Senate Resolution Designates National Wildlife Refuge Week

The U.S. Senate, led by Senator Chris Coons of Delaware and 25 co-sponsors, has officially designated October 14 – 20, 2012, as National Wildlife Refuge Week.

The Senate resolution acknowledged the importance of national wildlife refuges for their recreational opportunities, their contribution to local economies and their role in keeping alive the American heritage of hunting and fishing. The resolution also reaffirmed the intent of the Senate to continue working to conserve wildlife and manage the National Wildlife Refuge System for current and future generations.

The Refuge System includes more than 150 million acres, 558 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts– spanning 12 time zones from the Virgin Islands to Guam.

National wildlife refuges are the primary federal lands that foster production, migration and wintering habitat for waterfowl; they 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. There have been more than 30 million visits to national wildlife refuges for wildlife observation in 2012. For every one dollar appropriated, refuges generate four dollars in economic activity.

Full text of Senate Resolution 580

- Back -