Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus facts for kids
The Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus (CWRC) is a special group of lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives. This group includes members from both major political parties. Their main goal is to support the National Wildlife Refuge System. They do this by helping to create laws, get funding, and teach others about these important wildlife areas.
Contents
History of the CWRC
The Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus started in September 2006. It was created by Congressmen Ron Kind from Wisconsin and Jim Saxton from New Jersey. Other leaders included Michael Castle from Delaware and Mike Thompson from California.
They wanted to manage the National Wildlife Refuge System in the same spirit as President Theodore Roosevelt. He was the one who created the very first National Wildlife Refuge back in 1903. The CWRC was formed because the Refuge System was facing money problems. These problems led to a lot of needed repairs not getting done and not enough staff. Many people felt this stopped the Refuge System from doing its important job.
What the CWRC Believes In
Their Main Goal
The main goal of the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus is to make the National Wildlife Refuge System stronger, safer, and well-kept. They work to make sure the refuges get enough money. They also support adding more land to the Refuge System through special agreements or buying new areas. Another goal is to help pass laws that make the Refuge System better. The CWRC also teaches members of Congress about the many challenges facing the refuges. They do this through meetings and other ways of sharing information.
Why the CWRC Exists
The CWRC works to:
- Make more people aware of our amazing wildlife refuge system.
- Give wildlife refuges a strong voice in Congress.
- Support good budgets for the Refuge System.
- Help the six main activities that are allowed in refuges. These are hunting, fishing, taking wildlife photos, watching wildlife, learning about the environment, and understanding nature.
- Support the smart growth of the Refuge System.
What the Caucus Does
Making New Laws
The leaders of the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus have introduced a bill called the Refuge Ecology Protection, Assistance & Immediate Response (REPAIR) Act. This bill aims to reduce harmful non-native plants and animals, also known as invasive species. These species are found on and near National Wildlife Refuges. The REPAIR Act wants to find cost-effective ways to get rid of invasive species. It plans to do this by setting up a grant program. It also wants to make the Volunteer Invasives Monitoring Program (VIMP) an official law. This program uses volunteers and has been very successful.
Actions in the House
The Caucus also sends letters to government officials who decide on funding. These letters ask for specific amounts of money for the Refuge System. This helps guide discussions about refuge funding in Congress. The caucus leaders also write articles for magazines and newspapers. These articles teach the public about the problems facing the Refuge System. Members of the Caucus also take part in committee meetings. These meetings are mostly in the House Natural Resources Committee. Here, they listen to managers and experts talk about laws concerning the Refuge System.
Caucus Members
Who Leads the Group
The CWRC is currently led by Rep. Rob Wittman from Virginia, Rep. Ron Kind from Wisconsin, Rep. Frank LoBiondo from New Jersey, and Rep. Mike Thompson from California. Some past leaders include Rep. Ed Perlmutter from Colorado and Rep. Michael Castle from Delaware.
When the CWRC first started, it had 100 founding members. By November 2009, it had grown to 139 members. These members represented 41 different states and 182 Wildlife Refuges.
