; Whereas national wildlife refuges are important recreational and tourism destinations in communities across the United States, and offer a variety of recreational opportunities, including sustainable hunting and fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and interpretation; Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System receives nearly 68,000,000 annual visits that— (1) generate more than $3,200,000,000 for local economies; and (2) support 41,000 jobs; Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System hosts more than 42,000,000 annual birding and wildlife observation visits; Whereas national wildlife refuges are important to local businesses and gateway communities; Whereas, for every dollar appropriated to the National Wildlife Refuge System, an average of approximately 5 dollars is returned to local economies; Whereas 436 units of the National Wildlife Refuge System have hunting programs and 378 units have fishing programs that support, respectively, more than 2,600,000 hunting visits and more than 8,600,000 fishing visits annually; Whereas national wildlife refuges provide an important opportunity for children to discover and gain a greater appreciation for the natural world; Whereas more than 15,000 volunteers and approximately 180 national wildlife refuge Friends organizations contribute approximately 818,000 volunteer hours annually, the equivalent of 400 full-time employees, and provide an important link between national wildlife refuges and local communities; Whereas 101 units of the National Wildlife Refuge System are within 25 miles of cities and suburbs where 80 percent of individuals in the United States live; Whereas, through the Urban Wildlife Conservation Program, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service works to dismantle barriers that have blocked underserved communities from full and equal participation in outdoor recreation and wildlife conservation