Vermonters are proud of our environmental ethic and it has served our economy and our ecosystems well. Vermonters have a long history of taking good care of their land and water, from starting community recycling projects to rotational grazing on farms in practicing sustainable agriculture methods.
Conservation of the environment has depended on this spirit
and that is what Leahy has taken to the United States Senate. He takes great pride
in the fact that Vermont has been a model for many of the national conservation
programs that he has sponsored as a Vermont Senator,
such as the Farmland Protection Program and the Forest Legacy Program.
Programs such as these demonstrate that when Vermont land
owners and citizens are given the right information and resources, they can meet
their responsibility to preserve Vermont land and resources for future
generations.
Vermonters have a long history of putting their conservation ethic into practice. In 1998,
Leahy joined Vermonters to celebrate the opening of Vermont's first national park - the
Marsh Billings
Rockefeller National Historic Park in Woodstock. This beautiful parcel of wooded hills and surrounding farmland is a tribute to leaders of the New England conservation movement. As the home of George Perkins Marsh, author of Man and Nature, and Frederick Billings, one of the pioneers of sustainable farming and forestry, Marsh Billings
Rockefeller National Historic Park is the first national park to interpret the evolution of conservation stewardship including history, current practices and future trends.
Vermont has a proud conservation legacy, yet we are still faced with environmental threats on a national level. Over the last few years,
there have been many attempts in Congress and the Administration to roll back
our environmental laws, such as the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and the
Endangered Species Act. Senator Leahy will continue to fight against any and all attempts to circumvent our
Nation's most important environmental legislation.
This special section of the Senator's website is to inform you of environmental issues being debated in Congress
and the work he is doing to
enhance the natural resources of Vermont, from Lake Champlain to the Green
Mountains and the Connecticut River. Thank you for visiting this page.
Leahy is hopeful that by working together, we can promote environmental awareness that is balanced and respectful for future generations. If you have any comments or questions, or would like to see a certain issue posted, please do not hesitate to contact me.
