[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 20]
[Senate]
[Page 27100]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 66--AFFIRMING THAT THE INTENT OF CONGRESS 
IN PASSING THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1997 
  WAS TO ALLOW HUNTING AND FISHING ON PUBLIC LAND WITHIN THE NATIONAL 
  WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM AND DECLARING THAT THE PURPOSE OF RESERVING 
CERTAIN LAND AS PUBLIC LAND IS TO MAKE THE LAND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC 
                          FOR REASONABLE USES

  Mr. VITTER submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources:

                            S. Con. Res. 66

       Whereas hunting and fishing have a long and distinguished 
     history in the United States;
       Whereas hunting and fishing remain an important part of the 
     lifestyle and culture of people from many different areas of 
     the country and from all walks of life;
       Whereas sportsmen and sportswomen have worked for decades 
     to ensure that public land and other land that is used for 
     hunting and fishing is cared for, protected, and preserved;
       Whereas the land that makes up the National Wildlife Refuge 
     System has been widely used for hunting, fishing, and other 
     sporting purposes;
       Whereas in 1997, Congress passed the National Wildlife 
     Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-57; 111 
     Stat. 1252), which clearly and directly stated that hunting 
     and fishing, as wildlife-dependent recreational activities, 
     could be considered compatible uses of public land, including 
     land within the National Wildlife Refuge System; and
       Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act 
     of 1997 (Public Law 105-57; 111 Stat. 1252) passed by a vote 
     of 419-1, demonstrating the nonpartisan nature of the 
     legislation and the tremendous amount of support the 
     legislation enjoyed: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That--
       (1) in passing the National Wildlife Refuge System 
     Improvement Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-57; 111 Stat. 1252), 
     Congress demonstrated its clear intent to allow hunting and 
     fishing on the public land within the National Wildlife 
     Refuge System;
       (2) the intent of Congress has not changed in any way since 
     the date of enactment of that Act, and any assumption to the 
     contrary is misguided and misinterprets the clear intent of 
     Congress; and
       (3) the general purpose of reserving certain land as public 
     land, including the land within the National Wildlife Refuge 
     System, is to make the land available to the public for 
     reasonable uses, including hunting, fishing, other wildlife-
     dependent sports, and other outdoor purposes.

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