The holiday season is officially upon us again!
As we do every November, we kicked off the season with our annual Roosevelt Reception. Each year we honor members of the Congressional Roosevelt Conservation Caucus (RCC) for their commitment to advocating for innovative and commonsense environmental, energy, and conservation policies. This year we were delighted to honor Senator Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans of Virginia, and Congresswoman Celeste Maloy of Utah with Congressional Champion Awards. We’re thankful for their leadership on these issues and are proud to support them as members of the RCC. Thank you to all who joined us, and a very special thank you to the many sponsors whose support helped make this event a success.
Additionally, we’d like to thank the other Members who stopped by, including RCC member and House Natural Resources Committee (HNR) Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) who spoke about his committee’s then yet-to-be-announced mark-up of the SPEED Act. A few days later, HNR approved the Act on a bipartisan basis. We commend Chairman Westerman for his leadership in pursuing meaningful permitting reform. The bill advances conservation-focused, market-driven, common-sense improvements to the National Environmental Policy Act, keeping it transparent and focused while cutting needless delay. We urge swift House floor consideration so that habitat restoration, clean energy, and resilience projects can move forward and communities can begin to realize the environmental and economic benefits of this much-needed reform.
As we gather in a season of gratitude, we are reminded of how much we owe to the lands and wildlife that sustain both our harvests and our spirit of adventure. Earlier this fall, ConservAmerica President Emeritus Rob Sisson had the chance to walk the foothills of the Crazy Mountains with Randy Newberg and Ted Roosevelt IV, who is still carrying forward the conservation legacy handed down from his great-grandfather. Ted filled his tag with a bull elk (photo) and all enjoyed a moment that underscored how Roosevelt’s conservation ethic remains today, and how much we have to give thanks for as we work to protect these places for the next generation.
As we close this month, the team at ConservAmerica would be remiss if we did not mention how thankful we are for all of you who make this important work possible. We wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving and a restful holiday weekend.
