MIKE FERGUSON ON PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT
In New Jersey, protecting the environment is a bipartisan issue.
As the most densely populated state in the nation, we know the importance of protecting the environment and natural habitats and preserving our open space.
From fighting to ensure our drinking water is safe from arsenic and other harmful contaminants to prohibiting off-shore oil and gas drilling, Congressman Mike Ferguson is a strong champion of protecting the environment.
Protecting New Jersey's Highlands
The Highlands is a 2 million-acre treasure that runs through four states - including 1,000 square miles of hills and forests in northwestern New Jersey. It includes some of the largest areas of open space in the Northeast and reservoirs and aquifers that provide drinking water to millions of people.
The Highlands also is threatened by development.
That's why Congressman Ferguson voted for legislation in the House authorizing $100 million over 10 years for acquisition and preservation of land in the Highlands, which includes portions of Hunterdon and Somerset counties in the 7th District.
Although New Jersey residents are acutely aware of the importance of local issues such as protecting the Highlands, they also share a commitment to protecting the environment beyond our borders, from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska to commercial logging and road-building on national forests.
Blocking Oil Drilling in Alaska
Congressman Ferguson has twice voted to ban oil drilling in ANWR. Groups from the Sierra Club to the National Wildlife Federation congratulated Congressman Ferguson for voting to block ANWR drilling.
Congressional Quarterly reported, "He [Congressman Ferguson] was among only 34 House Republicans who voted to continue the prohibition on drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge."
The League of Conservation Voters, an environmental advocacy group, said, "He [Congressman Ferguson] voted to ban drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and national monuments."
And the New York Times reported, "Mr. Ferguson also spoke out against the Bush Administration's proposal to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge."
Although protecting ANWR is a national priority, Congressman Ferguson also opposed oil exploration elsewhere in the country. He has voted to ban oil drilling off the Florida coast; to ban oil drilling in the Great Lakes; to ban oil drilling off the Southern California coast; and to ban oil drilling on national monuments. He also supported legislation that would prohibit oil and gas exploration off the New Jersey coast.
The Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter singled out Congressman Ferguson for supporting legislation to protect 58.5 million acres of National Forest lands from most commercial logging and road-building.
"We appreciate the strong support from Rep. Ferguson towards this proactive measure, for our families, for our future," the Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter said. "This legislation will help protect natural treasures throughout the country where Americans enjoy hiking, fishing and hunting."
Congressman Ferguson's solid pro-environmental record also caught the eye of the New York Times, which during his first term in Congress in 2002 wrote: "[Congressman Ferguson] joined his fellow Republican, Representative Marge Roukema, the dean of the New Jersey delegation, in sending a letter to the president after his administration reversed itself on placing certain limits on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. Mr. Ferguson also spoke out against the Bush administration's proposal to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - as well as the administration's decision to reconsider a Clinton-era policy that called for cutting the amount of naturally occurring arsenic in municipal drinking water."
Standing Up for Our Environment
Sometimes protecting the environment means standing up to Republican congressional leaders or even President Bush.
"If I think our leaders in the House or President Bush are wrong in advocating policies that would weaken our environment, I have and I will continue to stand up for what is right," Congressman Ferguson said. "As the father of three young children, I believe I have a responsibility to protect our environment, preserve open space and ensure our children and grandchildren inherit an environment that is vibrant and strong."
In addition to opposing the Bush Administration on oil exploration in Alaska, Congressman Ferguson also opposed the White House by voting to maintain the strictest standard for measuring arsenic in drinking water.
Writing about his strong advocacy of the environment, the New York Times reported, "Mr. Ferguson has defied Mr. Bush and House [Republican] leaders on environmental issues in particular."
Congressman Ferguson also has voted to increase the average fuel economy standard (CAFE) for cars and SUVs; urged the EPA to remove cancer-causing PCBs from Hudson River sediment; and pushed for President Bush to implement tougher air pollution regulations for carbon dioxide emissions.
