Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today released the following statement in celebration of Earth Day.
“In Colorado, we pride ourselves on our clean air, clean water, abundant wildlife and scenic vistas. We’re lucky to live in a state with so much natural beauty and opportunity for outdoor recreation. Earth Day reminds us that we must continue to act as responsible stewards of these resources so they are here for our kids and grandkids to enjoy.”
This year, Bennet has led efforts in Congress to extend the wind energy production tax credit (PTC) to green our energy mix and provide cleaner air for Colorado and the nation. The wind PTC also helps drive economic growth throughout the clean energy industry in Colorado. He led eight of the nine members of the Colorado Congressional delegation in a bipartisan letter calling for extension of the tax credit and later introduced a bipartisan amendment with Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), cosponsored by Senator Mark Udall, to extend the PTC. He has also partnered with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Udall to introduce the American Energy and Job Promotion Act, a bipartisan bill to extend the PTC for wind and several other renewable energy technologies.
Last month, Bennet pushed leaders of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee responsible for agriculture to provide robust funding for the private land conservation programs authorized in the farm bill. These programs are crucial tools that support voluntary, cooperative efforts to protect water quality, conserve soil, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect sensitive land.
Bennet has also led the charge to protect our treasured public lands in Colorado, like Chimney Rock and the Hermosa Creek Watershed.