Dear Friend,

On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill directing the Department of the Interior "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Now a century later, countless lives have been touched by the creation of the National Park System and countless more will continue to be impacted as long as we protect our national treasures.

We are blessed to have some of these natural gifts in our state and in our region, including Mt. Rainer National Park and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. There is no better way to celebrate the National Park Service’s centennial than grabbing the family and a daypack and visiting one of our local parks. As part of its 100^th birthday celebration, the National Park Service is also offering free admission to its parks this weekend. Click HERE to learn more!

Over the years, I have been privileged to visit many of our state’s national parks and now as a grandfather there are few things I enjoy more than watching my grandchildren enjoy our region’s many natural wonders. One of my favorite areas is Lake Chelan National Recreation Area in Stehekin. Stehekin is so remote that it can only be reached by boat or on foot, but it is well worth the trip. Here are some of my favorite photos of the park:

Policing Strategies Working Group to Visit Detroit

Several members of the recently formed bipartisan Policing Strategies Working Group and I will be traveling to Detroit, Michigan early next week to meet with local community leaders and law enforcement to discuss police accountability, aggression towards law enforcement, and public safety concerns related to these issues. This is an important step in what will be a long and difficult journey to rebuild relationships between law enforcement and the people they serve in neighborhoods where trust and civility have deteriorated.

We will be holding a press conference at 9:00 am PT on Tuesday, August 30^th. You can watch a live stream of the press conference on the House Judiciary Committee’s Facebook page.

Serving as Chief for a Day

Too often when children are sick we focus on their weaknesses instead of their strengths and their dreams. The Chief for a Day program gives kids with chronic illnesses a chance to clear their mind and take on the role of some of the people in society they admire most. Last week, police departments throughout our region and the state took children who had been nominated for the program for a ride in a police motorcade, gave them a police uniform, and held a swearing in ceremony recognizing them as chief or sheriff. Click HERE to learn more about the program and read the heartwarming story of how Ellie and Spencer of Covington spent their day as chief.

 

Enjoy the warm weather, go visit a national park, and have a great weekend!