Sponsors (15)
Designates the week beginning October 12, 2025, as National Wildlife Refuge Week and recognizes the Refuge System's conservation, recreation, and community contributions.
The resolution promotes broad public recreation, education, and strong wildlife conservation benefits across communities while requiring federal management funding, creating some land-use limits and administrative/visitor-management challenges.
Visitors and nearby communities experience expanded recreation and tourism opportunities from nearly 71 million annual visits, supporting local businesses and regional economies.
Tribal members and residents of nearby communities benefit from conserved habitat and stronger species protection for hundreds of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and over 380 threatened/endangered species.
Residents near refuges gain reduced wildfire and flood risk because refuge management activities (fire control, invasive species removal, water management) lower hazards to nearby communities.
Nearby landowners and industries may face continued or increased limits on certain land uses due to federal refuge management priorities, potentially reducing development or resource-use options.
Taxpayers and federal budgets may incur ongoing costs to maintain and manage large refuge lands, creating tradeoffs with other funding priorities.
Expanded public access and recreation can increase visitor impacts (crowding, habitat disturbance) near population centers if not matched by additional management resources.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Official title: Designating the week beginning on October 12, 2025, as "National Wildlife Refuge Week".
Introduced October 9, 2025 by Christopher A. Coons · Last progress October 15, 2025
Designates the week beginning October 12, 2025, as National Wildlife Refuge Week and formally recognizes the National Wildlife Refuge System and its conservation, recreation, economic, and cultural contributions. The resolution summarizes the size and scope of the Refuge System, species and habitat protections, visitor and volunteer activity, Tribal engagement, and program tools used for management and planning.