America’s natural resources are among our nation’s most important and valuable assets. Protecting and preserving our environment should be one of our most important national priorities — for us, for our children, and for generations to come.

Carl Levin believes that one of the best ways to enjoy Michigan’s natural beauty is through its national parks. Carl led the effort to establish the Keweenaw National Historic Park in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. He authored legislation that allowed Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to acquire additional land, including a pristine stretch of Michigan’s Crystal River. And Carl championed the establishment of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve near Alpena, which protects and opens to divers and snorkelers an estimated 116 historically significant shipwrecks. The Sanctuary makes available, in real time, camera coverage of those wrecks for schools and visitors to the new visitors’ center.

In addition, Carl has focused on protecting other lands in Michigan, including the creation of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge and the North Country Scenic Trail.

In 1999, Senator Levin and Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT) co-founded the Senate Smart Growth Task Force, a bipartisan working group of 20 Senators that focuses on sustainable and sensible growth. Carl and members of the task force have introduced many pieces of legislation to restore “brownfields,” protect farmland, support urban parks and recreation areas, and provide tax incentives for commuters who use mass transit.

Carl, who serves as the Senate Great Lakes Task Force Co-Chair, also has been a champion of efforts to protect the Great Lakes. Read more about his efforts to clean up the Great Lakes here.

Finally, Carl also is concerned about the continued import of Canadian waste into Michigan, and is working with colleagues at the local, state, and federal levels to address this problem. Read more about the Canadian trash issue here.