Supporting the designation of the week beginning on October 12, 2025, as "National Wildlife Refuge Week".
H. Res. 820 is a House resolution in the 119th Congress that expresses the House’s support for designation of the week beginning October 12, 2025, as National Wildlife Refuge Week. The resolution catalogs the scope and value of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s role in conserving habitat, wildlife, and cultural resources across the United States. It emphasizes the refuges’ contributions to biodiversity, climate resilience, recreation, education, tribal and urban community engagement, and local economies. While it urges observance with events and activities, the measure is largely symbolic and does not authorize funding or create new programs. The resolution also highlights various benefits of the Refuge System—habitat protection for thousands of species, protection of threatened and endangered organisms, waterfowl conservation, wildfire risk reduction, and marine/coastal protections—along with the economic and social value of refuges to nearby communities. It notes historical and ongoing partnerships with Tribes and Native communities, and reaffirms Congress’s commitment to supporting wildlife conservation and the management of the Refuge System by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for present and future generations.
Key Points
- 1Designates the week starting October 12, 2025, as National Wildlife Refuge Week and encourages appropriate events and activities to observe it.
- 2Provides a historical and descriptive basis for the National Wildlife Refuge System, noting its administration by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its broad network of refuges, wetlands districts, and marine monuments across every state and territory.
- 3Emphasizes the system’s conservation value, including habitat protection for hundreds of species, protection of threatened and endangered species, and roles in waterfowl habitat, climate resilience, wildfire risk reduction, and diverse ecosystems.
- 4Highlights the refuges’ economic and recreational importance, including visitor numbers, contributions to local economies, hunting and fishing programs, and opportunities for environmental education, wildlife observation, and interpretation.
- 5Recognizes the importance of tribal engagement and co-stewardship with Tribes, Alaska Native communities, and the Native Hawaiian community, as well as urban refuges’ efforts to engage underserved communities and youth in conservation.