[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 11302]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 121--DESIGNATING MAY 15, 2009, AS ``ENDANGERED 
                             SPECIES DAY''

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Akaka, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. 
Brown, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Levin, Mr. Sanders, 
and Mr. Whitehouse) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 121

       Whereas, in the United States and around the world, more 
     than 1,000 species are officially designated as at risk of 
     extinction and thousands more also face a heightened risk of 
     extinction;
       Whereas the actual and potential benefits that may be 
     derived from many species have not yet been fully discovered 
     and would be permanently lost if not for conservation 
     efforts;
       Whereas recovery efforts for species such as the whooping 
     crane, Kirtland's warbler, the peregrine falcon, the gray 
     wolf, the gray whale, the grizzly bear, and others have 
     resulted in great improvements in the viability of such 
     species;
       Whereas saving a species requires a combination of sound 
     research, careful coordination, and intensive management of 
     conservation efforts, along with increased public awareness 
     and education;
       Whereas \2/3\ of endangered or threatened species reside on 
     private lands;
       Whereas voluntary cooperative conservation programs have 
     proven to be critical to habitat restoration and species 
     recovery; and
       Whereas education and increasing public awareness are the 
     first steps in effectively informing the public about 
     endangered species and species restoration efforts: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates May 15, 2009, as ``Endangered Species Day'';
       (2) encourages schools to spend at least 30 minutes on 
     Endangered Species Day teaching and informing students 
     about--
       (A) threats to endangered species around the world; and
       (B) efforts to restore endangered species, including the 
     essential role of private landowners and private stewardship 
     in the protection and recovery of species;
       (3) encourages organizations, businesses, private 
     landowners, and agencies with a shared interest in conserving 
     endangered species to collaborate in developing educational 
     information for use in schools; and
       (4) encourages the people of the United States--
       (A) to become educated about, and aware of, threats to 
     species, success stories in species recovery, and 
     opportunities to promote species conservation worldwide; and
       (B) to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and 
     activities.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a resolution 
to establish the fourth annual Endangered Species Day on May 15, 2009. 
I am introducing this legislation with Senators Collins, Boxer, Brown, 
Cantwell, Feingold, Kerry, Levin, Sanders, Whitehouse, and Akaka whose 
cosponsorship and support of this resolution I appreciate very much.
  The designation of Endangered Species Day will provide many wonderful 
opportunities for Americans to familiarize themselves with the status 
and recovery efforts of endangered species in our own country and 
around the world, including such magnificent species as the polar bear.
  Last year, more than 100 events were held across the country to 
highlight endangered species success stories, and even more are slated 
for this year. Educational activities were held at zoos, aquariums, 
libraries, and schools across the country, including Disney's Animal 
Kingdom in Florida, the San Diego Zoo in California, the Port Defiance 
Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington, and the Bronx Zoo in New York 
City.
  Based on the success of last year, I am confident that this year's 
Endangered Species Day will continue to foster increased awareness 
about endangered species by encouraging educational activities such as 
school field trips to the zoo or attending an art fair at a local 
library.
  Endangered species recovery programs in California are great examples 
of the conservation and management efforts that have helped to 
significantly restore populations of the California condor and the 
California gray whale. Over 300 species classified as either endangered 
or threatened live in California, and efforts to protect them will 
ensure that they continue to do so.
  Despite these success stories, we must consider what more can be 
done. There are over 5,000 threatened species that receive protection 
in the United States and abroad. An important step to preventing 
further threats to and endangerment of wildlife is to increase 
awareness about the seriousness of the problem and educating our youth 
on what we can do.
  I would also like to commend the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and 
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, who recently lifted the Bush 
administration's last-minute consultation rule. This will allow the 
United States to take immediate action to ensure that independent 
wildlife experts are consulted on the impacts on endangered and 
threatened species.
  I am introducing this bill with the hope that Endangered Species Day 
can spark the interest in our youth to continue the conservation 
efforts that we have begun, but are still far from finishing.

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