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Remarks as prepared are below.
"I am so excited to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge with you.
"Every hundred years or so Congress does something great… and one hundred years ago today Congress established the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge as a sanctuary for migratory birds, fish, and other wildlife!
"I want to thank everyone in this room who has contributed and advocated for conservation in the Upper Mississippi region. We have one of the most unique districts in the country for a lot of reasons, one of them being our diverse ecosystem and the strong, local efforts to preserve it. Many of you in this room live and breathe local conservation initiatives, and I appreciate your passion for ensuring our neighbors, visitors, outdoorsmen, and of course – future generations – can enjoy this remarkable, unique area.
"Today, I introduced a resolution celebrating the contributions of the refuge to the Upper Mississippi River ecosystem and regional economy, recognizing the work of local conservationists to preserve the area, and encouraging the continued support for effective conservation and management on the Upper Mississippi River. I will continue to be a huge advocate for locally-led, voluntary conservation practices and leveraging the knowledge of those who understand the land we’re trying to protect for future generations.
"Lots of times Washington loves to come in with one size fits all plans or mandates that simply don’t make sense across state lines or different regions. I am very proud of the way local stakeholders, conservationists, and farmers have worked in partnership with the federal government to preserve the Upper Mississippi ecosystem.
"I am also proud of our efforts to reauthorize the Driftless Area Landscape Conservation Initiative, an incredibly successful public-private partnership to help farmers fight erosion and restore cold water stream corridors. The program was a conservation success story, measurably improving drinking water quality and reducing flood risk, but it expired in 2017.
"By re-establishing this beneficial program, we would provide Driftless Area farmers and landowners with the tools to manage and restore working lands, woodlands, prairies, and cold-water streams. Empowering the farmers and landowners who call the Driftless Area home and have known and worked that land their whole lives, is the best way to build on the program’s restoration successes – this is the model for public-private conservation initiatives that we must invest in and replicate.
"We are blessed to have the refuge’s beautiful scenery in our backyards, but as you know, people come from far and wide to hunt, fish, and hike here. This brings in in tourism dollars that have a huge impact in small, rural communities. Investing in local conservation will have a significant economic benefit and drive tourism to our state for years to come.
"We live on cherished land, and I look forward to the next century of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge." - Congresswoman Ashley Hinson
Background:
Last Friday, Congresswoman Hinson introduced the resolution to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and recognize the successful efforts of local conservationists.
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