{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://larsen.house.gov/press-release/key-committee-advances-bill-save-green-mountain-lookout", "Key Committee Advances Bill to Save Green Mountain Lookout", "2013-12-19", "2013", "2013-12", "Democrat", "House", "WA", "Rick Larsen", "L000560", "larsen.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee voted to advance a bill from Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to preserve the historic Green Mountain Lookout in the Glacier Peak Wilderness near Darrington, Washington. Senator Cantwell, a member of the ENR Committee, voted in support of the bill \u2013 which passed the committee by a voice vote.\nThe Green Mountain Lookout Heritage Protection Act (S. 404) now heads to the full Senate for consideration.\nSenators Murray and Cantwell introduced the Green Mountain bill on February 28, 2013. U.S. Representatives Rick Larsen (WA-02) and Suzan DelBene (WA-01) introduced companion legislation (H.R. 908) in the House.\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to have voted today to advance this\u00a0bill to allow future generations to enjoy the historic Green Mountain Lookout,\u201d Cantwell said. \u201cFor 80 years, this scenic lookout has stood atop Green Mountain. Our bill would keep the Green Mountain Lookout where it belongs, for Northwest hikers, historians and outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy. I will keep working with Senator Murray and Representatives DelBene and Larsen to pass this bill into law.\u201d\n\u201cGreen Mountain Lookout is an important part of our state\u2019s history, and it\u2019s cherished by the local community,\u201d Murray said. \u201cI am so pleased this legislation is moving to the full Senate for a vote, and I will continue working to preserve the lookout for future generations.\u201d\n\u201cThanks to the leadership of Senators Cantwell and Murray, today we are one step closer to saving the historic Green Mountain Lookout,\u201d DelBene said. \u201cIt\u2019s time for the House to move forward on the companion legislation and allow a floor vote so we can protect this iconic landmark once and for all.\u201d\n\u201cThe Green Mountain Lookout belongs in one spot: on Green Mountain,\u201d Larsen said. \u201cI applaud Sen. Cantwell\u2019s work to advance this important bill in the Senate, and I look forward to working with Rep. DelBene to get this law passed in 2014.\u201d\nThe need for the legislation arose after a Montana-based group sued the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for using a helicopter and machinery to repair the Green Mountain Lookout. Subsequently in 2012, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington ordered that the USFS needed to move forward with the lookout\u2019s removal.\nDuring World War II the Green Mountain Lookout, located in the Glacier Peak Wilderness within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, served as an early warning station to detect enemy aircraft. Today it is one of only 16 remaining fire lookouts originally managed by the USFS in Northwest Washington.\nThe introduction of the bill followed an unsuccessful legal challenge to the District Court\u2019s decision.\u00a0 Senators and Representatives from Washington had sent a letter in May 2012 to Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, urging the department to use all legal means necessary to preserve the Green Mountain Lookout\u2019s location in the Glacier Peak Wilderness.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://larsen.house.gov/press-release/key-committee-advances-bill-save-green-mountain-lookout"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0339608415961266, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}