,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bfc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #d1         
#bjai,mr4 ,suozzi 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,rose of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,king of ,new 
,york1 ,miss ,rice of ,new ,york1 ,ms4  
,meng1 ,ms4 ,velzquez1 ,mr4 ,engel1     
,mrs4 ,lowey1 and ,mr4 ,tonko7          
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,natural 
,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to rename the   
,oyster ,bay ,national ,wildlife ,refuge
 as the ,congressman ,lester ,wolff     
,oyster ,bay ,national ,wildlife        
,refuge4  #a4 ,findings ,the ,congress  
finds the following3 7#a7 ,the ,oyster  
,bay ,national ,wildlife ,refuge was    
created in #aifh4 ,it is located on the 
north shore of ,long ,island in eastern 
,nassau ,county1 is the largest refuge  
in the ,long ,island ,national ,wildlife
 ,refuge ,complex1 and receives the most
 public use of all the refuges in the   
,complex4  7#b7 ,the ,state of ,new     
,york designated ,oyster ,bay a         

significant coastal fish and wildlife   
habitat4 ,it is especially important for
 wintering waterfowl such as black duck1
 greater scaup1 bufflehead1 canvasback  
and long-tailed ducks4 ,management      
activities include wetland restoration  
and protection of the natural shoreline 
and vegetation4  7#c7 ,the refuge is    
unique in consisting solely of bay      
bottom and adjacent shoreline up to the 
mean high-tide mark4 ,ninety percent of 
,new ,york's commercial oyster harvest  
comes from the refuge4 ,visitors enjoy  
fishing1 wildlife observation1          
photography and environmental education4
 ,the refuge is truly a national        
treasure4  7#d7 ,many visitors are      
unaware that were it not for the        
tireless work and advocacy of           
then-freshman ,congressman ,lester      
,wolff1 this area would today be an     
#h4e-mile causeway and bridge across    
,long ,island ,sound between ,oyster    
,bay and ,rye1 ,new ,york1 connecting   
,nassau and ,westchester ,counties4     

7#e7 ,the bridge was first proposed by  
,robert ,moses1 the well-known ,new     
,york ,city ,planner1 to divert traffic 
from ,new ,york ,city4 ,former ,governor
 ,nelson ,rockefeller signed into law   
legislation creating the bridge         
authorized by the ,new ,york ,state     
,legislature in #aifg4  7#f7            
,congressman ,wolff1 elected in #aifd1  
quickly decided the bridge would be an  
intrusion in a pristine area1 and that  
,long ,island ,sound was a very precious
 resource that was despoiled4 ,the      
conservation threats in the mid-#aifjs  
were suburban development1 wetland      
filling1 and industrial pollution4 ,the 
fight to preserve this land became an   
enormous political fight and is         
considered to be a turning point in ,new
 ,york ,state's environmental legacy4   
7#g7 ,with ,state and local political   
and community leaders1 and especially   
the ,north ,shore leaders and the       
,committee to ,save the ,long ,island   
,sound1 ,congressman ,wolff arranged a  

meeting with ,department of the         
,interior representatives and local     
leaders where the idea of creating a    
wildlife refuge from municipal and      
privately owned wetlands was created4   
7#h7 ,the ,town of ,oyster ,bay1 in     
which one end of the bridge was to be   
located1 deeded #e1jjj acres of wetlands
 to the ,united ,states to be maintained
 as a ,federal wildlife preserve4 ,it   
was stipulated that if the ,department  
of the ,interior agreed to an intrusion 
of the property1 it would revert to the 
town4 ,creating a ,federal wildlife     
preserve provided the land with ,federal
 protection4  7#i7 ,because of the      
vision1 dedication1 and perseverance of 
,congressman ,lester ,wolff1 all of us  
and future generations can enjoy the    
beauty and magnificence of this refuge4 
#b4 ,renaming the ,oyster ,bay ,national
 ,wildlife ,refuge as the ,congressman  
,lester ,wolff ,oyster ,bay ,national   
,wildlife ,refuge  7a7 ,renaming ,the   
unit of the ,national ,wildlife ,refuge 

,system known as the ,oyster ,bay       
,national ,wildlife ,refuge and located 
near ,oyster ,bay1 ,new ,york1 shall be 
known as the ,congressman ,lester ,wolff
 ,oyster ,bay ,national ,wildlife       
,refuge4  7b7 ,references ,any reference
 in a law1 map1 regulation1 document1   
paper1 or other record of the ,united   
,states to the unit of the ,national    
,wildlife ,refuge ,system known as the  
,oyster ,bay ,national ,wildlife ,refuge
 is deemed to be a reference to the     
,congressman ,lester ,wolff ,oyster ,bay
 ,national ,wildlife ,refuge4