[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 580 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 580
Designating the week beginning on October 14, 2012, as ``National
Wildlife Refuge Week''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 22 (legislative day, September 21), 2012
Mr. Coons (for himself, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Lieberman, Mr.
Brown of Massachusetts, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Ms. Snowe, Mrs.
Murray, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Reed, Mr. Cochran, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr.
Kerry, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Leahy, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Blumenthal,
Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Udall of
Colorado, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Bingaman, and Ms. Collins)
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Designating the week beginning on October 14, 2012, as ``National
Wildlife Refuge Week''.
Whereas, in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established the first national
wildlife refuge on Florida's Pelican Island;
Whereas, in 2012, the National Wildlife Refuge System, administered by the Fish
and Wildlife Service, is the premier system of lands and waters to
conserve wildlife in the world, and has grown to more than 150,000,000
acres, 558 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 more than 360 units of the National Wildlife Refuge System have hunting
programs and more than 300 units of the National Wildlife Refuge System
have fishing programs, averaging more than 2,500,000 hunting visits and
more than 7,000,000 fishing visits each year;
Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System experienced more than 30,000,000
wildlife observation visits during fiscal year 2012;
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 the National Wildlife Refuge System experiences approximately 47,000,000
visits each year, which generated nearly $2,100,000,000 and more than
35,000 jobs in local economies during fiscal year 2012;
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 5,500,000 acres of waterfowl habitat in
the National Wildlife Refuge System;
Whereas 59 refuges were established specifically to protect imperiled species,
and of the more than 1,300 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 more than 42,000 volunteers and approximately 220 national wildlife
refuge ``Friends'' organizations contribute nearly 1,600,000 hours
annually, the equivalent of 766 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 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 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 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 Fish and
Wildlife Service for the future of the National Wildlife Refuge System;
Whereas the week beginning on October 14, 2012, has been designated as
``National Wildlife Refuge Week'' by the 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 14, 2012, 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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