WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne will address a Capitol Hill reception this evening in recognition of National Wildlife Refuge Week and the 10th anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997.
Sponsored by Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE), the event also will feature FWS Director H. Dale Hall, CARE chair Evan Hirsche, and leaders of other organizations in the CARE coalition. Six Members of Congress will receive awards from the coalition.
Kempthorne and Hall oversee the National Wildlife Refuge System, with 548 national wildlife refuges protecting 97 million acres of fish and wildlife habitat.
| Who: | Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall National Wildlife Refuge Association President Evan Hirsche Defenders of Wildlife President Rodger Schlickeisen National Rifle Association Director of Wildlife Susan Reece The Wilderness Society Executive Vice President Don Barry Ducks Unlimited Director of Public Policy Vaughn Collins The Corps Network President and CEO Sally T. Prouty The Wildlife Society Executive Director Michael Hutchins Awardees: Reps. Michael Castle, Norman D. Dicks, Ron J. Kind, Jim Saxton, Mike Thompson and Todd Tiahrt |
| What: | National Wildlife Refuge Week and 10th anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act |
| When: | 6 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007 | Where: | 2322 Rayburn House Office Building, U.S. House of Representatives |
Background:
National Wildlife Refuge Week: Scores of refuges are offering special programs to help celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week, from October 7-13, 2007. More information is available online at http://www.fws.gov.
Later in the week the Secretary will observe National Wildlife Refuge Week in Florida by unveiling the winning artwork for the 75th National Duck Stamp, visiting the refuge honoring the conservationist who launched the nation’s most prestigious nature art contest, and speaking to additional conservation and outdoor groups. For more information, see http://www.doi.gov/news/07_News_Releases/071010.html.
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997: Public Law 105-57, signed on Oct. 9, 1997, says that the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is
“the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.” It also calls for providing wildlife-dependent recreation where compatible with the purposes of a refuge—including “hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, or environmental education and interpretation.”