Fifteen years ago, the National Wildlife Refuge System was helping to pioneer a landscape-scale approach to conservation in a changing climate. Today, the USFWS is rapidly losing people, expertise, and essential institutional capacity at an extraordinary rate. After 25 years in federal conservation, I believe the lesson is clear: we must protect what we've built—and begin building conservation institutions that are durable, well-resourced, and adaptable enough for the challenges that lie ahead.