Washington, D.C. — In response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address tonight, Senior Fellow Matt Lee-Ashley issued the following statement:
Tonight, President Obama has taken his place in a long line of presidents who have used the bully pulpit to drive needed action to protect our lands, waters, and way of life for our children and grandchildren. With this Congress on track to not protect a single acre of national parks or wilderness, the president is right to use his powers to set aside places that local communities want protected for outdoor recreation and their quality of life.
The president laid out a plan for America to win the long game on energy. He made clear that for America’s energy boom to be sustainable over the long term, we must take bold steps to both cut carbon pollution and better protect lands and waters that are too special to drill. The balanced approach the president described means not only guiding energy development to the right places and to be done in the right ways, but also taking action to protect the forests, parks, and open spaces we want our children and grandchildren to enjoy, untrammeled.
Related resources:
To speak with an expert on this topic, contact Anne Shoup at [email protected] or 202.481.7146.
###