Climate watch: House energy coalition members tour Olympic National Park

Last week, the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition embarked on a two-day climate impact tour of Olympic National Park.

The tour was led by SEEC Co-Chair Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois and hosted by SEEC Member Rep. Derek Kilmer of Washington. They were joined by four additional SEEC members, Katie Porter of California, Lloyd Doggett of Texas, Jared Huffman of California and Annie Kuster of New Hampshire, to learn about the significant impacts of climate change on Olympic and all of the Pacific Northwest.

“I have visited nine parks across the United States, from Denali in Alaska to Acadia in Maine, and have seen firsthand how our parks are faring against climate change. Few trips have been more eye opening than this tour of Olympic National Park,” Quigley said. “Olympic is home to some of our nation’s most captivating glaciers and as a result of rapidly warming temperatures, they are disappearing right before our eyes. As they melt, the ecosystems within them struggle to survive, causing ripple effects across the country. We also witnessed how warming temperatures and rising sea levels are influencing not only marine life, but the native tribes that have called the Olympic Peninsula home for hundreds of years. Congress must continue to address climate change and help ensure Olympic and all of our National Parks continue to thrive amidst this pressing threat. If we don’t act, generations of Americans after us will be left wondering why we failed them and why we failed to protect our national treasures from climate change.”

According to Kilmer, whose district encompasses Olympic National Park, a critical part of his job is to elevate the issues important to his constituents’ region.

“Our region is seeing firsthand how climate change is impacting public lands and putting local economies at risk. From highlighting tribal communities moving to higher ground because of rising sea levels, to the work being done to protect the environmental health of Olympic National Park, it was valuable to showcase the impacts of climate change on our region to Members of Congress who focus on these issues and serve on key committees back in DC. I’m grateful to my colleagues who took the time to visit our neck of the woods and hear from local community leaders, park officials, tribes, and environmental advocates,” Kilmer said.

The SEEC is a coalition of 98 members of the U.S. House of Representatives founded in January 2009 to be a focused, active and effective coalition for advancing policies that address climate change, promote clean energy innovation and domestic manufacturing, develop renewable energy resources, create family-sustaining clean jobs, protect our nation’s air, water, and natural environment and promote environmental justice.