Bill would honor the legacy of former Washington Governor and Senator Dan Evans and his work to protect wilderness areas within the state

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) along with members of the House Washington State Delegation, U.S. Reps. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Reps. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Dennis Heck (D-WA), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Rick Larsen (D-WA), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Dave Reichert (R-WA), and Adam Smith (D-WA) introduced H.R. 5397, a bill to rename the Olympic Wilderness within Olympic National Park as the “Daniel J. Evans Wilderness,” in honor of former Washington Governor and Senator Dan Evans.

Dan Evans served the state of Washington for more than 50 years, including service as a state legislator, governor and United States Senator. During his time in the U.S. Senate, Evans was the lead sponsor of the Washington Park Wilderness Act of 1988 which designated over 1.5 million acres of wilderness areas in Washington, including 877,000 acres within Olympic National Park as “the Olympic Wilderness.”

The Washington State Delegation released the following statement after introducing the bill:

“As a conservationist and an outdoor recreationalist, Sen. Dan Evans understands the importance of protecting Washington State’s natural treasures so they can be enjoyed by future generations. Throughout his distinguished career, he worked tirelessly to preserve our state’s national parks and forests and played a critical role in the passage of the 1984 and 1988 Washington Wilderness Acts. It is only fitting that the name of the Olympic National Park wilderness recognizes the efforts of the man who fought so hard to preserve it.”

Washington State Sens. Cantwell and Murray introduced identical companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.