Whereas, in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established
the first national wildlife refuge on Florida’s Pelican Island;
Whereas, in 2012, the National Wildlife Refuge System,
administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, is the premier system of lands
and waters to conserve wildlife in the world, and has grown to more than
150,000,000 acres, 558 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 United States,
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 more than 360 units of the National Wildlife
Refuge System have hunting programs and more than 300 units of the National
Wildlife Refuge System have fishing programs, averaging more than 2,500,000
hunting visits and more than 7,000,000 fishing visits each year;
Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System experienced
more than 30,000,000 wildlife observation visits during fiscal year
2012;
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 the National Wildlife Refuge System experiences
approximately 47,000,000 visits each year, which generated nearly
$2,100,000,000 and more than 35,000 jobs in local economies during fiscal year
2012;
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 national wildlife refuges are the primary Federal
lands that foster production, migration, and wintering habitat for
waterfowl;
Whereas, since 1934, the sale of the Federal Duck Stamp to
outdoor enthusiasts has generated more than $850,000,000 in funds, which has
enabled the purchase or lease of more than 5,500,000 acres of waterfowl habitat
in the National Wildlife Refuge System;
Whereas 59 refuges were established specifically to
protect imperiled species, and of the more than 1,300 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 more than 42,000 volunteers and approximately 220
national wildlife refuge Friends
organizations contribute nearly
1,600,000 hours annually, the equivalent of 766 full-time employees, and
provide an important link to local communities;
Whereas national wildlife refuges provide an important
opportunity for children to discover and gain a greater appreciation for 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 United
States;
Whereas, since 1995, refuges across the United States 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 Fish and Wildlife Service will continue to
seek stakeholder input on the implementation of “Conserving the Future:
Wildlife Refuges and the Next Generation”, an update to the strategic plan of
the Fish and Wildlife Service for the future of the National Wildlife Refuge
System;
Whereas the week beginning on October 14, 2012, has been
designated as National Wildlife Refuge Week
by the Fish and
Wildlife Service; and
Whereas the designation of National Wildlife Refuge Week
by the Senate would recognize more than a century of conservation in the United
States, raise awareness about the importance of wildlife and the National
Wildlife Refuge System, and 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 14, 2012, as National Wildlife Refuge
Week
;
(2)encourages the
observance of National Wildlife Refuge Week with appropriate events and
activities;
(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)identifies the
significance of national wildlife refuges in advancing the traditions of
wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and
interpretation;
(6)recognizes the
importance of national wildlife refuges to wildlife conservation and the
protection of imperiled species and ecosystems, as well as compatible
uses;
(7)acknowledges the
role of national wildlife refuges in conserving waterfowl and waterfowl habitat
pursuant to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (40 Stat. 755, chapter 128);
(8)reaffirms the
support of the Senate for wildlife conservation and the National Wildlife
Refuge System; and
(9)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.