Event marks 10th anniversary of National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act

October 5, 2007

CONTACT: Allyson Groff, 202-226-9019

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement in advance of National Wildlife Refuge Week to be observed October 7-13, 2007:

"Spanning 97 million acres and visited by more than 39 million Americans annually, our nation's 548 national wildlife refuges comprise an irreplaceable system of federal lands devoted exclusively to wildlife conservation.  National Wildlife Refuge Week, celebrated yearly, reminds Americans across the country of our duty to preserve unique wildlife and ecosystems for future generations to experience. 

"It is my hope that citizens across the country will take advantage of this weeklong celebration to experience wildlife in their natural habitats and play a firsthand role in conservation by participating in special events and programs, or simply observing and enjoying magnificent plants and animals.   

"This year's celebration coincides with the 10th anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act, which serves to remind us both of the Act's advances and of the work that remains to fulfill its goals.  To ensure the Act's success, we must remedy the severe funding shortages that have crippled the Refuge System under the current Administration and have caused a stifling backlog of unmet needs.  We cannot let our nation's only system of federal lands devoted exclusively to fish and wildlife crumble before our very eyes, but rather, we must work to provide the necessary financial resources to maintain this vital part of our natural heritage."

During National Wildlife Refuge Week, citizens are encouraged to reconnect with wildlife and the outdoors by hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, observing wildlife, and participating in special programs and events at national wildlife refuges across the country.  The celebration also commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth of writer, scientist, and ecologist Rachel Carson.  A list of national wildlife refuges is available on the Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System Web site at http://refuges.fws.gov/.

In conjunction with National Wildlife Refuge Week and the anniversary of the Act, the House Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans, led by Chairwoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU), will conduct an oversight hearing, "Implementation of the National Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act: Has the Promise Been Fulfilled?"  The hearing, which will be chaired by Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), co-chair of the House National Wildlife Refuge Caucus, is scheduled for Tuesday, October 9, 2007, at 2:00 p.m. in room 1324 of the Longworth House Office Building in Washington, D.C.  Former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, who played a key role in passage of the law, is the lead witness.  The Subcommittee will also hear testimony from former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Carol Browner, who is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors at the National Audubon Society. 

The hearing will be webcast live on the Committee's Web site at http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/. 

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