Thank you Rep Norm Dicks for a long history of standing up for wildlife and the environment!

Representative Norm Dicks has announced that he is retiring. Rep. Dicks represents the 6th district in Washington State and is the current ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee and has a strong history of standing up for wildlife and the environment.

Some of the issues he has stood up for over the years:

Salmon in the Pacific Northwest

A salmon returning to spawn. Photo by: Bryn Fluharty
Salmon are an important part of the culture, economy and ecology of the Pacific Northwest. Rep. Dicks understands the importance of West Coast salmon runs. He was a leading proponent of the Salmon Recovery Funding Board which has provided millions of dollars in grants to help protect salmon in Washington State.

Keystone XL
In the past year the National Wildlife Federation along with many other environmental organizations and politicians have fought against the dangerous Keystone XL pipeline. This pipeline would bring oil from the tar sands fields in Alberta, Canada across 2,000 miles of US land to the Gulf Coast.Rep Dicks recognized the threats posed by the pipeline and voted against it. This vote stood up for wildlife and the environment.

Floodplains

A healthy floodplain along the Green River in WA. Photo by: Bryn Fluharty
In 2011 Rep Dicks voted to take the first steps towards reforming the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Development in floodplains harms important habitat for salmon and other species while also putting people in harms way from flooding. The National Wildlife Federation is currently working hard to protect floodplains in areas like Puget Sound to protect our salmon and communities.

Gulf Coast Restoration
Rep. Dicks has supported funding for the restoration of the Gulf Coast. In 2011 Rep. Dicks voted to boost funding for the coastal Louisiana restoration projects by $1 million. This funding would have provided additional funds for the restoration of wetlands, fish and wildlife in the Gulf Coast region. While in the end these funds were not included in the omnibus appropriations bill, H.R.2055 we applaud the Rep. Dicks for voting in support of this amendment.

The National Wildlife Federation is sad to see Rep. Dicks retire but is grateful for all of his hard work to help protect our nation’s wildlife and wild places and hope to see our state representatives continue his strong and dedicated legacy.