[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15654]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PATUXENT RESEARCH REFUGE

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                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 14, 2011

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 75th anniversary of 
the Patuxent Research Refuge--established in 1936 by President Franklin 
D. Roosevelt and the nation's only National Wildlife Refuge created to 
support wildlife research.
  Over the past 75 years, the Patuxent Research Refuge has been the 
site of countless advances in wildlife and applied environmental 
research. Scientists working on the refuge have been international 
leaders in natural resource conservation and their work has improved 
the health of animals and humans alike. Pioneering work in the field of 
environmental contaminants undertaken at Patuxent served as the 
backbone of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and research efforts at the 
refuge ultimately led to the banning of DDT.
  Patuxent's research community has also made important contributions 
in the areas of migratory birds, wildlife population analysis, 
waterfowl harvest, habitat management, wetlands, coastal zone and flood 
plain management, endangered species recovery, urban wildlife, 
ecosystem management, and management of national parks and national 
wildlife refuges.
  For those of us who live in this region, the Patuxent Research Refuge 
is more than a center for the advancement of science. It is an oasis in 
between two major cities--a site that gives all visitors the 
opportunity to immerse themselves in nature and reflect on the 
importance of preserving our environment. Indeed, among my proudest 
achievements in the Congress is helping to enable increased public 
access to Patuxent through the expansion of the facility from its 
original 2,670 acres to its present 12,841 acres.
  I want to thank the staff and scientists of U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service and the U.S. Geological Survey for their continued efforts to 
preserve this marvelous asset and advance our understanding of our 
environment. And I urge my colleagues to join with me in congratulating 
all of those gathered at Patuxent this weekend to celebrate this 
important milestone.

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