III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 289 

Designating the week beginning on October 8, 2017, as ‘‘National Wildlife 

Refuge Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 5, 2017 

Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. KENNEDY) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating the week beginning on October 8, 2017, as 

‘‘National Wildlife Refuge Week’’. 

Whereas, in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established 

the first national wildlife refuge on Pelican Island in 

Florida; 

Whereas, in 2017, the National Wildlife Refuge System, administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, is the premier system of land and water to conserve 

wildlife in the world and has grown to approximately 

836,000,000 acres, 566 national wildlife refuges, and 38 

wetland management districts located 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 this protected land offers a variety of 


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recreational opportunities, including 6 wildlife-dependent 

uses that the National Wildlife Refuge System manages, 

specifically hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and interpretation; 

Whereas, in 2017, 373 units of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System have hunting programs and 310 units of the National Wildlife Refuge System have fishing programs, 

averaging more than 2,400,000 hunting visits and nearly 

6,900,000 fishing visits each year; 

Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System experienced 

more than 31,400,000 wildlife observation visits during 

fiscal year 2016; 

Whereas national wildlife refuges are important to local businesses and gateway communities; 

Whereas visitation to the National Wildlife Refuge System increased by nearly 30 percent from 2006 to 2016; 

Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System experiences 

more than 50,000,000 visits each year, which generate 

more than $2,400,000,000 in sales and 35,000 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; 


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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 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 refuges provide protection to more than 380 threatened 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 40,000 volunteers and approximately 200 

national wildlife refuge ‘‘Friends’’ organizations contribute more than 1,350,000 volunteer hours annually, 

the equivalent of nearly 650 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 there are national wildlife refuges located in several 

urban and suburban areas and there is a refuge located 

within a 1 hour drive of every metropolitan area in the 

United States, which has enabled national wildlife refuges 

to employ, educate, and engage young people from all 

backgrounds in exploring, connecting with, and preserving the natural heritage of the United States; 


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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 designated the week beginning on October 8, 2017, as ‘‘National Wildlife Refuge Week’’; 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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates the week beginning on October 

3 8, 2017, as ‘‘National Wildlife Refuge Week’’; 

4 (2) encourages the observance of National Wild5 life Refuge Week with appropriate events and activi6 ties; 

7 (3) acknowledges the importance of national 

8 wildlife refuges for their recreational opportunities 

9 and contribution to local economies across the 

10 United States; 

11 (4) finds that national wildlife refuges play a 

12 vital role in securing the hunting and fishing herit13 age of the United States for future generations; 


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1 (5) identifies the significance of national wild2 life refuges in advancing the traditions of wildlife ob3 servation, photography, environmental education, 

4 and interpretation; 

5 (6) recognizes the importance of national wild6 life refuges to wildlife conservation, the protection of 

7 imperiled species and ecosystems, and compatible 

8 uses; 

9 (7) acknowledges the role of national wildlife 

10 refuges in conserving waterfowl and waterfowl habi11 tat under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 

12 703 et seq.); 

13 (8) reaffirms the support of the Senate for 

14 wildlife conservation and the National Wildlife Ref15 uge System; and 

16 (9) expresses the intent of the Senate— 

17 (A) to continue working to conserve wild18 life; and 

19 (B) to manage the National Wildlife Ref20 uge System for current and future generations. 

Æ 


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