[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 130 (Friday, September 24, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7452-S7454]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE WEEK

  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 644, submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 644) designating the week of October 
     10, 2010, as ``National Wildlife Refuge Week.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. KAUFMAN. Mr. President, I rise to speak on a resolution I 
submitted today with Senators Crapo and Cardin to celebrate National 
Wildlife Refuge Week and honor the extraordinary National Wildlife 
Refuge System. I am pleased that so many of my colleagues have joined 
me to cosponsor this resolution.
  President Theodore Roosevelt established the first national wildlife 
refuge on Florida's Pelican Island in 1903. He was a renowned 
naturalist, an avid hunter, and is considered to be one of the greatest 
conservation leaders in American history.
  Roosevelt was spurred to action after witnessing a dramatic decline 
in bird and animal populations across the country due to unregulated 
and unsustainable hunting. A sportsman himself, Roosevelt saw a great 
need to conserve our nation's natural resources not only for the 
benefit of his generation but for future generations as well.
  President Roosevelt set out this basic principle when he said:

       I recognize the right and duty of this generation to 
     develop and use the natural resources of our land. But I do 
     not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful 
     use, the generations that come after us.

  He was a man of action. Over the course of Presidency, Roosevelt 
would establish more than 50 Federal bird reserves which would become 
the foundation of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
  Today, the Refuge System has grown to more than 150 million acres, 
552 national wildlife refuges, and 38 wetland management districts. 
These lands are truly American treasures and important parts of our 
natural heritage.
  The Refuge System is a magnificent network of lands and waters 
dedicated to wildlife conservation. It is exceptionally diverse, 
encompassing every kind of ecosystem in the United States, including 
forests, wetlands, deserts, grasslands, tundras, and remote islands.
  National wildlife refuges are critical to the broad goals of wildlife 
conservation to both keep common species common and to protect and 
restore imperiled species. Refuges do this well. They are home to an 
incredible amount of biodiversity, including over 700 species of birds, 
220 species of mammals, 250 reptile and amphibian species, and

[[Page S7453]]

more than 1,000 species of fish. Furthermore, of the more than 1,200 
federally listed threatened and endangered species in the United 
States, 280 are found on national wildlife refuges.
  The incredible resources available through the National Wildlife 
Refuge System offer a variety of recreational opportunities including 
hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, photography, hiking, boating, 
environmental education, and so much more. In fact, hunting and fishing 
is permitted on hundreds of refuges, providing opportunities for over 
2.5 million hunters and more than 7 million anglers.
  National wildlife refuges also provide children and families a unique 
opportunity to explore and learn about wildlife and the outdoors. A 
third of U.S. children and teens are overweight or close to it. Playing 
outside and engaging with the natural world can get our children 
active, and studies show that it can also reduce stress, improve 
attention and cooperation, and open children's imagination and 
creativity.
  Refuges also afford service opportunities for local residents. Every 
year 39,000 volunteers and over 220 refuge ``Friends'' organizations 
contribute nearly 1.4 million hours of their time to lead educational 
programs, guide tours, restore habitat, maintain trails, and offer 
their time and energy in other important ways. Their efforts are worth 
the equivalent of 665 full-time employees.
  National wildlife refuges are important to local businesses and 
gateway communities. Each year, refuges draw 41 million visitors, 
generating nearly $1.7 billion and 27,000 jobs for local economies. 
Refuges are also a good investment for the American people. For every 
$1 appropriated, refuges generate $4 in economic activity.
  Since 1995 refuges across the country have held festivals, 
educational programs, guided tours, and other events to celebrate 
National Wildlife Refuge Week during the second week of October. This 
year Refuge Week will take place from October 10 to 17.
  There is much to celebrate. For over a century, the National Wildlife 
Refuge System has served to conserve our wildlife heritage, provide 
recreational opportunities for our communities, and support for local 
economies. With at least one refuge located in every State and within 
an hour's drive of every metropolitan area across the Nation, we can 
all take part in National Wildlife Refuge Week.
  In my home State of Delaware, we are fortunate to have two national 
wildlife refuges: Bombay Hook and Prime Hook. The tens of thousands of 
acres of freshwater wetlands and tidal salt marshes these refuges 
protect are considered some of the best on the Atlantic coast and 
provide critical habitat for waterfowl migrating between Canada and 
Mexico. In fact, the American Bird Conservancy has recognized Bombay 
Hook as one of America's 100 important Bird Areas.
  Bombay Hook and Prime Hook are also incredible places to visit and 
enjoy. Bombay Hook host over 100,000 visitors a year, and the Great 
Outdoor Recreation Pages, GORP magazine recently rated the refuge as 
one of the top Ten most scenic drives in the United States. 
Furthermore, studies show that visitors of Prime Hook generate over 
$1.21 million and nearly 20 jobs a year in the local Sussex County 
economy.
  I am proud to join my colleagues in sponsoring this resolution to 
celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week and honor the National Wildlife 
Refuge System.
  As President Roosevelt once said:

       It is not what we have that will make us a great Nation. It 
     is the way in which we use it.

  We must continue the legacy of President Roosevelt and work to 
conserve our wildlife heritage for current and future generations.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate, and that any statements related to the resolution be printed in 
the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 644) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 644

       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
       Resolved, 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.

  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

[[Page S7454]]

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

                          ____________________