[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16510-16511]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 644--DESIGNATING THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 10, 2010, 
                  AS ``NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE WEEK''

  Mr. KAUFMAN (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Alexander, Mr. 
Casey, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Lincoln, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Burris, Mr. Udall 
of Colorado, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Kerry, Mrs. Shaheen, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
Bennet, Mr. Feingold, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Corker, Mr. Reed, Mr. Udall of 
New Mexico, Mr. Pryor, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Inouye, and 
Mr. Levin) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
agreed to:

                              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

[[Page 16511]]

     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; and
       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.

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