Local wilderness advocate returns from visit with Congress

Bob Walz, North Branch, just returned from a trip to Washington, DC to participate in democracy. As a volunteer for Alaska Wilderness League, he said he learned about issues affecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s Coastal Plain, the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, the Tongass National Forest, and the dual threat posed by climate change and drilling to the habitat of polar bears and other marine wildlife in the Arctic Ocean. “I had the opportunity to meet with Representative Rick Nolan and US Senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar. I would like to thank them for taking the time to sit down with me. The future of wild Alaska is important to all Americans because these public lands and waters belong to all of us,” Walz said. He thanks Representative Nolan for cosponsoring the Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act (H.R. 139.) “This legislation will permanently protect the Coastal Plain of the Arctic Refuge as Wilderness. We owe that to future generations. “I also met with Representatives Tim Walz, Betty McCollum and staff from Eric Paulsen’s Office. Representatives McCollum and Ellison are co-sponsor of this bipartisan legislation. I talked at length with staff from Representatives Walz and Paulsen’s offices. We discussed the possibility of a joint, bipartisan press conference announcing their bipartisan support for HR. 139,” Walz added. Walz is available to speak to local groups on HR 139 and the proposal to include it as “wilderness” refuge, [email protected], Robert G. Walz, 39168 Riverside Court, North Branch, MN, 55056.