COLUMNS

Protecting Our Environment the New Hampshire Way
By Senator John Sununu R-NH

Last week, activists across New Hampshire marked the 38th anniversary of Earth Day. These celebrations remind us of our responsibility to be good environmental stewards, but at the same time we must recognize that protecting our natural heritage is not a one day event.

Few states match New Hampshire’s admirable record for protecting our water, air, and land for future generations. Conservation is rooted deep in our history: in 1911, the Weeks Act, written by lawmakers from New England, laid the foundation for the White Mountain National Forest. In the ensuing decades, home-grown organizations, such as New Hampshire’s Forest Society, worked closely with state leaders to build a record of protection second to none.

Equally important, New Hampshire’s citizens have always taken a cooperative approach to conservation. Hunting, fishing, hiking, boating, and tourism are essential parts of our state identity, heritage, and economy – and depend on a clean and healthy environment. Whether managing state lands, improving waterways, or protecting the National Forest, stakeholders have come together time and again to establish sound plans for public lands that balance environmental protection with the “multiple use” concept. We honor this tradition of conservation by building upon it, and can do so by making progress three key areas:

• Enforce the Clean Air Act. For too long, New Hampshire’s air has suffered the damaging effects of Midwestern power plants, whose emissions acidify our lakes and cause smog. When the Environmental Protection Agency proposed weakened air standards, I stood up for New Hampshire’s interests and demanded that plants clean their emissions as the law intended.
  
  Courts have since ruled in New Hampshire’s favor, rolling back efforts to let polluters off the hook. We must continue to press to fully implement the so that recent gains in air quality continue.
  
  
• Fulfill the Legacy of the Clean Water Act. Year after year, I have worked with communities across New Hampshire to clean up lakes, rivers, and streams. In Portsmouth, Nashua, Berlin, Somersworth, Jaffrey, and Manchester, we have brought federal, state, and local funds together to upgrade wastewater systems and meet tough clean water standards.
  
  As a result, our watersheds continue to recover from the damage of industrialization which dates from mill boom of the 1800’s. We have more work to do, but today the Merrimack River is cleaner than at any time in living memory.
  
  
• Protect Our Most Sensitive Lands. Since 1914, when parcels were first purchased for the White Mountain National Forest, conservationists across New Hampshire have worked with local officials and economic interests to strengthen the forest while preserving access. This “multiple-use” approach is the cornerstone of our ten-year Forest Management Plan completed in 2005 after an extensive, cooperative, and open process.This Plan has been endorsed by every major conservation group in New Hampshire, including New Hampshire Audubon, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), and the New Hampshire Forest Society. Its recommendations were the basis for the New England Wilderness Act, which I wrote and Congress passed in 2006, providing the strongest possible protection to 35,000 acres of sensitive lands within the Forest.
  
  During the past decade, I have also supported legislation to protect the Lamprey River, fund the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Project, and protect sensitive lands in the Ossipee and Moose Mountain Ranges. We have succeeded each time by listening to New Hampshire’s citizens, and working together to develop balanced solutions.

Unfortunately, not everyone appreciates the value of cooperation. This year, the Sierra Club ignored the wishes of every major conservation group in New Hampshire and filed suit to overturn our Forest Management Plan.

The Sierra Club’s goal is to shut down all timber harvesting in the White Mountain National Forest despite the fact that New Hampshire uses sustainable forestry practices which are essential to maintaining a healthy and diverse forest ecosystem. The State of New Hampshire has joined the AMC, NH Audubon, and the Forest Society in opposing this lawsuit and standing up for New Hampshire’s conservation priorities. I’m proud to stand with them.

And, last week, the Sierra Club attacked me. We shouldn’t be surprised - I don’t endorse its Washington-based approach of lawsuits and partisanship. In New Hampshire, we don’t need to be instructed on how to respect, protect, and restore our environment.

Everyone in New Hampshire should be proud of our state’s unique history and record of environmental protection. Whether the issue is clean air, watershed protection, or land conservation, I am proud to stand for New Hampshire’s environmental interests and will continue to represent them in the United States Senate.

U.S. Sen. John Sununu is a Republican from Waterville Valley.