III 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 286 

Designating the week beginning on October 11, 2015, as ‘‘National Wildlife 

Refuge Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 8, 2015 

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 

RESOLUTION 

Designating the week beginning on October 11, 2015, as 

‘‘National Wildlife Refuge Week’’. 

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; 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 286 ATS 

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 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; 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 286 ATS 

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 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•SRES 286 ATS 

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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates the week beginning on October 

3 11, 2015, as ‘‘National Wildlife Refuge Week’’; 

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


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•SRES 286 ATS 

1 (3) acknowledges the importance of national 

2 wildlife refuges for their recreational opportunities 

3 and contribution to local economies across the 

4 United States; 

5 (4) pronounces that national wildlife refuges 

6 play a vital role in securing the hunting and fishing 

7 heritage of the United States for future generations; 

8 (5) identifies the significance of national wild9 life refuges in advancing the traditions of wildlife ob10 servation, photography, environmental education, 

11 and interpretation; 

12 (6) recognizes the importance of national wild13 life refuges to wildlife conservation and the protec14 tion of imperiled species and ecosystems, as well as 

15 compatible uses; 

16 (7) acknowledges the role of national wildlife 

17 refuges in conserving waterfowl and waterfowl habi18 tat pursuant to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (40 

19 Stat. 755, chapter 128); 

20 (8) reaffirms the support of the Senate for 

21 wildlife conservation and the National Wildlife Ref22 uge System; and 

23 (9) expresses the intent of the Senate— 

24 (A) to continue working to conserve wild25 life; and 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•SRES 286 ATS 

1 (B) to manage the National Wildlife Ref2 uge System for current and future generations. 

Æ 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS