Expressing support for the designation of the week beginning on October 13, 2019, as National Wildlife Refuge Week.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 628 Expressing support for the designation of the week beginning on October 13, 2019, as National Wildlife Refuge Week. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OCTOBER 15, 2019 Mr. THOMPSON of California (for himself, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. KIND, Mr. JOYCE of Ohio, Ms. GABBARD, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Miss GONZA´LEZ- COLO´N of Puerto Rico, Mr. SOTO, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. VELA, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. COSTA, Mr. GARAMENDI, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. WELCH, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. PAS- CRELL, Mr. KHANNA, and Mr. GRIJALVA) submitted the following resolu- tion; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources RESOLUTION Expressing support for the designation of the week beginning on October 13, 2019, as National Wildlife Refuge Week. Whereas, in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established the first national wildlife refuge on Pelican Island in Florida; Whereas, in 2019, the National Wildlife Refuge System, ad- ministered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Serv- ice, is the premier system of land and water to conserve wildlife in the world and has grown to 567 national wild- life refuges and 38 wetland management districts located in every State and territory of the United States; VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:03 Oct 16, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR628.IH HR628 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 628 IH Whereas national wildlife refuges are important recreational and tourism destinations in communities across the United States, and this protected land offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including the six wildlife-de- pendent uses of hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and interpreta- tion; Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System receives more than 50,000,000 visitors annually, which generates more than $3,200,000,000 in sales and 41,000 jobs in local economies; Whereas 382 units of the National Wildlife Refuge System have hunting programs and 316 units have fishing pro- grams that receive more than 2,000,000 hunting visits and more than 7,000,000 fishing visits annually; Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System has hosted more than 30,000,000 wildlife observation visits in recent years; Whereas national wildlife refuges are important to local busi- nesses and gateway communities; 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 United States 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; VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:03 Oct 16, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR628.IH HR628 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 628 IH Whereas national wildlife refuges are the primary Federal lands on which the production, migration, and wintering habitat for waterfowl are fostered; Whereas, since 1934, the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, which has been largely funded from the sale of the Fed- eral Duck Stamp to outdoor enthusiasts, has generated more than $1,500,000,000 and enabled the conservation of more than 5,900,000 acres of habitat for waterfowl and numerous other species in the National Wildlife Ref- uge System; Whereas refuges provide protection to more than 380 threat- ened and endangered species; Whereas national wildlife refuges are cores of conservation for larger landscapes and resources for other agencies of the Federal Government, State governments, private landowners, and organizations in efforts to secure the wildlife heritage of the United States; Whereas more than 38,000 volunteers and almost 200 na- tional wildlife refuge ‘‘Friends’’ organizations contribute around 1,350,000 volunteer hours annually, the equiva- lent of 650 full-time employees, and provide an important link to local communities; Whereas national wildlife refuges provide an important op- portunity for children to discover and gain a greater ap- preciation for the natural world; Whereas there are national wildlife refuges located in several urban and suburban areas and there is a refuge located within a 1-hour drive of nearly every metropolitan area in the United States, which has enabled national wildlife refuges to employ, educate, and engage young people VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:03 Oct 16, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR628.IH HR628 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 628 IH 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 has des- ignated the week beginning on October 13, 2019, as Na- tional Wildlife Refuge Week; and Whereas the designation of National Wildlife Refuge Week by the House of Representatives would recognize more than a century of conservation in the United States, raise awareness about the importance of wildlife and the Na- tional Wildlife Refuge System, and celebrate the myriad recreational opportunities available for the enjoyment of this network of protected lands: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the designation of National Wild- 2 life Refuge Week; 3 (2) encourages the observance of National Wild- 4 life Refuge Week with appropriate events and activi- 5 ties; 6 (3) acknowledges the importance of national 7 wildlife refuges for their recreational opportunities 8 and contribution to local economies across the 9 United States; 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:03 Oct 16, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR628.IH HR628 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HRES 628 IH (4) finds that national wildlife refuges play a 1 vital role in securing the hunting and fishing herit- 2 age of the United States for future generations; 3 (5) identifies the significance of national wild- 4 life refuges in advancing the traditions of wildlife ob- 5 servation, photography, environmental education, 6 and interpretation; 7 (6) recognizes the importance of national wild- 8 life refuges to wildlife conservation, the protection of 9 imperiled species and ecosystems, and compatible 10 uses; 11 (7) acknowledges the role of national wildlife 12 refuges in conserving waterfowl and waterfowl habi- 13 tat under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 14 703 et seq.); 15 (8) reaffirms the support of the House of Rep- 16 resentatives for wildlife conservation and the Na- 17 tional Wildlife Refuge System; and 18 (9) expresses the intent of the House of Rep- 19 resentatives— 20 (A) to continue working to conserve wild- 21 life; and 22 (B) to manage the National Wildlife Ref- 23 uge System for current and future generations. 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:03 Oct 16, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR628.IH HR628 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS