The Evolution of the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System and the Doctrine of Compatibility

This paper reviews the history and evolution of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, perhaps the largest and oldest wildlife conservation system in the world. The refuge system is guided by the doctrine of compatibility, which permits only those uses on a refuge which are "compatible with the purposes for which the refuge was established." Memoranda and documents spanning the last 100 years were examined, and key refuge personnel interviewed, to understand the historical basis for current refuge policies. Topics of particular importance were the origins of the compatibility doctrine, the origin and meaning of the sanctuary concept, and the means by which refuges were established.
Through time, the refuge system has shifted from a policy of strict protection of wildlife to a policy of integrating public uses of refuges. The doctrine of compatibility has evolved to facilitate public use of wildlife refuges. Increasingly, the needs for recreation and resource use have interfered with the purposes far which refuges were established. A legislative solution may be needed to ensure that these areas are protected and remain viable reserves for wildlife and natural communities.
The sustained conservation of reserve areas often represents a delicate balance between political constraints and biological realities. The examination of the National Wildlife Refuge System not only has ramifications for North American conservation, but illustrates many of the problems and pitfalls facing conservation and land management worldwide.