[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 43 (Thursday, March 15, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1732-S1733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM

 Mr. CARDIN. President Theodore Roosevelt established Pelican 
Island in Florida as the first national wildlife refuge on March 14, 
1903. He was responding not only to an urgent need to conserve our 
vulnerable natural resources but also to the passionate advocacy of 
Americans who understood that our Nation's strength lies in the 
conservation of our wild lands and unique species.
  Over the course of his Presidency, Roosevelt established 53 wildlife 
refuges, from Key West's mangrove islands and sand flats to Flattery 
Rock along Washington State's coast.
  Today, on the refuge system's 109th birthday, the National Wildlife 
Refuge spans more than 150 million acres, across 556 wildlife refuges 
and 38 wetland management districts. The National Wildlife Refuge 
System is the Nation's premier network of public lands dedicated to the 
conservation of America's land and waters, its fish, wildlife, and 
plants.
  From the Arctic to the Caribbean, the Atlantic to the Pacific, 
America's wildlife refuges are in every State and U.S. territory. 
Wildlife refuges conserve habitat that is essential to more than 700 
species of birds, 220 types of mammals, 250 varieties of reptiles and 
amphibians, more than 1,000 species of fish, and uncounted 
invertebrates and plants. They sustain nearly 300 of the Nation's more 
than 1,300 endangered or threatened species.
  The National Wildlife Refuge System does not only benefit wildlife. 
The refuges also play a critical role for our communities. By 
protecting wetlands, grasslands, forests, wilderness, and other natural 
habitats, wildlife refuges improve air and water quality, relieve 
flooding, improve soil quality, and trap greenhouse gases. Wildlife 
refuges also benefit local economies, drawing visitors to local 
communities and supporting jobs tied to conservation and outdoor 
recreation.
  I am especially proud of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in 
my home State of Maryland. Blackwater contains roughly one-third of all 
of the tidal wetlands in the State of Maryland and provides critical 
storm protection to lower Dorchester County, MD. Home to one of the 
largest breeding populations of American bald eagles on the east coast, 
Blackwater Refuge is recognized as a ``Wetlands of International 
Importance'' by the Ramsar Convention and has been called one of the 
``Last Great Places'' by the Nature Conservancy. Blackwater also plays 
a critical economic role in Maryland, attracting approximately 200,000 
visitors annually and providing an important economic engine for our 
Eastern Shore communities.
  The Blackwater Refuge is a place of great ecological and economic 
value, but more than that, it is a place of deep historic value. One of 
the most important heroes in our Nation's history lived and bravely 
worked within the boundaries of Blackwater. To commemorate this 
history, I have introduced legislation to create two national 
historical parks--one within the Blackwater Refuge and one in New York 
to honor the legacy of Harriet Ross Tubman for her work on the 
Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman was born within the Blackwater 
boundary and conducted much of her courageous work there leading other 
slaves northward to freedom. I am deeply committed to ensuring that her 
legacy is celebrated within the Blackwater Refuge. This is part of the 
beauty of the National Wildlife Refuge System: by preserving the 
ecological integrity of our treasured lands, we also preserve an 
important link to our Nation's past.
  In an increasingly urban and high-speed world, our national wildlife 
refuges--islands of natural beauty--offer Americans priceless places to 
soothe or stir the soul, educate the mind, and invigorate the body. I 
am pleased today to recognize the anniversary of this valuable 
system.

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