[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15983-15984]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 286--DESIGNATING THE WEEK BEGINNING ON OCTOBER 11, 
               2015, AS ``NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE WEEK''

  Mr. COONS (for himself, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Wyden, Ms. Collins, Mr. 
Reed, Mr. Booker, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Mikulski, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Peters, Mr. 
Heinrich, Mr. Manchin, Mrs. Shaheen, Mrs. Feinstein, and Mr. Franken) 
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 286

       Whereas, in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established 
     the first national wildlife refuge on Pelican Island in 
     Florida;
       Whereas, in 2015, the National Wildlife Refuge System, 
     administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 
     is the premier system of lands and waters to conserve 
     wildlife in the world, and has grown to approximately 
     150,000,000 acres, 563 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 United States, 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, in 2015, 336 units of the National Wildlife Refuge 
     System have hunting programs and 275 units of the National 
     Wildlife

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     Refuge System have fishing programs, averaging approximately 
     2,500,000 hunting visits and nearly 7,000,000 fishing visits 
     each year;
       Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System experienced 
     nearly 30,000,000 wildlife observation visits during fiscal 
     year 2014;
       Whereas national wildlife refuges are important to local 
     businesses and gateway communities;
       Whereas, for every $1 appropriated, national wildlife 
     refuges generate nearly $5 in economic activity;
       Whereas visitation to the National Wildlife Refuge System 
     increased by nearly 27 percent from 2005 to 2014;
       Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System experiences 
     over 47,000,000 visits each year, which generated more than 
     $2,400,000,000 and more than 35,000 jobs in local economies 
     during fiscal year 2011;
       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 national wildlife refuges are the primary Federal 
     lands that foster production, migration, and wintering 
     habitat for waterfowl;
       Whereas, since 1934, the sale of the Federal Duck Stamp to 
     outdoor enthusiasts has generated more than $850,000,000 in 
     funds, which has enabled the purchase or lease of more than 
     5,700,000 acres of habitat for waterfowl and numerous other 
     species in the National Wildlife Refuge System;
       Whereas the recovery of 386 threatened and endangered 
     species is supported on refuge lands;
       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 nearly 36,000 volunteers and approximately 200 
     national wildlife refuge ``Friends'' organizations contribute 
     more than 1,400,000 hours annually, the equivalent of nearly 
     700 full-time employees, and provide an important link to 
     local communities;
       Whereas national wildlife refuges provide an important 
     opportunity for children to discover and gain a greater 
     appreciation for the natural world;
       Whereas, because there are national wildlife refuges 
     located in several urban and suburban areas and a refuge 
     located within an hour drive of every metropolitan area in 
     the United States, national wildlife refuges employ, educate, 
     and engage young people from all backgrounds in exploring, 
     connecting with, and preserving the natural heritage of the 
     United States;
       Whereas, since 1995, refuges across the United States 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 United States Fish and Wildlife Service will 
     continue to seek stakeholder input on the implementation of 
     ``Conserving the Future: Wildlife Refuges and the Next 
     Generation'', an update to the strategic plan of the United 
     States Fish and Wildlife Service for the future of the 
     National Wildlife Refuge System;
       Whereas the week beginning on October 11, 2015, has been 
     designated as ``National Wildlife Refuge Week'' by the United 
     States Fish and Wildlife Service; and
       Whereas the designation of National Wildlife Refuge Week by 
     the Senate would recognize more than a century of 
     conservation in the United States, raise awareness about the 
     importance of wildlife and the National Wildlife Refuge 
     System, and 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 11, 2015, as 
     ``National Wildlife Refuge Week'';
       (2) encourages the observance of National Wildlife Refuge 
     Week with appropriate events and activities;
       (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) identifies the significance of national wildlife 
     refuges in advancing the traditions of wildlife observation, 
     photography, environmental education, and interpretation;
       (6) recognizes the importance of national wildlife refuges 
     to wildlife conservation and the protection of imperiled 
     species and ecosystems, as well as compatible uses;
       (7) acknowledges the role of national wildlife refuges in 
     conserving waterfowl and waterfowl habitat pursuant to the 
     Migratory Bird Treaty Act (40 Stat. 755, chapter 128);
       (8) reaffirms the support of the Senate for wildlife 
     conservation and the National Wildlife Refuge System; and
       (9) 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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