As one example, back in 1869 the European Gypsy Moth was brought into the US. Since then, the moth has spread out over half the country, decimating hundreds of thousands of acres of white oak forests.

Unfortunately, the gypsy moth is just one of many invasive species that harm wild places in the country and compete with native wildlife over resources. Not only do they threaten native plants and animals, but they can be a huge economic burden to agriculture, forestry, fish industries and more.

It’s no wonder that currently a Congressional committee is considering legislation that would protect America’s native wildlife and wild places from invasive species. This bill would strengthen our wildlife import laws, which is critical to protecting our native wildlife from future invasive species.

Please speak up for the plants and animals in your neighborhood today by asking your representative to support the Non-native Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act.

This week, many Members of Congress are in their home-districts for the April recess, which offers a wonderful opportunity to stop into your senators’ or representative’s office to meet with them in person and let them know why safeguarding our natural world from global warming is important to you.

Recently, draft legislation to cap the carbon pollution that causes global warming and invest in clean energy technologies was introduced into the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This draft bill will not only repower our economy with millions of new clean energy jobs, but also provides the safeguards necessary to protect our natural world for generations to come. Your Members of Congress need to know that America’s wildlife enthusiasts support this legislation.

I know what you’re thinking: What difference does walking in really make?

Well by now Congressmembers are up to their ears with facts, graphs and charts detailing how strong climate and energy legislation will curb the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming and create millions of new jobs. (And they’re also hearing plenty from the opposition.)

But who they don’t hear from enough is everyday Americans like you and me. If you’re reading this right now, chances are you know how climate change will affect you. For me, hailing from Long Island, New York, I worry about how sea level rises will impact coastal communities around the world.

Visiting your Congressmember’s office sends an unbeatable message. It shows just how much you care about confronting global warming – and that you represent a host of concerned citizens who share your views.

And don’t worry — we know that walking in to your Congress member’s office can seem a bit scary. That’s why we’ve already created resources and tips to support you. So, if you do have a few minutes during these last two days of the April recess, pop by your Congressmember’s office and let them know that you’re there and you care, and you hope they do too!

This week, Congress is discussing the budget resolution, which if passed will provide resources to support programs that protect our air, water, oceans, land and wildlife.

In addition to providing resources that support these programs important for the public health of our communities and the natural heritage of our nation, the budget resolution also includes the tools to make critical new investments in clean energy andsets the stage for the strong climate and energy legislation needed this year to cap the carbon pollution that causes global warming.

Clean energy investments will help to jumpstart America’s economy and safeguard our natural resources, which is why it’s important for Congress to make resources to support these new investments a priority.

With Congress scheduled to cast their final vote on the federal budget this week, please take a moment today to let your senators and representatives know that you’re counting on them to pass a budget that stands strong for people and wildlife.

This historic plan to protect America’s public lands provides the largest expansion of wilderness in fifteen years!

The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act will conserve critical public lands and waters, which provide important wildlife habitats and innumerable recreational opportunities for America’s outdoor enthusiasts.

Specifically, the Act will secure wilderness designation for more than two million acres of public lands, protect thousands of miles of rushing rivers and establish a 26 million acre conservation system – the first new system of conservation lands in the United States in more than 50 years.

Congratulations everyone and thanks so much for all you’ve done to help achieve this historic victory for your public lands!

To learn more about the National Wildlife Federation’s efforts to protect and restore public lands, check out ourpubliclands.org

Wilderness areas like these bring back memories for many people – and they are critical to protecting wildlife.

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives had an important opportunity to conserve and expand some of America’s most cherished landscapes and wild places when they voted on the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act.

The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act is designed to secure millions of acres of wilderness and thousands of miles of rivers. It would also protect wildlife habitats in many parts of the country, including gems such as the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Mt. Hood Wilderness.

And that’s not all…

For all you hikers, birders, or just plain nature-lovers out there: It also permanently establishes a 26-million acre National Landscape Conservation System and adds trails around the country, ensuring that future generations will be able to see and enjoy our country’s majestic wild places.

The unfortunate news is that even though the bill had strong bipartisan support, it ended up falling just two votes shy from passing last week.

But there’s good news!

In the coming days, the U.S. House will have another opportunity to pass the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act.

So, find out how your representative voted on the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act, and then encourage him/her to take this next opportunity to ensure this landmark legislation for our public lands and wildlife can finally become law!

To reduce cars’ effects on rising levels of global warming pollution (not to mention our wallets), California legislators have been working to improve life on the road through state legislation.

If implemented, this legislation would require automakers to reduce the emissions their vehicles produce, encouraging more fuel-efficient vehicles on America’s roads.

Unfortunately, the EPA under the previous administration overruled the state’s decision to enact higher emissions standards than the federal government’s, preventing California — and 13 other states — from working to get cleaner cars and trucks on our roads..

But the story’s not over yet . President Obama recently issued an order demanding the EPA reconsider this decision.

So please take a moment today to urge the EPA to reverse their decision and grant states the rights to implement stronger vehicle emissions standards.

Granting California the right to set stronger auto emissions standards is a critical step to reduce global warming. With 13 other states following California’s lead, this is a great opportunity to get Americans driving cleaner cars, spending less money on gas, and to safeguard the future of our natural world!

In a little over a week, I will become a Congresswoman. Actually, I’ll just be pretending for a day in a mock lobbying session to help train the thousands of college students descending onto Washington for Power Shift 2009.

After learning the lingo of the Hill, students from around the country will deliver a big awakening to Congress, lobbying their decision makers to confront global warming and invest in the clean energies that will work for their future and that of our natural world.

For many of today’s youth, shifting from “dirty” to clean fuels is no abstract concept. As one example, just take a moment to hear from Marisol–who lives near a power plant and sees the impacts on the health of her neighbors and community everyday.

The message is becoming clearer and clearer to a broader audience of Americans: greening our economy helps everyone. And that’s the essential message students will deliver to Congress next week for Power Shift 2009. They’ll also get to do a lot more – attending workshops on wildlife habitats and green jobs or hearing from luminaries such as Nancy Pelosi and Van Jones.

All this excitement in Washington is only a few more days away. And the best news is–it’s not too late to register!

Even if you can’t make it, you can help us reach our goal of bringing 10,000 students to Washington on this historic day by spreading the word to all the students and young people you know!

Researchers tracked the migration habits of 305 species of North American birds and found that half of them now spend the winter at least 35 miles north of where they were 4 decades ago.

According to the report, some–like the purple finch–are now hundreds of miles north of their historic range, while the Carolina wren — the state bird of South Carolina — is now regularly seen in New England.  Think of that: hundreds of miles.  As in, the distance from Washington, DC to Lake Ontario.

Researchers confirm that global warming is the main culprit.

"This is as close as science at this scale gets to proof," said Greg Butcher, Audubon's lead scientist on the paper. "It is not what each of these individual birds did.  It is the wide diversity of birds that suggests it has something to do with temperature, rather than ecology."

Fortunately, by investing in clean energies to reduce global warming, we can slow down these rapid habitat changes.

This is why we need to pass meaningful climate legislation ASAP. As Congress scrambles to sort out the state of our economy, please remind them to protect wildlife as well!

- By Peter LaFontaine.

Environmental conferences take place all the time, but what sets this one apart for me is the chance to see all types of young people with separate interests but a common goal: to take our country's energy economy in a new direction. This year, you'll see high school kids on their gap years and graduate students wrapping up their theses; students from abroad and students who never left the US. They may have different environmental interests, but they all know what's at stake: their futures.

When students gather to discuss global warming at this year's conference on Feb. 27th- March 2, they'll also get a crash course in conservation. They'll discuss how and why some parts of their states are drying, wetlands are shrinking and wildlife species are approaching extinction. They'll strategize on restoring our natural resources for themselves and their children.

Most importantly, they'll be able to pass that knowledge onto their elected officials, urging Congress to make a way for a clean energy economy that they will soon lead – one that will preserve our land and its inhabitants for the future.

Check out the Power Shift blog to hear more about why others are planning on attending — and keep the momentum
going by registering yourself.
More students
and young people have already committed to attend than Power Shift 2007, and I hope to see you there!

Though his statement on Wednesday was short,  Transportation Secretary nominee Rep. Ray LaHood had a lot to say on the big picture of the way we move, declaring that transportation development “must be sustainable” and that we must invest in railroads and mass transit if we want to confront climate change.

With the urgent need to reverse global warming, it’s high time we have infrastructure that works for us and for wildlife. If you haven’t done so, please urge new leaders in Congress to  make rails and trails investments, which both stimulate our economy and conserve natural resources.

And how about taking it one step further? Let’s not forget about walking and biking – the best way to reduce our carbon footprint and experience nature at the same time!