III 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 644 

Designating the week beginning October 10, 2010, as ‘‘National Wildlife 

Refuge Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 24, 2010 

Mr. KAUFMAN (for himself, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. 

CASEY, Mrs. MURRAY, Mrs. LINCOLN, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. BURRIS, Mr. 

UDALL of Colorado, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. KERRY, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mrs. 

FEINSTEIN, Mr. BENNET, Mr. FEINGOLD, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. CORKER, 

Mr. REED, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. PRYOR, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. 

WHITEHOUSE, Mr. INOUYE, and Mr. LEVIN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating the week beginning October 10, 2010, as 

‘‘National Wildlife Refuge Week’’. 

Whereas, in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established 

the first national wildlife refuge on Florida’s Pelican Island; 

Whereas, in 2010, the National Wildlife Refuge System is the 

premier system of lands and waters to conserve wildlife 

in the world, and has grown to more than 150 million 

acres, 552 national wildlife refuges, and 38 wetland management districts in every State and territory of the 

United States; 


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Whereas national wildlife refuges are important recreational 

and tourism destinations in communities across the Nation, 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 hunting is permitted on more than 320 national 

wildlife refuges and fishing is permitted on 272 national 

wildlife refuges, welcoming more than 2,500,000 hunters 

and more than 7,000,000 anglers; 

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 approximately 41,000,000 people visit national wildlife refuges every year, generating nearly $1,700,000,000 

and 27,000 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; 

Whereas 59 refuges were established specifically to protect 

imperiled species and of the more than 1,200 federally 

listed threatened and endangered species in the United 


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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 39,000 volunteers and more than 220 national wildlife refuge ‘‘Friends’’ organizations contribute nearly 

1,400,000 hours annually, the equivalent of 665 full-time 

employees, and provide an important link with local communities; 

Whereas national wildlife refuges provide an important opportunity for children to connect with nature and discover 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 Nation; 

Whereas, since 1995, refuges across the Nation 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 week beginning on October 10, 2010, has been 

designated as ‘‘National Wildlife Refuge Week’’ by the 

United States Fish and Wildlife Service; 

Whereas, in 2010, the designation of National Wildlife Refuge Week would recognize more than a century of conVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:04 Sep 24, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR644.ATS SR644

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servation in the United States and would serve to raise 

awareness about the importance of wildlife and the National Wildlife Refuge System and to 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 10, 2010, as ‘‘National Wildlife Refuge Week’’; 

4 (2) supports the goals and ideals of National 

5 Wildlife Refuge Week; 

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 (4) pronounces that national wildlife refuges 

11 play a vital role in securing the hunting and fishing 

12 heritage of the United States for future generations; 

13 (5) recognizes the importance of national wild14 life refuges to wildlife conservation and the protec15 tion of imperiled species and ecosystems; 

16 (6) applauds the work of refuge ‘‘Friends’’ 

17 groups, national and community organizations, and 

18 public partners that promote awareness, compatible 

19 use, protection, and restoration of national wildlife 

20 refuges; 


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1 (7) reaffirms the support of the Senate for 

2 wildlife conservation and the National Wildlife Ref3 uge System; and 

4 (8) expresses the intent of the Senate— 

5 (A) to continue working to conserve wild6 life; and 

7 (B) to manage the National Wildlife Ref8 uge System for current and future generations. 

Æ 


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