[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 171 (Tuesday, November 6, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              INTRODUCTION OF RESOLUTION ON SEA LEVEL RISE

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                       HON. DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN

                         of the virgin islands

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 6, 2007

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, over 160 National Wildlife Refuges 
exist along the 95,000 miles of United States coastline and are in 
danger of being seriously affected by global warming. Scientists all 
around the world expect sea levels to rise as polar ice and glaciers 
melt, and oceans physically expand.
  As we proactively begin to engage to protect our natural resources 
most susceptible to global warming, it is crucial to consider our 
coastal national wildlife refuges under the jurisdiction of the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service. Though uncertainty exists regarding the 
projected increases in sea level rise and global warming, we know for 
certain that global warming is occurring and coastal communities and 
refuges are already being affected.
  Studies currently show that the continuation of historical trends of 
greenhouse gas emissions will result in additional global warming with 
current projections that the earth will warm between 2.5 deg.F to 
10.4 deg.F by the year 2100. Sea level rise induced by global warming 
will inundate coastal areas, change precipitation patterns, increase 
the risk of droughts and floods, threaten biodiversity and offer a host 
of potential challenges and setbacks to public health. Additionally, 
sea level rise will force recreational beaches inland, exacerbate 
coastal flooding, and quite possibly even contribute to the severity of 
natural disasters such as hurricanes.
  Refuges in the Virgin Islands and Hawaii face massive coral bleaching 
as sea temperatures continue to rise. Scientists predict a rise in sea 
level over the next century significant enough to drown refuges such as 
Chincoteague on the Virginia coast, Alligator River in North Carolina, 
Merritt Island in Florida and the Texas home of the whooping crane, 
Arkansas National Wildlife Refuge. Anticipated changes in climate and 
rainfall could alter forest makeup and alpine habitats in Silvio O. 
Conte National Wildlife Refuge in the Northeast; interrupt seabird-
nesting success in the Oregon Islands refuge; and dry the prairie 
potholes in Devils Lake Wetland Management District, a crucial 
migratory stopover and nesting ground for waterfowl.

  A conservation concept unparalleled, the National Wildlife Refuge 
System started by President Theodore Roosevelt offers a network of 
places where the needs of wildlife must come first. Without them, many 
species simply would not survive. Yet, these important areas are 
increasingly threatened by forces outside refuge boundaries--global 
warming and sea level rise being among the most threatening.
  It is vitally important that we proactively address the effects of 
global warming and sea-level rise as they continue to confront our 
Nation's coastal refuges. In this regard, the resolution I introduce 
today, expresses the sense of the Congress that the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service should incorporate consideration of the effects of 
global warming and sea-level rise into the comprehensive conservation 
plan for each coastal national wildlife refuge as required by the 
National Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act of 1997.
  By requiring Fish and Wildlife refuge managers to incorporate 
consideration of the effects of global warming and sea-level rise, we 
will not only broaden our overall understanding of how our coastal and 
marine resources may be affected but also draw more conclusive data 
which may point to a specific timeframe in which these events are 
expected to occur.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important 
resolution.

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