Names to Know in the 110th Congress

For at least the next couple years, these are the folks in charge of committees with oversight of our public lands. If you are interested in the politics of public lands management, you may want to get to know these names, and the people behind them. The future of our parks are at least partially in their hands. Thanks to Wild Wilderness for compiling the list.

Senator Jeff Bingaman (NM) - [wikipedia]
Chairman Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Phone: 202-224-5521

Senator Ron Wyden (OR) - [wikipedia]
Chairman Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
Phone: 202-224-5244

Senator Daniel Akaka (HI) - [wikipedia]
Chairman National Park Subcommittee
Phone: 202-224-6361

Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA) - [wikipedia]
Chairman Interior Appropriations Subcommittee
Phone: 202-224-3841

Rep. Nick Rahall (WV) - [wikipedia]
Chairman House Natural Resources Committee
Phone: 202-225-3452

Rep. Norman Dicks (WA) - [wikipedia]
Chairman House Interior Appropriations Committee
Phone: 202-225-5916

You may also want to check out Rep. Brian Baird (WA) [wikipedia] and Rep. Mark Souder (IN) [wikipedia] who head the bipartisan National Parks Caucus. Baird and Souder are an interesting pair to lead this particular caucus. Baird, a Democrat, disenfranchised his environmental constituency when he co-sponsored a bill with Republican Grag Walden to speed salvage logging, going against the advice of scientists in the field. Souder too is an odd park advocate, the League of Conservation Voters gave him a score of zero during the 109th congress (he voted for more offshore drilling, for drilling in ANWR, and against clean water). I wonder if their proposed National Park Centennial Act will return in the 110th congress, a bill that had been described as the gateway to "a slow motion commercialization of the national park system"