Contact: Chuck Porcari (cell: (240) 286-7566) or Mark Sokolove (cell: (703) 599-7656) or (202) 785-8683

WASHINGTON ~³ervation Voters (LCV), the political voice of the national environmental and conservation community, today named Representative Nancy Johnson (R) as a 2004 Environmental Champion in her race for reelection to Connecticut³ 5th district. 

LCV Environmental Champions are candidates who have proven their pro-environment commitment through their substantive action.  LCV supports these outstanding leaders by rewarding them with direct contributions, fundraising, and occasionally running independent campaigns to help ensure they are reelected to Congress as we continue to build America³ pro-environment majority.

�vironmental champion because of her commitment to protecting the health and quality of life of families across Connecticut by fighting for tough clean air standards and protecting open spaces,� Vice President for Policy. �ipled positions on environmental issues such as drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Global Warming as well as her extraordinary work to keep Connecticut a beautiful and healthy place to live.

�he Republican party on the floor of the House fighting to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from drilling. Johnson emphasized this commitment to the Arctic Refuge in a letter to her House colleagues in which she stated that "the Arctic Refuge is the only intact mountain-to-sea ecosystem left in America and should be protected, not exploited.

"Rep. Johnson is working to enforce Clean Air Act standards for midwestern power plants whose drifting air pollution harms the air quality in the northeast. She cosponsored the Climate Stewardship Act, a bipartisan bill to address global warming in a common sense way.

In Connecticut Johnson has successfully worked to protect many of the state³ natural treasures. She introduced bipartisan legislation to designate the Connecticut River as an American Heritage River and also manged to add the lower 40 miles of the Farmington River to the Wild and Scenic River Partnership, a program that protects the character of scenic and historic rivers. Johnson also drafted legislation designating nine towns in the Northwest Corner as the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area. This designation will help the small towns in the valley protect the Housatonic River and its watershed while preserving the area³ unique culture and heritage.

For information on all of LCV³ 2004 Environmental Champions, visit our website.

- 30 �����amily: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 80%">The nonprofit League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is the political voice of the national environmental and conservation community.  LCV, which is not a partisan organization, is the only national organization working full-time to hold Congress and the president accountable for their environmental actions.  For more information, please visit us on the web at www.lcv.org.