Issue Position: Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Stewardship

Issue Position

Norm has been a tireless advocate for environmental protection and natural resource stewardship, including his dedication in recent years to improving the conditions at America's National Parks. As Chairman of a key funding committee in Congress, Norm has secured vital federal resources to help protect Puget Sound, Hood Canal and the critical rehabilitation of endangered or threatened Northwest salmon runs.

"There's more to this than protecting fish. It 's also about protecting the quality of our rivers and streams. That 's why I 'm proud of our successful efforts to secure over $100 million for the Washington State Salmon Recovery Fund. We need to fix the culverts that block the returning salmon and we must restore the habitat that these wild fish need to reproduce. It 's the right thing to do."

Now, as the ranking Democratic member of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, Norm is able to bring federal resources and interest to all of the environmental challenges we face in the Pacific Northwest. In just the last session of Congress, it was his amendment that has doubled the annual appropriations for new land acquisition and for maintaining our national parks and public lands that are stressed by our growing population. These are the kinds of things that make our region, in particular, such a special place to live and work, and he truly believes they're worth protecting.

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