Interior Secretary Urged to Maintain Support for Cooperative Research Units

February 17, 2025

The Honorable Doug Burgum, Secretary
Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240

RE: USGS Cooperative Wildlife Research Units

Dear Secretary Burgum:

I am writing on behalf of the National Cooperators’ Coalition (NCC), an alliance of nonfederal cooperators, supporters, and beneficiaries of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit (CRU) program. Our members include state fish and wildlife agencies, universities, and other organizations dedicated to wildlife conservation and research.

The CRU program was impacted on February 14, 2025, by initial staff reductions through the termination of employees still within their probationary period. Based on the recent executive order regarding implementing the President’s Department of Government Efficiency workforce optimization initiative, we feel it is a critical time for the NCC to again reinforce the value of the CRU program.

The CRU program plays a significant role in advancing applied scientific understanding and conservation efforts for addressing current real-world fish and wildlife management challenges across the United States. Cooperative Research Units are dynamic hubs for collaborative research that prioritize the needs of state fish and wildlife agencies (SFWA) and play a central role in training the next generation of conservation professionals. State fish and wildlife agencies rely on the CRU program to conduct critical research that is used to support SFWA decision making and is relevant across jurisdictions (e.g., research on chronic wasting disease, monarchs, and wildlife
corridors).

The program’s value is clear, as evidenced by its continuous growth from its inception in 1935 to its statutory recognition by Congress in 1960, to the present day where 43 units are located across 41 states. Impacts to the CRU program will directly diminish the research capacity of SFWA and university partners while reducing educational opportunities for students across the nation.

With the administration’s focus on efficiency, it is a fiscally responsible investment. The CRU program leverages about $3 nonfederal dollars for every $1 USGS. The CRU leverages low overhead rate to increase the amount of research that can be accomplished.

The CRU program is tremendously important to a variety of partner agencies and organizations and the NCC would appreciate recognition and consideration of their substantial value across the nation.

Sincerely,

LAURA CONLEE
DEPUTY DIRECTOR – RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
NATIONAL COOPERATORS’ COALITION, CHAIR

c: National Cooperators’ Coalition Steering Committee
Ron Regan – Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies