Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have fought hard for legislation that safeguards wildlife and habitat and protects our public lands for our children and grandchildren. Using my position on the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior and Environment, I have championed full and increased funding for programs that work toward those ends.

I have also worked with some of my collegues to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) from oil and gas drilling. The Refuge consists of 19 million acres of pristine land in northeast Alaska. Opening ANWR to drilling would devastate local wildlife while providing resources that would only last the equivalent of 6 months to two years at current US consumption rates.

Closer to home, I have been a strong supporter of the Silvio O. Conte Wildlife Refuge. In 1991, the President signed the Conte Refuge into law to study the entire 7.2 million-acre Connecticut River watershed and create a national fish and wildlife refuge to conserve, protect, and enhance the region's fish and wildlife and their habitats. Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have helped the Refuge secure millions of dollars to acquire additional land for conservation.

In 2003 and 2005, I co-authored legislation to create The Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area. This bill, which was signed into law on October of 2006, created a National Heritage Area covering nine towns in Northwestern Connecticut and 20 towns in Southwestern Massachusetts. Heritage Area designation officially names the region as part of the National Park Service system and authorizes up to a total of $10 million to preserve the area's unique heritage and to protect its environment and local economy.

Also, in the 111th Congress, I introduced two land conservation bills in the House which have been signed into law.

The first is designation of the Freedom's Way Heritage Area, which will assist with preservation efforts in 45 historically rich communities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

The second is the New England Scenic Trail Bill which would amend the National Trail System to designate the Monadnock, Metacoment and Mattabesett (MMM) Trail System as the New England National Scenic Trail. Scenic Trail designation will qualify the MMM Trail System for federal funds for preservation and upkeep. Additionally, the trail system will be extended roughly 30 miles, to a total of approximately 220 miles, to create a continuous span of protected trails stretching from Long Island Sound in the south to Mt. Monadnock in the north.