Quigley Concludes Climate Change Tour of Olympic National Park

This week, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), Co-Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), concluded his Climate Change Tour of Olympic National Park. Quigley led five members on a two-day tour of the park, during which they learned about the significant impacts of climate change on Olympic and all of the Pacific Northwest. Quigley was joined by U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-6), Katie Porter (CA-47), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Annie Kuster (NH-02).

“I have visited nine parks across the United States, from Denali in Alaska to Acadia in Maine, and have seen firsthand how our parks are fairing against climate change. Few trips have been more eye opening that this tour of Olympic National Park,” said Quigley. “Olympic is home to some of our nation’s most captivating glaciers and as a result of rapidly warming temperatures, they are disappearing right before our eyes. As they melt, the ecosystems within them struggle to survive, causing ripple effects across the country. We also witnessed how warming temperatures and rising sea levels are influencing not only marine life, but the native tribes that have called the Olympic Peninsula home for hundreds of years. Congress must continue to address climate change and help ensure Olympic and all of our National Parks continue to thrive amidst this pressing threat. If we don’t act, generations of Americans after us will be left wondering why we failed them and why we failed to protect our national treasures from climate change.”

“A critical part of my job is to elevate the issues important to our region – so it was an honor to host Members of Congress from the Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition at Olympic National Park and on the Olympic Peninsula to talk about some of the unique challenges and opportunities facing Northwest Washington,” said Rep. Kilmer, whose district encompasses Olympic National Park. “Our region is seeing firsthand how climate change is impacting public lands and putting local economies at risk. From highlighting tribal communities moving to higher ground because of rising sea levels, to the work being done to protect the environmental health of Olympic National Park, it was valuable to showcase the impacts of climate change on our region to Members of Congress who focus on these issues and serve on key committees back in DC. I’m grateful to my colleagues who took the time to visit our neck of the woods and hear from local community leaders, park officials, tribes, and environmental advocates.”

During his Climate Change Tour of Olympic, Quigley and his colleagues not only saw the impacts of climate change on our National Parks, but also learned from the National Park Service about the tactics they have deployed to combat the effects of climate change, the measures that could be implemented going forward to help adapt to coming climate impacts, and how they are effectively communicating this to the public.

Photos and videos from Quigley’s Climate Change Tour in Olympic are available HERE.

Quigley has previously visited Rocky Mountain National Park, Everglades National Park, Indiana Dunes National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Shenandoah National Park, Acadia National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Denali National Park. Quigley leads these visits to raise awareness around the threat of climate change and to take important lessons back to Congress that will inform his work to protect our national treasures for generations to come.