IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1420 
Expressing support for the designation of the week beginning on October 
9, 2022, as ‘‘National Wildlife Refuge Week’’. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 
Mr. THOMPSON of California (for himself, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. KIND, and Mr. 
JOYCE of Ohio) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Natural Resources 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for the designation of the week beginning 
on October 9, 2022, as ‘‘National Wildlife Refuge Week’’. 
Whereas, in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established 
the first national wildlife refuge on Pelican Island in 
Florida; 
Whereas, in 2022, 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 568 national wild-
life refuges and 38 wetland management districts, with 
units located in every State and territory of the United 
States; 
Whereas national wildlife refuges are important recreational 
and tourism destinations in communities across the 
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•HRES 1420 IH 
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 61,000,000 annual visits, which generate more than 
$3,200,000,000 for local economies and support 41,000 
jobs; 
Whereas 436 units of the National Wildlife Refuge System 
have hunting programs and 378 units have fishing pro-
grams that, respectively, support more than 2,500,000 
hunting visits and more than 8,300,000 fishing visits an-
nually; 
Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System has hosted 
more than 37,000,000 birding and 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 contains many 
different kinds of ecosystems, including tropical and bo-
real 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; 
Whereas national wildlife refuges are the primary Federal 
lands on which the production, migration, and wintering 
habitat for waterfowl are fostered; 
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•HRES 1420 IH 
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 $1,100,000,000 and enabled the conservation 
of more than 6,000,000 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 16,000 volunteers and almost 180 na-
tional wildlife refuge ‘‘Friends’’ organizations contribute 
around 762,000 volunteer hours annually, the equivalent 
of 360 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 101 units of the National Wildlife Refuge System 
are within 25 miles of cities and suburbs where 80 per-
cent of individuals in the United States live; 
Whereas, through the Urban Wildlife Conservation Program, 
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service works to dis-
mantle barriers that have blocked underserved commu-
nities from full and equal participation in outdoor recre-
ation and wildlife conservation; 
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•HRES 1420 IH 
Whereas the Urban Wildlife Conservation Program fosters 
strong new conservation coalitions, educates and employs 
youth, betters communities, builds trust in government, 
and connects individuals with nature; 
Whereas national wildlife refuges provide opportunities for 
people from all backgrounds to explore, connect with, and 
preserve the nature 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 19, 2022, 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) supports the designation of ‘‘National Wild-
life Refuge Week’’; 
(2) encourages the observance of National Wild-
life Refuge Week with appropriate events and activi-
ties; 
(3) recognizes the importance of national wild-
life refuges to wildlife conservation, the protection of 
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