!
• The Eastern Ecological Science Center that has been known as the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center for almost all of its 90 history, is proposed to be zeroed out in the President’s FY26 budget. This would close the Bird Banding Lab, the Breeding Bird Survey, and the Bee Lab among other very important programs to not just Maryland, but to our nation. Please ensure that funding is included in FY 26 Appropriations to keep these vital programs and staff funded.
• I am writing to ask you to please do all you can to save the Ecosystems Mission Area of the USGS FY 26 budget. This program contains the Bird Banding Lab, the Breeding Bird Survey, the Bee Lab, and all the scientists and biologists at Patuxent Research Refuge who are in danger of being eliminated. Please ensure that this program is funded in the FY 26 budget.

Thank you for taking the time and making the effort. It is the only way we will be able to help save the Eastern Ecological Science Center and the people working at Patuxent!

Sincerely,

Richard Dolesh

Chair of the Board of Directors

Friends of Patuxent Research Refuge

Download Letter as PDF Here