Statement of Purpose

The Friends of the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge are people like you who love Caddo Lake and its wetlands and shoreline areas. We recognize the importance and value of the Caddo Lake NWR as habitat for migratory birds and other native wildlife and plants.

The purpose of the Friends Group is to promote awareness and appreciation of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and, in particular, the Caddo Lake NWR.

The mission of the Friends Group is to work with the community to conserve, protect, and enhance native fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats within the Caddo Lake NWR for the continuing benefit of the American people.

We are committed to helping the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service maintain and improve the refuge for the enjoyment and benefit of all -- and ensuring that this irreplaceable ecological treasure is here for future generations as it has been forever.

The Fish and Wildlife Service established the National Wildlife Refuge System’s Friends program in 1996 to encourage and organize community involvement in activities of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The program works to expand the number and effectiveness of such community-based organizations, or Friends groups, which assist with increasing visibility and support for a refuge, the Refuge System and the diverse fish, wildlife and plant resources it protects.

Today, the more than 200 Friends organizations play a vital role in helping the Fish and Wildlife Service fulfill its mission of conserving, protecting and enhancing America’s fish, wildlife and plants and the habitats on which they depend. The program also supports several important laws including the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 and the 1998 National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Enhancement Act.

Community-based partnerships between refuge Friends organizations and refuges have and increasingly play a vital role in building visibility and support for the Refuge System. Friends organizations provide many important and needed services to the Refuge System including community outreach, education program, habitat restoration, special event support, volunteer staff, and fundraising. Friends organizations provide measurable benefits to the Refuge System and the more than 40 million visitors that enjoy refuges annually.

Click here to learn about U.S Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System. http://www.fws.gov/refuges/

Click here to learn more about Refuge Friends groups.
http://www.fws.gov/refuges/friends/