Capitol Conversation: State of the System Report

Call Description

Desirée Sorenson-Groves, President & CEO of the Refuge Association, shared a timely State of the System briefing focused on the FY2027 President’s Budget, what it signals for National Wildlife Refuge System funding, and what to watch as Congress shapes budget decisions. She also shared ways supporters can help strengthen refuges in the months ahead.

Call Materials (4.8.26)

Slides

Presenter

Desirée Sorenson-Grovescame back to the Refuge Association in October 2024 as the President and CEO. Her career has been focused on protecting and enhancing the National Wildlife Refuge System, first as a grassroots organizer for the National Audubon Society, then as the Vice President of Government Affairs for the Refuge Association. After 14 years at NWRA, Sorenson-Groves became the Director of the Arctic Refuge Defense Campaign where she managed an Indigenous-led, multi-pronged effort to stop any development in the Arctic Refuge. She comes back to NWRA after leading Defenders of Wildlife’s public and private lands programs as their Vice President of Land & Habitat Conservation. She has a B.A. in Geography from George Washington University and resides in Fort Valley, VA with her husband and two Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.