News Release — Vermont Conservation Voters
February 3, 2017
Contact:
Lauren Hierl, Vermont Conservation Voters Political Director, lhierl@vermontconservationvoters.org
Montpelier, VT – State Senator Brian Campion and Representative Amy Sheldon received the Vermont Conservation Voters (VCV) Environmental Rising Star Award at a reception at the Vermont State House this week. Both legislators were awarded this honor because of their strong leadership on environmental issues during the 2015-2016 legislative session.
“Vermont Conservation Voters thanks Senator Brian Campion and Representative Amy Sheldon for their impressive leadership on environmental priorities including climate change, clean water, healthy forests, and protecting people from toxic chemicals. We believe both Brian and Amy have a bright future as environmental leaders in the Vermont State House,” said Lauren Hierl, political director of Vermont Conservation Voters.
As a new member of the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee, Senator Brian Campion (Bennington) demonstrated strong leadership on a number of issues affecting the health of Vermonters and our environment. When the toxic chemical PFOA was discovered in the water supplies of nearly 200 of his constituents, he swiftly stepped up to help respond to this crisis locally, while advancing policies to prevent other similar crises from happening across the state. Sen. Campion also authored a climate change resolution to ensure the state keeps moving forward on its commitment to climate action, and worked hard on forest protections, water quality legislation, and other key issues.
Senator Brian Campion said, “I’m honored to be recognized as an environmental leader. I look forward to continuing to fight on behalf of all Vermonters to make certain people have clean water, are protected from harmful chemicals, and that we leave our planet healthier for the next generation. It’s on the behalf of my constituents whose lives have been impacted by PFOA contamination that I accept this award and it’s their situation that I am committed to fixing and preventing from happening to any other Vermonters.”
Rep. Amy Sheldon (Add-1), in her first term as a member of the House Committee on Fish, Wildlife, and Water Resources, consistently put forward creative ideas informed by her years of experience working on challenging conservation issues. In particular, she worked hard to develop policies to help the state clean up and protect our lakes, rivers and streams, better protect our most vulnerable plant and animal species, and identify new tools to ensure we maintain healthy forests into the future.
Her professional life has been dedicated to environmental issues, from her work as a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) instructor to running her own consulting firm, Landslide Natural Resource Planning. Her expertise shines at the State House, where she understands the real-world practical implications of developing and implementing natural resource solutions, while also understanding what it takes to run a small business in the state.
Representative Amy Sheldon said, “It’s an honor to receive this award. Vermont’s environment is the foundation of our quality of life and our economy. We all deserve clean air, clean water and open spaces. I look forward to continuing to work hard on behalf of all Vermonters to insure that we clean up our waterways and protect the natural systems upon which we all depend.”
Each legislative biennium, Vermont Conservation Voters presents one member each of the Vermont House and Senate with the Environmental Rising Star Award in recognition of their emerging leadership on environmental issues.
For more information, www.vermontconservationvoters.com or follow us on facebook.com/VermontConservationVoters and Twitter @VoteGreenVT and @Lauren_VCV