|
Washington DC Office:
2263 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
Ph.: 202-225-5161
Fax: 202-225-5163
District Offices:
Marin Office:
1050 Northgate Drive
Suite 354
San Rafael, CA. 94903
Ph.: 415-507-9554
Fax: 415-507-9601
Sonoma Office:
1101 College Avenue
Suite 200
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Ph.: 707-542-7182
Fax: 707-542-2745
|
Legislation & Issues
Below are links to the bills written, introduced and cosponsored by Lynn in the 111th Congress. You may click on the bill number to find the actual status and summary of each legislation.
______________________________________________________________
 | | |
| Environment | | | |
| PROTECTING MARIN AND SONOMA’S UNIQUE ECOSYSTEMS
The natural treasures of Marin and Sonoma counties remind us every day of the beauty and the fragility of our environment. That’s why protecting our local environment is one of my top priorities in Congress.
Here at home, that starts with protecting our beautiful coasts from the threat of offshore drilling. While the Gulf of Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries protect the coast of Marin, most of the Sonoma coast is still vulnerable to oil spills and land based pollution. That’s why I introduced H.R. 223, the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Protection and Modification Act, legislation to permanently protect the entire Sonoma and southern Mendocino Coasts by expanding the existing sanctuaries. Such an expansion will not only protect the incredible biodiversity found in this area, but the thousands of research, tourism, and commercial fishing jobs that depend on it. My proposal passed the House last Congress before stalling in the full Senate, and I am hopeful that I will be able to advance it this Congress and get it signed into law.
In addition to our coasts, I am committed to protecting our local waterways such as the Russian River. Our ability to protect the Russian River and its wildlife will have a lasting impact on our region’s water supply, restoration of threatened salmon and steelhead trout, and the quality of life in the North Bay. That’s why I’m proud to have secured almost $6 million in federal funding for restoring the Russian River watershed and ecosystem. This includes federal funding to restore its tributaries, including the Prince Greenway and the rest of lower Santa Rosa Creek, and to study the Laguna de Santa Rosa for both flood management and wetlands restoration.
While protecting local waterways from pollution, we must also focus on the restoration of local wetlands, 90% of which have already been lost. In recent years biologists have come to understand that the benefits of restoring these areas, including cleaner water in the Bay, as well as the reemergence of native plant and wildlife species.
That’s why I remain committed to the restoration of the San Pablo Bay wetlands, and have supported projects at the Sonoma Baylands and Tolay Creek. In addition, I have supported several other projects vital to restoring our bay wetlands, including the restoration of 600 acres of wetlands at Hamilton Field, and the transfer of 3,500 acres at the former Skaggs Island Naval Base. Last Congress I was able to pass my proposal to accelerate the transfer of Skaggs Island into the nearby San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge as part of larger legislation, and I remain optimistic that the transfer can be completed soon.
Residents of Marin and Sonoma Counties are proud of their local environment, and are committed to working to protect it. You can be sure that I will continue to do everything that I can to make sure that Marin and Sonoma Counties remain national leaders when it comes to environmental conservation and protection.
(updated March 2009) |
|
|
