Good evening. I am glad I have had the chance to visit with so many admirers of waterfowl and supporters of wetlands.

In many ways, Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the United States, is a model of what President Bush and I believe that this refuge system is all about.

Hunters like you had a significant impact in the Refuge's creation in 1941. Its 21,000 acres were purchased largely with duck stamp dollars. The refuge has the largest nesting population of red-heads east of the Mississippi. Redheads are featured on this year's (2004-2005) duck stamp.

Theodore Roosevelt began the tradition of naming national wildlife refuges began 101 years ago. Duck stamps have played an important role in purchasing and protecting refuge lands.

The refuge is home to more than 220 species of birds -redheads and bald eagles, sandhill Cranes and Canada geese.

President Bush and I have made the conservation of wetlands and waterfowl a priority. Earlier this month, I renewed the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, which will help preserve and protect waterfowl all across the continent.

We are also working to increase and improve refuge access. We have created over 60 new hunting and fishing programs on wildlife refuges in the last four years. Today, over 300 refuges are open to hunting and 270 are open to fishing.

The Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service have signed an agreement with 17 sportsmen organizations to improve hunting and fishing access to federal lands.

Conservation is a continuous process of care and renewal - one in which we must all have a hand. Here at Horicon and at the more than 540 refuges in the United States, let us continue to enjoy, to steward.