H. C. R. 12--"Designating Thursday, March 4, 1993, as West Virginia Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Day."
Whereas, Nongame Wildlife and other aspects of our Natural Heritage enrich the lives of over 1.2 million West Virginia citizens through such wildlife experiences as bird watching, photography, bird feeding and nature study; and
Whereas, Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage experiences contribute over 80 million dollars annually to the state's economy through expenditures for travel and equipment; and
Whereas, Nongame Wildlife includes those species which are not fished, hunted or trapped and comprise 87 percent of all West Virginia's wildlife including 261 species of birds, 51 mammals, 43 amphibians, 42 reptiles, 130 fishes and thousands of invertebrates; and
Whereas, Sixteen of the hundreds of animal species and five plant species of the 2200 found in West Virginia are listed by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service as either threatened or endangered, such as the bald eagle, Cheat Mountain salamander and running buffalo clover; and
Whereas, The Natural Heritage Program conducts an ongoing statewide ecological inventory of rare plant and animal species, wetlands and other biological communities necessary for public and private agencies to satisfy their legal or regulatory responsibilities; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That Thursday, March 4, 1993, is hereby designated as Nongame Wildlife and Natural Heritage Day for the purpose of increasing public awareness of these important resources within West Virginia.