,,iii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #ddi ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,october #i1 #bjbe,mr4 ,coons 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,reed1 ,mr4 ,heinrich1 ,ms4 ,alsobrooks1 ,ms4 ,blunt ,rochester1 ,mr4 ,welch1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,ms4 ,collins1 ,mr4 ,padilla1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 and ,mr4 ,booker7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,,resolution ,designating the week beginning on ,october #ab1 #bjbe1 as ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,week4 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service administers the ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system to conserve1 manage1 and1 where appropriate1 restore fish1 wildlife1 and plant resources and their habitats within the ,united ,states for the benefit of current and future generations2 ,whereas1 in #aijc1 ,president ,theodore ,roosevelt established the first national wildlife refuge on ,pelican ,island in ,florida2 ,whereas the ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system is administered by the ,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service and has grown to include #egc national wildlife refuges1 #ch wetland management districts1 and #e marine national monuments with units located in every ,state and territory of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas the ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system encompasses more than #hej1jjj1jjj acres of unique habitats and ecosystems1 including tropical and boreal forests1 wetlands1 deserts1 grasslands1 arctic tundras1 remote islands1 and marine areas1 and spans #ab time zones from the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands to ,guam2 ,whereas national wildlife refuges support approximately #hjj species of birds1 #bbj species of mammals1 #bej species of reptiles and amphibians1 and #a1ajj species of fish2 ,whereas national wildlife refuges provide protection to more than #chj threatened species and endangered species2 ,whereas more than #fe national wildlife refuges were established to conserve species considered to be threatened or endangered under ,federal standards1 including the ,american crocodile1 ,california condor1 ,devil's ,hole pupfish1 and ,antioch ,dunes evening primrose2 ,whereas national wildlife refuges are the primary ,federal lands that support waterfowl habitat2 ,whereas1 since #aicd1 the ,migratory ,bird ,conservation ,fund has generated more than #b1bjj1jjj1jjj and enabled the conservation of approximately #f1djj1jjj acres of habitat for waterfowl and numerous other species in the ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system2 ,whereas national wildlife refuges protect and conserve climate-resilient habitats that support biodiversity and provide nature-based solutions2 ,whereas more than #ahj national wildlife refuges conserve marine1 coastal1 and ,great ,lakes habitats1 helping to protect communities by reducing the risk of storm-surge flooding1 especially in low-lying floodplain and coastal areas2 ,whereas many national wildlife refuges are managed to reduce wildfire risk by thinning overgrown forests and removing invasive species2 ,whereas meaningful engagement and proactive collaboration with ,tribes1 ,alaska ,native ,corporations1 ,alaska ,native organizations1 and the ,native ,hawaiian community is an integral aspect of the co-stewardship of our shared natural resources1 including ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system lands and waters2 ,whereas important cultural and historic resources are protected on national wildlife refuges1 including-- 7#a7 archaeological sites detailing the lives of ,native ,americans and early colonists at ,rappahannock ,river ,valley ,national ,wildlife ,refuge in ,virginia2 7#b7 ,world ,war ,,ii sites in the ,pacific1 from ,attu in ,alaska to ,midway ,atoll in the ,northwestern ,hawaiian ,islands2 and 7#c7 the remains of the home of the father of ,harriet ,tubman at ,blackwater ,national ,wildlife ,refuge in ,maryland2 ,whereas ,tribal consultation is a cornerstone of historic preservation on national wildlife refuges where cultural resources and traditional sacred spaces are important to ,native ,american ,tribes1 including ,pahranagat ,national ,wildlife ,refuge in ,nevada1 where the ,nuwuvi people finalized a plan with the ,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service to respect and showcase ancient petroglyphs2 ,whereas national wildlife refuges use a range of management tools1 including fire management1 invasive species control1 water management1 wildlife health assessments1 inventory and monitoring species1 facility condition assessments1 #e-year infrastructure project plans1 and other tools to conserve habitat and ensure opportunities for public access and recreation2 ,whereas national wildlife refuges are important recreational and tourism destinations in communities across the ,united ,states1 and offer a variety of recreational opportunities1 including sustainable hunting and fishing1 wildlife observation1 photography1 environmental education1 and interpretation2 ,whereas the ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system receives nearly #ga1jjj1jjj annual visits which-- 7#a7 generate more than #c1bjj1jjj1jjj for local economies2 and 7#b7 support #da1jjj jobs2 ,whereas the ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system hosts nearly #dd1jjj1jjj annual birding and wildlife observation visits2 ,whereas national wildlife refuges are important to local businesses and gateway communities2 ,whereas1 for every dollar appropriated to the ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system1 an average of approximately #e dollars is returned to local economies2 ,whereas more than #dcj units of the ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system have hunting programs and more than #cge units have fishing programs which support1 respectively1 more than #b1gjj1jjj hunting visits and more than #h1djj1jjj fishing visits annually2 ,whereas national wildlife refuges provide an important opportunity for children to discover and gain a greater appreciation for the natural world2 ,whereas1 in fiscal year #bjbe1 nearly #bd1jjj volunteers contributed approximately #hhf1jjj volunteer hours in national wildlife refuges1 which is equal to the number of hours worked by #dbe full-time employees2 ,whereas approximately #ahj national wildlife refuge ,friends organizations provide additional volunteer labor and serve as an important link between national wildlife refuges and local communities2 ,whereas #aja units of the ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system are within #be miles of population centers of #bej1jjj people or more2 ,whereas1 through the ,urban ,wildlife ,conservation ,program1 the ,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service works to dismantle barriers that have blocked underserved communities from full and equal participation in outdoor recreation and wildlife conservation2 ,whereas the ,urban ,wildlife ,conservation ,program fosters strong new conservation coalitions1 educates and employs youth1 engages communities1 builds trust in government1 and connects individuals with nature2 ,whereas national wildlife refuges provide opportunities for people from all backgrounds to explore1 connect with1 and preserve the natural heritage of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas1 since #aiie1 national wildlife refuges across the ,united ,states have held festivals1 educational programs1 guided tours1 and other events to celebrate ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,week during the second full week of ,october2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service has designated the week beginning on ,october #ab1 #bjbe1 as ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,week2 and ,whereas the designation of ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,week by the ,senate would recognize more than a century of conservation in the ,united ,states1 raise awareness about the importance of wildlife and the ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system1 and celebrate the myriad recreational opportunities available for the enjoyment of this network of protected lands3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 designates the week beginning on ,october #ab1 #bjbe1 as ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,week2 7#b7 encourages the observance of ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,week with appropriate events and activities2 7#c7 recognizes the importance of national wildlife refuges to wildlife conservation1 the protection of imperiled species and ecosystems1 and wildlife-dependent recreational uses2 7#d7 acknowledges the importance of national wildlife refuges for their recreational opportunities and contribution to local economies across the ,united ,states2 7#e7 identifies the significance of national wildlife refuges in advancing the traditions of wildlife observation1 photography1 and interpretation1 as well as environmental education2 7#f7 finds that national wildlife refuges play a vital role in securing the hunting and fishing heritage of the ,united ,states for future generations2 7#g7 recognizes the important work of urban national wildlife refuges in welcoming racially and ethnically diverse urban communities that were long excluded1 including work-- 7,a7 to foster strong new conservation coalitions2 7,b7 to provide education and employment opportunities to youth2 7,c7 to improve communities2 7,d7 to build trust in government2 and 7,e7 to connect individuals with nature2 7#h7 recognizes the commitment of the ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system to engagement1 relationships1 knowledge-sharing1 and co-stewardship of ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system lands and waters with ,tribes1 ,alaska ,native ,corporations1 ,alaska ,native organizations1 and the ,native ,hawaiian community2 7#i7 acknowledges the role of national wildlife refuges in conserving waterfowl and waterfowl habitat under the ,migratory ,bird ,treaty ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #gjc et seq472 7#aj7 reaffirms the support of the ,senate for wildlife conservation and the ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system2 and 7#aa7 expresses the intent of the ,senate-- 7,a7 to continue working to conserve wildlife2 and 7,b7 to support the management by the ,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service of the ,national ,wildlife ,refuge ,system for current and future generations4