For immediate release: June 7, 2010

Washington Conservation Voters names Rep. Sharon Nelson (D-34) 2010 Legislator of the Year

Contact:

Clifford Traisman, State Lobbyist, 206-369-2235, clifford@wcvoters.org

Seattle - Washington Conservation Voters, the political voice for the environment, named state Representative Sharon Nelson the 2010 “Legislator of the Year” for her outstanding leadership during the legislative session.

Rep. Sharon Nelson first came to the Legislature in 2008 with the intention to further her previous work on environmental issues, including the protection and restoration of Puget Sound.  She has quickly made a mark in Olympia on that and many other fronts.

“Sharon Nelson’s commitment to the environment is second to none,” said Kurt Fritts, Executive Director.  “Her proven ability to work directly with her colleagues and in collaboration with the environmental community has established her as an effective leader in Olympia.”

Nelson has long been a leader in the fight to save Maury Island from a gravel mine that would have likely destroyed a highly sensitive aquatic reserve and further harmed Puget Sound.  During the 2010 legislative session, she successfully secured $15 million in the state budget to buy the Glacier Northwest gravel pit, thus putting this issue to rest once-and-for-all.

Nelson was also one of the leaders in the effort to pass the environmental community’s Working for Clean Water priority bill that would have increased the Hazardous Substances Tax to pay for addressing stormwater runoff, the state’s and Puget Sound’s number one water pollution problem.

“Sharon Nelson has emerged as one of the Legislature’s strongest environmental champions and possibly the most effective builder of coalitions,” said Clifford Traisman, WCV State Lobbyist. “Her leadership on our environmental community priorities has been critical to nearly all of our recent successes.”

As a leader in the House’s “Blue-Green Alliance” of legislators, Representative Nelson also worked successfully with House leadership and budget writers to ensure that more than $10 million of budget cuts were restored in the final budget, helping to achieve victory on one of the environmental community’s three priorities for this session.

Representative Nelson will be moving to the state Senate in 2011 to continue her work to save Puget Sound and make Washington state a healthier and cleaner place to live.  “Sharon Nelson will be one of the Senate’s strongest environmental champions the day she enters that chamber,” Fritts added.  “We look forward to many great years of partnership with her in this new role.”

Legislator of the Year is WCV’s highest honor, awarded to one state legislator each year. Representative Sharon Nelson will be featured at Washington Conservation Voters’ annual breakfast on October 7^th.

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