Congressman Sherwood Boehlert Announces Retirement

Statement by Rodger Schlickeisen, President of Defenders of Wildlife

(3/17/2006) - Washington, D.C. -- "Sherwood Boehlert has been a unique and powerful champion for conservation for more than two decades. A courageous and bold leader, he was recently recognized by Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund as a "Wildlife Hero" for the leadership he showed in opposing both the dismantling of the Endangered Species Act and attempts to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

"Rep. Boehlert lives by a philosophy that conservation is our best option for securing a bright future for our children. This philosophy has guided him as a leader on some of the most important conservation issues of our time, including protecting imperiled wildlife, conserving our valuable national forest and refuge lands including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, finding new ways to conserve energy, and taking steps to deal with the overwhelming challenge of global climate change.

"Rep. Boehlert has been a stalwart leader during a time when his own party’s congressional leadership has led the way in attempts to weaken some of our nation’s most valuable conservation laws. It takes a strong constitution to stand up to the pressures of one’s own party leadership time and again. Thanks to his courage, other Republicans have found their own voice on conservation.

"Like an earlier New York Republican, Teddy Roosevelt, Rep. Boehlert has always been willing to fight the good fight for a cause he believes in. It almost seems like Roosevelt was talking about Mr. Boehlert when he said "… who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly."

"Rep. Boehlert has been a true champion for conservation. His leadership on these issues will surely be missed."

###

Defenders of Wildlife is recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 490,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on endangered species issues.

###

Contact(s):

Cindy Hoffman, (202) 772-3255