What is Rep. Ocasio-Cortez doing in Kings Canyon National Park?
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted to her Instagram story Thursday morning a view familiar to many Fresnans and Valley natives: towering Giant Sequoia trees in Kings Canyon National Park.
The Democratic congresswoman from New York dominated conversation in Fresno earlier this summer after the Fresno Grizzlies mistakenly played a video on Memorial Day likening her to dictators. The team apologized, and two Fresno City Councilmembers met her in Washington, D.C. and presented her with Grizzlies gear and invited her to Fresno.
So, will she visit Fresno or make any other Valley stops?
Her congressional staff doesn’t share details about her schedule. The Grizzlies have no plans to meet with her, and Rep. T.J. Cox, D-Fresno, also has no plans to meet with her. Neither does Fresno City Councilmember Esmeralda Soria, who met with Ocasio-Cortez in D.C.
AOC, as the congresswoman is known, shared several videos and photos on Instagram of the forest and giant trees, captioning them with information and comments on climate change. She took a tour of the forest on horseback.
“These are all open to the public… through our incredible national parks system,” she wrote. “This land is a precious resource to the entire world (not to mention all these trees are huge fighters against climate change with their carbon sequestration).
“We often travel far to other countries, but it’s important to remember that the U.S. is home to many of the most magical and stunning natural wonders on planet Earth. And many of them have been preserved under our national parks, forests and monuments for the whole public to enjoy now and for future generations,” she wrote.
This story was originally published August 22, 2019 at 2:04 PM.