IV 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 882 
Encouraging the observance of the week beginning on October 9, 2016, 
as ‘‘National Wildlife Refuge Week’’. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 
Mr. THOMPSON of California (for himself, Mr. KIND, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. 
BLUMENAUER, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. COSTELLO 
of Pennsylvania, Mrs. DINGELL, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HAS-
TINGS, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Ms. LEE, 
Ms. LOFGREN, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. 
SABLAN, Mr. WALZ, Mr. WELCH, Mr. HECK of Washington, Ms. 
MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico, Mr. POCAN, Ms. NORTON, 
Ms. TITUS, Mr. KILMER, and Ms. KAPTUR) submitted the following reso-
lution; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
RESOLUTION 
Encouraging the observance of the week beginning on 
October 9, 2016, as ‘‘National Wildlife Refuge Week’’. 
Whereas in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established 
the first national wildlife refuge on Pelican Island in 
Florida; 
Whereas 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 encompass 565 national 
wildlife refuges, 38 wetland management districts, and 5 
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marine national monuments in every State and territory 
of the United States, totaling approximately 836,000,000 
acres; 
Whereas national wildlife refuges are important destinations 
for recreation and tourism in communities across the 
United States, and these protected lands offer a variety 
of recreational opportunities, including six wildlife-de-
pendent uses that the National Wildlife Refuge System 
manages: hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photog-
raphy, environmental education, and interpretation; 
Whereas, 364 units of the National Wildlife Refuge System 
have hunting programs and 303 units of the National 
Wildlife Refuge System have fishing programs, averaging 
more than 2,400,000 hunting visits and nearly 6,800,000 
fishing visits each year; 
Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System experienced 
more than 30,800,000 wildlife observation visits during 
fiscal year 2015; 
Whereas national wildlife refuges are important to local busi-
nesses and gateway communities; 
Whereas, for every $1.00 appropriated for national wildlife 
refuges, nearly $5.00 in economic activity is generated; 
Whereas visitation to the National Wildlife Refuge System in-
creased by nearly 30 percent between 2005 and 2015; 
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, 
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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 Federal Duck Stamps to 
outdoor 
enthusiasts 
has 
generated 
more 
than 
$850,000,000, which has enabled the purchase or lease of 
more than 5,700,000 acres of habitat for waterfowl and 
other species in the National Wildlife Refuge System; 
Whereas national wildlife refuges provide protection to more 
than 380 threatened and endangered species; 
Whereas national wildlife refuges are cores of conservation 
for larger landscapes and a means for agencies of the 
Federal Government, State governments, private land-
owners, and organizations to secure the wildlife heritage 
of the United States; 
Whereas more than 36,000 volunteers and approximately 200 
nonprofit organizations designated as national wildlife 
refuge ‘‘Friends’’ groups contribute more than 1,400,000 
hours annually to preserving the national wildlife refuges, 
the equivalent of nearly 700 full-time employees, and pro-
vide 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; 
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Whereas, there are national wildlife refuges located in both 
urban and suburban areas and a national wildlife refuge 
located within an hour drive of every metropolitan area 
in the United States; 
Whereas national wildlife refuges employ, educate, and en-
gage young people from all backgrounds in exploring, 
connecting with, and preserving the natural heritage of 
the United States; 
Whereas, since 1995, national wildlife 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 Oc-
tober; 
Whereas the United States Fish and Wildlife Service will con-
tinue 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 9, 2016, has been 
designated as ‘‘National Wildlife Refuge Week’’ by the 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and 
Whereas the observance 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 to enjoy this network 
of protected lands: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
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(1) encourages the observance of ‘‘National 
Wildlife Refuge Week’’ with appropriate events and 
activities; 
(2) acknowledges the importance of national 
wildlife refuges for their recreational opportunities 
and contribution to local economies across the 
United States; 
(3) pronounces that national wildlife refuges 
play a vital role in securing the hunting and fishing 
heritage of the United States for future generations; 
(4) identifies the significance of national wild-
life refuges in advancing the traditions of wildlife ob-
servation, photography, environmental education, 
and interpretation; 
(5) recognizes the importance of national wild-
life refuges to wildlife conservation and the protec-
tion of imperiled species and ecosystems; 
(6) acknowledges the role of national wildlife 
refuges in conserving waterfowl and waterfowl habi-
tat pursuant to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 
U.S.C. 703 et seq.); 
(7) reaffirms the support of the House of Rep-
resentatives for wildlife conservation and the Na-
tional Wildlife Refuge System; and 
(8) expresses the intent of the House— 
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(A) to continue working to conserve wild-
life; and 
(B) to support the National Wildlife Ref-
uge System for current and future generations. 
Æ 
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