Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, the Western Caucus Foundation hosted a Field Tour and Policy Discussion in Salt Lake City, Utah, with seven Western Caucus Members, congressional staff, and stakeholders.

Members attending include Executive Vice Chair Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Vice Chairs Pete Stauber (MN-08), John Curtis (UT-03), and Chris Stewart (UT-02), as well as Reps. Burgess Owens (UT-04), Jim Baird (IN-04), and Cliff Bentz (OR-02).

Congressional Western Caucus Members participated in a panel discussion at the American Conservation Coalition's 2023 Summit about the work they are doing in Congress to promote conservation and domestic energy production to an audience of over 200 young activists.

They then toured tour Kennecott Copper Mine to learn about the largest man-made open-pit excavation and the key role it plays in modern life, safe mining practices and responsible environmental stewardship as it produces 99.99% copper, an essential element in today’s infrastructure, manufacturing, and technology.

They finished off the trip with a briefing and an air boat field tour of the Great Salt Lake with the Utah Department of Natural Resources to learn about its unique history and efforts to address the historic drought conditions of the Great Salt Lake as well as the strategic mineral potential of the saline lakes in the Great Basin.