CEDAR KEYS, LOWER SUWANNEE REFUGES'
ANDREW GUDE RETIRES
2025 April 24
Manager of the Cedar Keys and Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Reffuges and resident of Cedar Key Andrew Gude retires this month, among the many other federal workers charged with caring for and protecteing the green spaces and pristine waters that envelop the Cedar Key area.
All in receipt of the federal memo about "retireent, resignation, and reduction in force," other CKLSNWR staff are pondering their futures.
Read more dismay from the Friends of the CKLSNWR by clicking below.
Editor's Note:
The following was excerpted from the
Friends of the Cedar Keys and Lower Suwannee
National Wildlife Refuge News Brief, April 19, 2025
REFUGE STAFF UPDATE
Thursday, April 17, was Andrew's last day in the office. He is taking his many accrued and unused days of annual leave and then probably going to retire a bit earlier than planned. Friends already greatly
As of our last News Brief, in March, the Refuge had six staff members . . . Andrew, John, Daniel, Jason, George, and Johnny. Since then, all of them received a memo offering the "Deferred Retirement/Resignation 2.0." The memo said the agency is also planning for additional reductions in force in the future. They were given a very short time to accept the offer or take their chances with what the terms of the next workforce reduction might be. If they accept it, they are put on administrative leave until the end of the fiscal year on Sept 30, 2025. Between now and then they would be paid their salaries but not allowed to work or volunteer to do the job they resigned from.
Johnny accepted and has already been put on leave. The refuge now has no administrative officer. Andrew was planning to retire in the summer but has changed his plans as mentioned. The others are still with us, but they have to be realistic and weigh the current offer against the possibility of being fired outright in the next round of reducing government services.
As Friends of our Refuges, we are dismayed at the loss of professional knowledge and experience. We know these staff members are effective and committed stewards of our wildlife and lands where they thrive. Their passion for service, conservation, wildlife, and country is evident in all they do. Our refuges contribute so much to us and to our communities, they deserve the care and protection these professionals provide.
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