Hello Friend,

Today is Earth Day, a global celebration encouraging responsible stewardship of the planet’s natural resources! Whether in your backyard, a neighborhood green space or our wonderful Genesee County parks, it is a great day to get outside to enjoy nature and take some time to help preserve our planet!

From a young age, I’ve loved the outdoors. My grandparents had a small cabin up north I got to visit every year. Some of my fondest memories of my grandfather are the two of us fishing for salmon and steelhead. My father taught me to bird hunt, making sure I understood the respect and commitment that our environment deserves. I’m working to pass on those values to the next generation by working in the garden with my daughter, taking family fishing trips, and teaching about the wonderful natural environment we’re lucky to call home.

I value conserving our environment and making sure that Michigan always has wild places for our residents to explore. Fighting to fund the creation of Genesee County’s first state park, advocating for stronger clean air and water standards, and supporting the cleanup of old industrial sites in our community are just some of my top priorities in Lansing. I voted to support the fiscal year 2022 budget supplemental that included over $30 million for the creation of Genesee County’s first state park, located at Chevy Commons in Flint. This money doesn’t come from our local parks or governments, and the state of Michigan is responsible for upkeep on the park.

I know the duty that rests on our shoulders to give back to nature just as much as we take. This Earth Day, I’m making plans to continue to preserve and protect Michigan’s natural resources. I hope I can count on you to do your part too. Consider taking a look at some of the Earth Week activities still going on this weekend by visiting the Genesee County Conservation District webpage here.

Thanks for listening,

John.

P.S. — In case you missed it, I was named the Ducks Unlimited 2021 Legislator of the Year, partially due to my work to conserve our wetlands and my first public act of this year: House Bill 4050 (Public Act 33) of 2021. I’m looking forward to continued partnership with Ducks Unlimited and other fantastic conservation organizations in our community!