,,iii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #dcc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october  
#bf1 #bjbc,mr4 ,welch 7for himself and  
,mr4 ,sanders7 submitted the following  
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,environment and ,public  
,works  ,,resolution  ,commemorating the
 #hjth anniversary of the establishment 
of the ,missisquoi ,national ,wildlife  
,refuge4  ,whereas the ,missisquoi      
,national ,wildlife ,refuge 7referred to
 in this preamble as the ,refuge7 was   
established in #aidc under the authority
 of the ,migratory ,bird ,conservation  
,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #gae et seq47 for   
the protection and management of        
migratory birds2 ,whereas the ,refuge is
 located on land sacred to the tribes of
 the ,western ,abenaki2 ,whereas the    
,refuge encompasses #f1gbi acres of     
protected land in ,franklin ,county1    
,vermont2 ,whereas more than half of    
this acreage is protected as an         
inviolate sanctuary1 preserving pristine

 habitats for wildlife and native plant 
species to thrive2 ,whereas the ,refuge 
is part of the ,atlantic ,flyway system 
of ,national ,wildlife ,refuges         
connecting the northern breeding grounds
 and southern wintering areas of        
migratory birds2 ,whereas the ,refuge   
was designated as a ,,ramsar ,wetland of
 ,international ,importance in #bjac1 #a
 of just #da national wildlife refuges  
in the ,united ,states so designated2   
,whereas the ,refuge is recognized as an
 ,important ,bird ,area by the ,national
 ,audubon ,society2 ,whereas habitats   
found in the ,refuge include floodplain 
forests1 wetlands1 shrublands1 bogs1    
grasslands1 and upland areas2 ,whereas  
the natural environment of the ,refuge  
is essential to the ecosystems of ,lake 
,champlain1 supporting wildlife and     
preserving clean water resources2       
,whereas these ecosystems mitigate      
climate change by sequestering carbon   
and strengthening the resilience of     
neighboring communities2 ,whereas the   

#ijj-;acre ,maquam bog located in the   
,refuge is designated as a ,research    
,natural ,area and is the only pitch    
pine woodland bog in ,new ,england2     
,whereas the ,refuge is home to vital   
feeding1 resting1 and breeding habitats 
for birds1 which have supported more    
than #bjj bird species2 ,whereas the    
,refuge is home to the largest          
concentration of waterfowl in the       
,champlain ,valley and hosts more than  
#bj1jjj ducks during their fall         
migration1 including wood ducks1        
mallards1 green-winged teal1 and        
ring-neck ducks2 ,whereas the grassland 
habitats of the ,refuge are home to     
bobolink1 meadowlark1 and savannah      
sparrows2 ,whereas the wetland habitats 
of the ,refuge are populated by         
reptiles1 fish1 and amphibians2 ,whereas
 pollinators thrive in the shrublands   
and grasslands of the ,refuge1 including
 #ac species of bumblebees2 ,whereas    
other species that call the ,refuge home
 include raccoons1 black bears1 coyotes1

 skunks1 beavers1 red foxes1 river      
otters1 bobcats1 porcupines1 muskrats1  
and minks2 ,whereas many of these       
animals are protected by the ,state of  
,vermont as threatened or endangered1   
such as the black tern and eastern sand 
darter2 ,whereas more than #hj1jjj      
visitors travel to the ,refuge annually 
to partake in hiking1 birding1 fishing1 
boating1 and hunting2 ,whereas visitors 
to the ,refuge travel from all #ej      
states and multiple foreign countries to
 appreciate the beauty and biodiversity 
of the ,refuge2 ,whereas the ,refuge    
provides a valuable educational and     
interpretive resource for visitors and  
neighboring communities2 ,whereas the   
experience in nature while visiting the 
,refuge fosters a spiritual connection  
between people and the land they        
inhabit2 ,whereas the ,refuge and the   
natural environment of ,vermont support 
a vibrant outdoor recreation industry   
that has contributed billions of dollars
 to the ,state's economy2 ,whereas      

archaeologists have documented a        
cultural heritage in the ,refuge dating 
back more than #e1jjj years2 and        
,whereas the ,united ,states ,fish and  
,wildlife ,service and the ,abenaki     
community work in partnership to protect
 and maintain these cultural sites1     
preserving them for generations to come3
 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the       
,senate-- 7#a7 commemorates the #hjth   
anniversary of the establishment of the 
,missisquoi ,national ,wildlife ,refuge2
  7#b7 recognizes the importance of this
 protected land to biodiversity and     
fragile ecosystems in ,vermont and the  
world2 and  7#c7 resolves to support the
 ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system1   
including the ,missisquoi ,national     
,wildlife ,refuge1 by providing the     
necessary financial and staffing        
resources to carry out its mission of   
conserving wildlife1 protecting         
habitats1 and providing access to       
outdoor recreational opportunities4