Carper Brings Interior Assistant Secretary Rob Wallace on Tour across Delaware

DELAWARE – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, welcomed Rob Wallace, Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks at the U.S. Department of the Interior, to Delaware to visit the First State National Historical Park and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge.

In June 2019, the EPW Committee held a hearing to consider Mr. Wallace’s nomination to be Assistant Secretary, which oversees the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service. His nomination was unanimously advanced by the committee and then approved by the full Senate during that same month.

“During his confirmation, Assistant Secretary Wallace said that, ‘bipartisan solutions are lasting solutions.’ Those words struck a chord with me, because they speak to how we get things done here in Delaware – we find solutions by working together. And when it comes to protecting and preserving our cherished natural spaces, our time is wasting, and our state and country need lasting solutions,” said Senator Carper, who asked Assistant Secretary Wallace to visit Delaware during the nomination hearing. “People travel from all over the world to visit First State National Historical Park and our two national wildlife refuges here in Delaware. Today, I was proud to welcome Assistant Secretary Wallace.”

Senator Carper and Assistant Secretary Wallace visited historical and cultural sites in all three counties, including different locations throughout the First State National Historical Park.

“From Brandywine Valley to Fowler Beach, Assistant Secretary Wallace had the opportunity to see some of the national treasures right here in our backyard,” said Senator Carper. “We visited historic sites and monuments throughout First State National Park that tell the story of some of the earliest days of our democracy, places where people can go to learn and reflect on our history as a state and nation. We also visited places where people can find solace in nature, seek adventure among the great outdoors or soak in the wonders of wildlife, like watching the seasonal spectacle of migratory birds in flight.”

Senator Carper and Assistant Secretary Wallace began the day in New Castle County, visiting Brandywine Valley, the Courthouse, the Sheriff’s House and Old Swede’s Church at First State National Park, before heading to the Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard. The pair then traveled to Kent County, where they visited The Green in Dover, also in the First State National Park, as well as the John Dickinson Plantation.

Senator Carper and Assistant Secretary Wallace ended the day at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and Fowler Beach in Sussex County.

“Our refuges, including Prime Hook, are home to threatened and endangered species and have real environmental, ecological and economic importance for our state and nation. The success story of the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge restoration project illustrates the importance of enhancing the resilience of our nation’s parks and refuges,” Senator Carper said.

“I hope this visit resonates with Assistant Secretary Wallace and helps to inform his ongoing work at the helm of the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service.” Senator Carper continued. “We may not have the Grand Teton Mountains or the geologic spectacles of Yellowstone, but our small state – the First State – is rich with history and full of wonders of its own.”

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