Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2006

One of the great things about moving some place totally different is the thrill of seeing new places, meeting new people, and having new experiences. Moving from Washington to Pennsylvania has been a great adventure, and it’s really only just begun.

I started looking into Pennsylvania’s government and representatives as soon as we decided on moving. Admittedly, I still write to Washington State Senators Murray and Cantwell whenever I write to Pennsylvania Senators Specter and Santorum. I guess I still feel like I have their ear, being from Washington originally.

Here is something from Cantwell’s work that I hope you will all take a moment to read, and if interested, support:

Senator Maria Cantwell’s Websites:
http://www.cantwell.com/

http://cantwell.senate.gov/

From the office of Senator Maria Cantwell:

For the past six years the Bush administration has waged a war on the environment. Cloaked in Orwellian names such as "Clear Skies" and "Healthy Forests," George Bush has slowly undone thirty years of environmental protections. Just last winter the Senate Republicans launched a renewed attack on the Arctic national Wildlife Refuge.

Now George Bush has set his sights on our last, untouched forests. The Bush Administration has reversed existing protections and is opening over 58 million acres of untouched forests across the United States to development. Only by working together can we stop this destruction of this national treasure.

Last Thursday, I introduced the Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2006. This bill would block the Bush administration's attempts to open these 58 million acres of pristine, roadless forest by permanently protecting them against logging and road building. I need you to join me in this fight. This week, I will be asking my fellow senators to cosponsor the legislation and today I ask you to join me as a citizen co-sponsor of the Roadless Area Conservation Act.

Add your name as a citizen co-sponsor to this important legislation now.

Sincerely,

Maria Cantwell

There are many things you can do to help support this legislation. Here are just a few ideas:

- Sign online at Maria Cantwell's website to be a citizen co-sponsor of this legistlation

- Write to your congress women and men

- Share this information with others

- Visit our National Parks, and see for yourself just how beautiful, wondrous, and important America's wild places are for everyone.

Parks of the Poconos

We explored many a state park around the Poconos. You’ve seen a little of Tobyhanna, and today I’m sharing a few more images. The top image may well be my favorite image from the entire weekend! In this and the two subsequent images by the frozen Tobyhanna Lake, you can see just what an improvement my new camera provides! I’ve never been able to successfully zoom in and capture such close-up detail as this!

The last two images are from Hickory Run State Park. Hickory Run is loads of fun – there is a lot to see and do there, and there are some unique features, including the “Boulder Field.” The Boulder Field is the result of glacial stresses acting on nearby rock formations. As the glacier put pressure on the rock faces, boulders cracked off and rolled down to settle in this “field.” The field is over 400 feet by 1800 feet, and over 12 feet deep! According to the information panel near the site, this field has remained essentially unchanged for over 10,000 years.

The image of the creek is actually a piece of the Sand Spring Run, one of many waterways in the Hickory Run State Park. I could have sat next to it all day and just listened!