Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-6th District, faced a relentless crowd Monday as he fielded questions on forest conservation, the environment and global warming.
His audience: about 100 Forest Middle School sixth-graders who had contacted him earlier this year through letters they wrote in their life-science class.
It was the first of four stops Goodlatte made Monday throughout the 6th District, which includes Lynchburg and parts of Bedford and Amherst counties, among other localities.
“Our job is to write laws for our country,” he told the students while introducing himself. “One of the areas that we have to deal with is to make sure that we protect the environment.”
Rather than giving a “long lecture,” he decided to take questions from the children who had inspired his appearance.
Students asked several questions regarding the effect of roads and construction on trees in national forests.
“Our goal is to protect the forest so they are there for us to use forever,” Goodlatte said, explaining that residents enjoy visiting national forests for activities such as hunting, camping, biking or bird watching.
“It’s a balancing act.”
After answering eight questions over about 30 minutes, Goodlatte pointed to a final raised hand.
“What’s your thought on global warming?” asked student Caleb Golding.
“It’s a very important issue but it’s one that we don’t know as much about as we need to,” Goodlatte answered.
Although people still debate the cause of global warming, he said, individuals can take small steps to reduce their impact, such as by turning down the heat in their home and wearing a sweater.
Life-science teacher Maggie Marsh, who organized the letter-writing effort, said she thought Goodlatte’s appearance was a lesson for the children in learning how to impact local and state government.
“Even though you’re a kid, your voice matters,” she told the group.
Goodlatte made three other stops around the 6th District on Monday. Later in the morning he discussed the federal stimulus package with the Amherst County Board of Supervisors.
He said that stimulus money must be used to create new jobs, although the board may still have to lay off some current employees to stay within budget.
“We’re all still learning everything that is in this package,” Goodlatte said.
