Press Release - Governors Discuss Western Issues
OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008
CONTACT:
Evan Dreyer, 720.350.8370, evan.dreyer@state.co.us
GOVERNORS DISCUSS WESTERN ISSUES ON 'MEET THE PRESS'
JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. -- In an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" today, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal discussed the upcoming presidential race, the pressing need for a federal energy policy and a number of other issues facing the West and the nation.
With increasing pressure to drill for more oil and gas on public lands in the West, the governors emphasized the need for a balanced, thoughtful federal energy policy that includes diverse sources such as traditional fuels, renewables, conservation and efficiency, and an infusion of funding for research into clean coal and other technologies.
In the wide-ranging interview, taped Saturday night and aired this morning, host Tom Brokaw described the West as a region that is emerging as a new political battleground. The governors emphasized the need for bipartisan cooperation and pointed to the Western Governor's Association as an organization where Republican and Democratic governors work in concert to achieve policy goals.
The annual WGA conference is being held in Jackson Hole Sunday through Tuesday.
Wyoming and Colorado are among other states in the region that are struggling to achieve a balance between wildlife conservation and energy resource development. In order to ensure the future of the West's wildlife herds, more attention must be paid to wildlife migration corridors, the governors said.
During a discussion of the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Denver, Ritter said the event will be the greenest convention since the invention of electricity. Powered by renewable energy and supported by recycled and reuseable materials, the meeting is an opportunity to show the nation how it might fundamentally change how it uses energy, Ritter said.
Today's "Meet the Press" will re-air at 4 p.m. this afternoon on MSNBC. A netcast and transcript also will be posted on NBC's website. Click here to go directly to the Meet the Press web page.
A higher-resolution version of the above photo is available by clicking here.