Environment

Dear Friend, Our beautiful state has 18 national parks and historic sites, attracting more than 7.5 million visitors last year. The outdoor recreation industry here in Washington supports more than 200,000 jobs and contributes more than $26 billion each year in economic activity. And our national parks, including the beautiful North Cascades National Park in the First Congressional District, provide many invaluable opportunities for education and recreation. As someone who loves the outdoors, I ... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Suzan DelBene (D-WA) and Peter DeFazio (D-OR) were joined by 44 Members of Congress – primarily from California, Washington, and Oregon – in sending a letter to the Appropriations Committee urging them to increase the federal funding level to $16.1 million in the Fiscal Year 2019 to fully build out and maintain an earthquake early warning system on the West Coast. A limited earthquake early warning system developed by Caltech, UC Berkeley, Univ... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Ahead of the Interior Department’s public meeting in Tacoma, Washington on February 5, Washington, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Maria Cantwell (D-WA), led a bicameral, bipartisan group of 16 Pacific Northwest lawmakers in a letter to Secretary Zinke calling for the removal of the Washington/Oregon planning area from the National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2019-2024. The bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote, “We... Read more

Washington lawmakers are right to press President Donald Trump’s administration to fund much needed maintenance and upgrades at the Ballard Locks in Seattle. In a letter sent Friday, a coalition of representatives urged Trump and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fund the locks improvements in their 2018 and 2019 budgets. This work is needed to ensure that the Lake Washington Ship Canal’s linkage to Puget Sound continues to operate safely and reliably. The locks are among numerous public facil... Read more

The Ballard Locks are in desperate need of repairs and urgently need federal funds, according to a letter written by our state’s top lawmakers to the Trump administration today. An analysis of the locks by the Army Corps “found that many lock and dam components are in poor or failing condition,” the letter explains. “An extended, unplanned closure of the ship canal and locks could have significant negative impacts for the more than 200 businesses that rely upon this project, endanger the lives o... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Natural Resources Committee passed with unanimous support Congresswoman Suzan DelBene’s (WA-01) National Landslide Preparedness Act – a bipartisan, bicameral bill she introduced earlier this year with Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA). “Lawmakers need to do more to ensure we fund resources and research efforts to prevent future natural disasters from becoming national tragedies,” DelBene said. “It is time that landslide hazards are addresse... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing on Congresswoman Suzan DelBene’s (WA-01) National Landslide Preparedness Act – a bipartisan, bicameral bill she introduced earlier this year with Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA). “Lawmakers need to do more to ensure we fund resources and research efforts to prevent future natural disasters from becoming national tragedies,” DelBene said. “It is time that landsli... Read more

Homeowners in Lyman devastated by Skagit River flooding got a visit from Rep. Suzan DelBene before she heads back to Washington D.C. on Tuesday. "It's devastating, You can see it right here a lot of land was lost, houses at risk," she said. DelBene, who represents Washington's first district, toured land that's less than half of what it was last week. Swift currents Thanksgiving Day feasted on the bank, cutting more than a hundred feet of property overnight, all while homeowners waited for help ... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today led House members of Washington’s delegation in sending a letter to President Trump urging him to reinstate President Obama’s ban of importing elephant trophies into the United State from Zimbabwe and Zambia. This week, the president reversed this critical protection for African elephant, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. “We strongly urge you to reconsider your decision. The United States must continue t... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA), U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Adam Smith (WA-09), Denny Heck (WA-10), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and 36 of their Senate and House colleagues sent a forceful letter to President Trump urging him listen to Washington fisherman and businesses before removing the science-based environmental rules that protect Alaska’s Bristol Bay and the livelihoods of thousand... Read more