Bruce Fischer, Jr., is the kind of guy who reminds us why Republicans for Environmental Protection exists. Bruce proves that it’s possible to be both a diehard Republican and a diehard nature lover.

Bruce serves as a GOP Precinct Committee Officer in his hometown of Aberdeen, Washington... “only a few miles away from Olympic National Park!” he brags.

He’s also a former county GOP secretary and delegate to the 2002 state convention. Nobody who knows Bruce questions his loyalty to the GOP. And yet...

Bruce is actively involved in birding and habitat conservation. He chaired the 2001 Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival and served on the boards of two Audubon Chapters.

Bruce has no problem expressing his feelings for Nature: “What I love doing most is sharing the environment with kids and adults who aren’t aware of what is out there. So when I can, I lead birding field trips, either with a formal group or just with friends of mine or my kids. I also spend a lot of time promoting birding in my rural timber area as an economic benefit (and a fun activity) rather than just the negative aspects they see from the Spotted Owl, Marbled Murrelet, and Snowy Plover ESA restrictions.”

After earning his Bachelor’s degree in business at the University of Washington, Bruce worked for Microsoft as Beta coordinator for the games division. He now works even harder as a full-time stay-at-home dad to Anastasia, 6, and Alexander, 4. His wife, Michele, is Finance and Planning Manager for Weyerhaeuser.

Bruce described for us how he got into environmentalism: “I’ve come a long way. As a business student in college, I was pretty unconcerned about the environment. My first reaction to the Exxon Valdez spill was concern about how much money was lost. Right after college I discovered birding, and the more time I spent looking at birds the more I understood habitats and how they worked and what we were doing to them.”

Under Bruce’s leadership, Washington’s Chapter has reached out aggressively to their GOP, visiting the party chairman and sending every state GOP Member of Congress a copy of Natural Capitalism. Three Washington state representatives and a state senator are members of REP, thanks largely to Bruce’s efforts.

REP is proud to provide a forum through which bright, articulate young fathers like Bruce Fischer can advance the cause of Republican environmentalism.