Haugen’s leadership earns high rating from Sierra Club

OLYMPIA – Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, has received a 20-point rating for her work on environmental issues in 2005 from the Sierra Club’s Cascade Chapter.

Legislators can receive up to 20 points for support of club positions. Additional points are awarded for showing leadership on issues or subtracted for supporting legislation the club opposes.

“I’ve worked hard to help retain our area’s rural character, and I will continue to,” Haugen said. “It’s a never-ending battle, but it’s a battle worth fighting.”

Haugen’s efforts during the current legislative session have included measures to make it easier for farmers to voluntarily improve conditions around critical areas, such as wetlands and streams, and to insulate existing farms from the costs of regulations intended for new development or changes in land use.

“There’s a myth that the interests of farmers and environmentalists are mutually exclusive,” Haugen said. “Far from it. Once you realize they’re working toward the same ends, you can help them get there in a way that doesn’t put the farmer’s livelihood at risk.”

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