The beauty is all around us

Happy Earth Day!

I know it sounds cliche, but sometimes we forget to stop and smell the roses (and when you live in Portland, you cannot miss the roses). On this Earth Day, let's all take a moment to celebrate the beauty of our great nation.

In my home state of Oregon, there's no shortage of natural wonders to lift your spirits. I'm really lucky to live in a state with some of the most breathtaking wild places in the country.

While I may have a personal bias for Oregon's natural beauty, every state in the country can boast its own amazing wild places. I'm sure you have a favorite place you like to hike or swim or birdwatch in your area!

But far too often, our wild places are taken for granted. That's why I've been fighting to preserve and protect public lands in Oregon and around the country. I'm also working to expand protections for our waterways, including adding wild and scenic protections for 4,700 additional miles of rivers and streams in Oregon.

Here is a picture of the Rogue River, one of the rivers I'm working to protect from overdevelopment:

On this Earth Day, let's recommit to the fight to be good stewards of our environment. We must ensure that future generations can enjoy all of the wild and scenic beauty we've been blessed with all of our lives.

Ron