[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 113 (Thursday, July 10, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1430-E1431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN SUPPORT OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 10, 2008

  Mr. STARK. Madam Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues George 
Miller (CA-7) and Sam Farr (CA-17) to introduce the San Francisco Bay 
National Wildlife Refuge Complex Establishment Act. As its title 
indicates, this bill would unite the Bay Area's seven separate national 
wildlife refuges into a single wildlife complex in order to leverage 
greater federal funding for these unique habitats.
  The Antioch Dunes, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay, Ellicott Slough, 
Farallon, Marin Islands, Salinas River, and San Pablo Bay National 
Wildlife Refuges together constitute our nation's largest collection of 
urban wildlife refuges, totaling more than 46,000 acres. Together, they 
are home to hundreds of wildlife species--including over 128 threatened 
or endangered animals and marine mammals that depend on these refuges 
to survive. Because they support endangered wildlife in close proximity 
to millions of people, these refuges face unique and growing 
challenges.

[[Page E1431]]

  Unfortunately, federal resources have not kept pace with the massive 
increase in refuge size and management demands. That shortfall puts the 
refuges at risk. For example, the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay 
National Wildlife Refuge was identified by Defenders of Wildlife as one 
of the nation's ten most threatened wildlife refuges in 2004. Its 
wetlands have been drastically altered by urbanization and many areas 
have been filled to create more land. As a result, the San Francisco 
Bay is now one-third smaller than its original size.
  In addition to rare flora and fauna, these refuges offer other 
benefits. In hosting more than 1.5 million visitors every year, they 
serve as powerful economic engines for northern California. Their urban 
setting provides opportunities to educate surrounding communities about 
the need for environmental preservation. Restored wetlands also provide 
cost-effective shoreline protection and counter sea-level rise caused 
by global warming. In fact, the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel 
on Climate Change has determined that restoring wetlands and protecting 
those that remain represents an immediate opportunity for enhancing 
carbon absorption--a key to combating global warming.
  The San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex Establishment 
Act is very simple. It authorizes such sums as may be necessary for the 
development, recovery, and acquisition of refuge lands and the 
restoration of fish and wildlife habitat. This bill is endorsed by Save 
the Bay, an environmental organization that has been fundamental in 
protecting and restoring the wildlife oases in the Bay Area's urban 
environment.
  I urge Members to join us to protect this crucial part of our 
environment. By enacting this bill, we are taking an important step 
toward saving rare California wildlife from extinction, fighting global 
warming, and preserving a beautiful part of our country that can be 
enjoyed by future generations.

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