Sam Farr: “I support H.R. 1420, because: it clarifies that the mission of the refuge system, first and foremost, is to conserve…”

“I support H.R. 1420, because: it clarifies that the mission of the refuge system, first and foremost, is to conserve fish and wildlife, with wildlife dependent recreation and education secondary, and other uses as its lowest priority; it establishes a more formal and public process to determine what uses are compatible on refuge lands; and it requires comprehensive planning with public participation. Theodore Roosevelt created the first wildlife refuge over 90 years ago to protect the wildlife at Pelican Island, FL. Today there are 509 wildlife refuges covering approximately 92 million acres of Federal land, protecting a wide variety of fish and wildlife. In my own district, two refuges have been established to protect endangered species: the Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge for the endangered Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, and the Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge for the endangered Smith's blue butterfly. Americans benefit a lot from their wildlife refuges, enjoying their bounty and beauty for a variety of wildlife-dependent recreation and environmental education.”