[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 21, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1140]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM CONSERVATION SEMIPOSTAL STAMP ACT OF 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                  HON. GREGORIO KILILI CAMACHO SABLAN

                      of northern mariana islands

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 21, 2011

  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, last week I introduced H.R. 2236, the 
Wildlife Refuge System Conservation Semipostal Stamp Act of 2011. This 
bill would let Americans donate to the upkeep of the National Wildlife 
Refuge System by purchasing semipostal stamps. There are 553 refuge 
sites in or nearby almost every congressional district in this country; 
and those refuges need financial help.
  Last month, Chairman Fleming of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on 
Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs held an oversight 
hearing on the National Wildlife Refuge System's finances. The U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the System, testified that it 
has $3.3 billion in unmet operational needs and deferred maintenance 
projects.
  A semipostal stamp could help--at least in some small way--to pull 
the Refuge System out of that deep hole. Semipostals are postage stamps 
sold at a premium, with the difference going to fund a cause of 
national interest. The stamps have proven successful. The Breast Cancer 
Research Stamp has raised over $71 million since it was authorized in 
1998.
  Now, in times of budget constraint, Americans are looking for ways to 
revitalize the wildlife refuges in their backyards without increasing 
the demand on taxpayers. The semipostal stamp authorized in H.R. 2236 
would provide Americans a way to support their 553 refuge sites without 
increasing taxes or taking funds from other important government 
services.
  The National Wildlife Refuge System was created by President Theodore 
Roosevelt and today it is the world's premier system of public lands 
and waters set aside to conserve fish, wildlife and plants. In my 
district, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Volcanic Unit and the 
Mariana Trench Unit of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument are 
parts of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Volcanic Unit is an 
arc of undersea mud volcanoes and thermal vents where exotic animals 
thrive in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. This is an area 
of cutting-edge scientific scrutiny, and awakens dreams of deep-sea 
exploration and discovery in us all.
  In almost every state and territory wildlife refuges are similarly 
important. They provide recreational opportunities. By exposing our 
young people to the natural world, refuges inspire the next generation 
of scientists and researchers. And the wildlife refuges are economic 
assets. Every year, the Refuge System attracts 44 million tourists, 
generating $1.7 billion in sales and sustaining 27,000 jobs.
  Despite the value of the National Wildlife Refuge System, it remains 
drastically underfunded--unable to keep up with basic operations and 
maintenance costs. My bill would help alleviate that problem. H.R. 2236 
brings a fresh source of income to the National Wildlife Refuge System 
without drawing on taxpayers or increasing the national debt. The bill 
gives Americans the choice to contribute to a program deeply important 
to our Nation and I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 2236.

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