The natural beauty of the Puget Sound region helps give us the high quality of life we enjoy. My wife, Sara, and I love nothing more than to take our daughter Kendall out for a walk along the water, and we truly value the clean air, beautiful Puget Sound waters, and forests of the Pacific Northwest. In fact, it is this quality of life that has attracted so many businesses and people to our area.

I understand that a strong economy and a safe and healthy environment must go hand in hand. As a Member of the House Resources Committee, I have worked to protect public lands from irresponsible resource extraction, promote land exchanges that make good environmental and economic sense, and develop an energy policy that is forward-thinking and the least disruptive to our environment as possible. I've worked on efforts to clean up the Commencement Bay, to protect wetlands in SeaTac, to fund salmon and habitat restoration, and to support the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge.

I want to leave future generations with an America and a Puget Sound region that is clean, healthy, and continues to provide a quality of life that is second to none.