III 111th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 644 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 24, 2010 Mr. Kaufman (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Casey, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Lincoln, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Burris, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Kerry, Mrs. Shaheen, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Feingold, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Corker, Mr. Reed, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Mr. Pryor, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Inouye, and Mr. Levin) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Designating the week beginning October 10, 2010, as National Wildlife Refuge Week.

Whereas, in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established the first national wildlife refuge on Florida’s Pelican Island; Whereas, in 2010, the National Wildlife Refuge System is the premier system of lands and waters to conserve wildlife in the world, and has grown to more than 150 million acres, 552 national wildlife refuges, and 38 wetland management districts in every State and territory of the United States; Whereas national wildlife refuges are important recreational and tourism destinations in communities across the Nation, and these protected lands offer a variety of recreational opportunities, including 6 wildlife-dependent uses that the National Wildlife Refuge System manages: hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and interpretation; Whereas hunting is permitted on more than 320 national wildlife refuges and fishing is permitted on 272 national wildlife refuges, welcoming more than 2,500,000 hunters and more than 7,000,000 anglers; Whereas national wildlife refuges are important to local businesses and gateway communities; Whereas, for every $1 appropriated, national wildlife refuges generate $4 in economic activity; Whereas approximately 41,000,000 people visit national wildlife refuges every year, generating nearly $1,700,000,000 and 27,000 jobs in local economies; Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System encompasses every kind of ecosystem in the United States, including temperate, tropical, and boreal forests, wetlands, deserts, grasslands, arctic tundras, and remote islands, and spans 12 time zones from the Virgin Islands to Guam; Whereas national wildlife refuges are home to more than 700 species of birds, 220 species of mammals, 250 species of reptiles and amphibians, and more than 1,000 species of fish; Whereas 59 refuges were established specifically to protect imperiled species and of the more than 1,200 federally listed threatened and endangered species in the United States, 280 species are found on units of the National Wildlife Refuge System; Whereas national wildlife refuges are cores of conservation for larger landscapes and resources for other agencies of the Federal Government and State governments, private landowners, and organizations in their efforts to secure the wildlife heritage of the United States; Whereas 39,000 volunteers and more than 220 national wildlife refuge Friends organizations contribute nearly 1,400,000 hours annually, the equivalent of 665 full-time employees, and provide an important link with local communities; Whereas national wildlife refuges provide an important opportunity for children to connect with nature and discover the natural world; Whereas, because there are national wildlife refuges located in several urban and suburban areas and 1 refuge located within an hour’s drive of every metropolitan area in the United States, national wildlife refuges employ, educate, and engage young people from all backgrounds in exploring, connecting with, and preserving the natural heritage of the Nation; Whereas, since 1995, refuges across the Nation have held festivals, educational programs, guided tours, and other events to celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week during the second full week of October; Whereas the week beginning on October 10, 2010, has been designated as National Wildlife Refuge Week by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; Whereas, in 2010, the designation of National Wildlife Refuge Week would recognize more than a century of conservation in the United States and would serve to raise awareness about the importance of wildlife and the National Wildlife Refuge System and to celebrate the myriad recreational opportunities available to enjoy this network of protected lands: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)designates the week beginning on October 10, 2010, as National Wildlife Refuge Week; (2)supports the goals and ideals of National Wildlife Refuge Week; (3)acknowledges the importance of national wildlife refuges for their recreational opportunities and contribution to local economies across the United States; (4)pronounces that national wildlife refuges play a vital role in securing the hunting and fishing heritage of the United States for future generations; (5)recognizes the importance of national wildlife refuges to wildlife conservation and the protection of imperiled species and ecosystems; (6)applauds the work of refuge Friends groups, national and community organizations, and public partners that promote awareness, compatible use, protection, and restoration of national wildlife refuges; (7)reaffirms the support of the Senate for wildlife conservation and the National Wildlife Refuge System; and (8)expresses the intent of the Senate— (A)to continue working to conserve wildlife; and (B)to manage the National Wildlife Refuge System for current and future generations.