Press Releases

Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright introduced the Safeguarding America’s Future and Environment (SAFE) Act, legislation that would safeguard the country’s natural resources from the increasingly harmful effects of climate change.  U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and then-Senator from Montana Max Baucus introduced the legislation in the Senate.

“Climate change poses an immediate and long-term threat to the natural resources and environmental landscape that many local communities depend on for a livelihood.  In Pennsylvania alone, outdoor recreation generates $21.5 billion in annual consumer spending and supports 219,000 jobs,” said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC).  “This legislation will proactively develop a climate change adaption plan to protect our lands and waters, such as the Delaware River and Pocono Mountains, from a changing climate.”

The bill would require federal natural resource agencies to plan and implement a long-term national climate change adaptation strategy in coordination with state, local, and tribal governments.  Additionally, the bill would encourage the development of state-specific adaption plans. 

“From the beaches of Rhode Island to the waterways of Pennsylvania, natural ecosystems provide healthy air, clean water, and recreation.  Climate change threatens to rob us of these essentials,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “While we must take steps to avoid the worst effects of climate change, we must also begin to adapt, and secure our natural resources against the changes we can no longer avoid.  I thank Rep. Cartwright for introducing the SAFE Act in the House, and I look forward to working with him on this crucial legislation.”

19 environmental organizations have endorsed the legislation, including the American Rivers, Conservation Hawks, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Endangered Species Coalition, League of Conservation Voters, National Parks Conservation Association, National Wildlife Federation, Outdoor Alliance, Outdoor Industry Association, Restore America’s Estuaries, Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land, The Wilderness Society, The Wildlife Society, Trout Unlimited, Wildlife Conservation Society, and World Wildlife Fund.

“Kudos to Representative Cartwright for standing up for our nation’s vital natural resources and the communities that depend on them,” said Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark.  “The SAFE Act recognizes the immense benefits of our treasured wildlife and habitats and provides a road map for their stewardship in the face of a warming planet.  Representative Cartwright’s introduction of the SAFE Act today is a step towards a better future for wildlife, the economy and our nation as a whole.”