David Raskin Joins Nationwide Wildlife Refuge Affiliation As Alaska Conservation Advisor — The Nationwide Wildlife Refuge Affiliation

In 2022, the Nationwide Wildlife Refuge Affiliation awarded David the Refuge Advocate of the 12 months Award due to his excellent work as an advocate for our nation’s wildlife refuges, particularly his work with the Nationwide Wildlife Refuge System in Alaska. David’s position as co-founder of the Mates of Alaska NWRs group in 2005 has led to years of advocacy, conservation, and preservation work for nationwide wildlife refuges in Alaska. Throughout his tenure as President, numerous relationships had been shaped between every of the 16 Alaskan nationwide wildlife refuges and the Anchorage Regional Fish and Wildlife employees, together with the growth of the Mates of Alaska NWRs to 315 members.   The Mates of Alaska NWRs’  volunteer, advocacy, and teaching programs elevated exponentially underneath his management. By means of David’s oral and written feedback, opinion items, Congressional testimony, litigation actions, declarations, volunteer organizing, media communications, and different actions, David has considerably contributed to the quite a few wins skilled over time for a lot of of Alaska’s refuges.  These embody repeatedly staving off Arctic Refuge oil and fuel drilling for a few years and attaining a 12-million-acre wilderness suggestion for the Arctic Nationwide Wildlife Refuge. David has additionally labored for 15 years defending Izembek Nationwide Wildlife Refuge from a highway that might destroy its ecological integrity. The Mates of Alaska NWRs wouldn’t be what it’s right now with out his tireless efforts to assist and defend Alaska’s nationwide wildlife refuges.