The Memorial Day weekend is one of the deadliest holidays for alcohol-related traffic deaths according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
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mso-pagination On Saturday, May 29, 2004 from 1:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., Mothers Against Drunk Driving-Rio Grande Valley Chapter (MADD-RGV), together with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Refuge Law Enforcement, will kick off an awareness campaign to highlight the problem of drinking and driving on federal lands at Boca Chica Beach Unit of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
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mso-pagination The number one concern for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge Law Enforcement Officers is the safety of visitors. "Drunk driving poses a very serious and real threat to the visitors to the National Wildlife Refuges," said Regional Zone Law Enforcement Officer Richard Johnston. Officers patrol approximately 120 Federal Refuge properties throughout the Lower Rio Grande Valley to ensure visitor safety and the protection of natural resources. Their patrols include over 100 miles of state and county roads that cross Refuge tracts. The Boca Chica Unit has the highest incidence of drunk driving occurrences on the Refuge. The Unit includes approximately 9 miles of State Highway 4 where several accidents occur each year. MADD is teaming up with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reduce drunk driving and the tragedies it can cause.
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mso-pagination The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have added more Refuge Officers and better equipment over recent years. These changes are already making an impact. In 2003, there were 12 Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrests/citations on Refuge roads in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy Counties. That number has been exceeded in just the first five months of 2004. The penalty for DUI on refuge roads is up to six months in jail and/or a $5000.00 fine.
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mso-pagination There will be an information tent set up at Boca Chica Beach staffed by representatives from MADD and the Service. Refuge Law Enforcement Officers will be available to discuss Federal laws and penalties as they apply to DUI infractions committed on Refuge roads. Water, provided by H.E.B. groceries, and other goodies will be handed out to visitors who stop by.
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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