[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 143 (Wednesday, October 5, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 5, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  IN COMMEMORATION OF STEVEN J. YOUNG

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I rise to bring a matter to attention of 
the Senate which is of considerable interest and pride to the people of 
Swanton, VT as well as the family and friends of the late Steven Young.
  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mississippi National Wildlife 
Refuge in Swanton, VT recently dedicated a restored wetland the Steven 
J. Young Marsh. This action was taken in memory of Steven Young, a 
Swanton native and assistant refuge manager of the Yukon Flats National 
Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Steve died in an aircraft accident while 
conducting a moose census on the refuge in November 1992.
  I wish to insert into the Record some materials from the September 10 
dedication ceremony as well as excerpts from letters which were read at 
that time which illustrate the contribution Steven Young made to the 
Fish and Wildlife Service and to the conservation of our Nation's 
natural resources.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

             Program--Dedication of Stephen J. Young Marsh

       Al Zelley, Refuge Manager, Mississippi NWR Welcome and 
     unveiling of sign.
       Eric Goodenough and Skip Thomas, Ducks Unlimited.
       Brian Parkurst--Ben and Jerry's Homemade Inc.
       Father Boucher, St. Amadeus, St. Anne's Shrine.
       Reverend Cindyellen Robinson, Memorial United Methodist 
     Church, Swanton.
       Al Zelley, Refuge Manager.
       Robert Paquin--Aide--Senator Patrick Leahy.
       Al Zelley.
       Presetation in memory of Steven J. Young (letters, 
     photographs).
                                  ____


       Dedication of the Stephen J. Young Marsh, August 17, 1994

       The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Missisquoi National 
     Wildlife Refuge will dedicate the 2-acre Stephen J. Young 
     Marsh on Tabor Road, Swanton, Vermont, at a public ceremony 
     at 1:00 PM on September 10.
       The marsh, once an intermittent wetland, has been restored 
     to a permanent marsh by the construction of a small dike on 
     the north drainage. The marsh provides food, cover and 
     nesting habitat for a variety of wildlife including 
     waterfowl, great blue heron, bittern, snipe, muskrat, raccoon 
     and deer.
       This marsh is being dedicated to the memory of Stephen J. 
     Young, son of Lou Young and the late Barbara Young of 
     Swanton. Steve grew up around the marshes of the Missisquoi 
     National Wildlife Refuge. He was the Assistant Refuge Manager 
     of the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. He 
     died in an aircraft accident while conducting a moose census 
     on the Refuge on November 12, 1992.
       Funding for this project was provided by the U.S. Fish and 
     Wildlife Service and a special donation made by Ben and 
     Jerry's Homemade, Inc., to the Ducks Unlimited MARSH Habitat 
     Restoration Program. MARSH is an acronym for ``Matching Aid 
     to Restore States Habitat.'' The objective of the MARSH 
     program is to compliment the on-going Ducks Unlimited habitat 
     programs in Canada and Mexico through the development, 
     restoration, maintenance, and preservation of waterfowl/
     wetland habitat in the United States, and to create a 
     positive fundraising atmosphere through the acquisition and 
     enhancement of waterfowl/wetland habitat within each State. 
     This reimbursement program provides matching funds and grants 
     to public and private agencies and organizations within each 
     state based on DU's income within that state.
       The public is invited to attend the dedication ceremony. 
     For further information, contact the Refuge at 868-4781.
                                  ____



                                                  U.S. Senate,

                               Washington, DC, September 10, 1994.
     Mrs. Kimberly Young,
     c/o Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge,
     Swanton, VT.
       Dear Mrs. Young: My office was honored to be asked to 
     participate in the dedication ceremony of the Stephen J. 
     Young Marsh, a most fitting tribute to one who dedicated his 
     life to the protection of our nation's natural resources.
       Those of us who bear the responsibility for national 
     conservation policy depend on the efforts of the Fish and 
     Wildlife Service professionals in the field, both for 
     guidance as decisions are made and for perseverance when the 
     laws must be implemented.
       I want you to know that my support for the Missisquoi 
     Refuge and for the National Wildlife Refuge System will 
     remain firm, thanks in no small part to the contribution 
     Steve made.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Patrick J. Leahy.
                                  ____


         Excerpts From Letters Received for Dedication Ceremony

       Gary L. Pearson. * * * I have been acquainted with, and 
     have worked with, scores of people in the wildlife field over 
     more than a quarter of a century, and I have known few with 
     Steve's personal committment and professional integrity. I 
     feel that it is important that we know and remember who Steve 
     Young was, what he did, and what he stood for, and that 
     somehow seems to be appropriately symbolized in the 
     preservation of a marsh in his name.
       Robert G. Green. * * * I am pleased to hear that Steve will 
     be recognized for his significant contribution to the 
     wildlife resource in the United States and to the Fish and 
     Wildlife Service.
       It is entirely appropriate, in my opinion, to dedicate a 
     memorial in Steve's home state of Vermont. I knew Steve for 
     many years, first as a staff biologist with the Ecological 
     Services office in Bismarck, ND and then as assistant refuge 
     manager at Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge in SD. We 
     shared many long evenings working on projects related to the 
     preservation of wetlands in North and South Dakota. 
     Afterwards, whether at the Mirror Bar in Mandan or at Steve's 
     home feeding the ever-present hunting dog, Steve would 
     reminisce about growing up in Vermont and especially about 
     his experiences on the Missisquoi NWR. It was that positive 
     wildlife experience that drew Steve to wildlife biology in 
     college, and to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
       Peter Carrels. * * * My dealings and friendship with Steve 
     began through our mutual concerns about the environment, 
     especially Sand Lake NWR and the James River, in South 
     Dakota. Steve and I consulted with each other on many 
     occasions. We brought different, but complimentary vantages 
     to our struggles to protect the environment: He, as a 
     biologist and as an employee of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
     Service; and me as an environmental activist, often working 
     with the Sierra Club. In my dealings with Steve, I found he 
     stood for integrity and sincerity. Facts, not fabrication 
     were vital to him in his dealings with issues that were 
     controversial. He provided valuable help to those of us 
     outside government. He helped us understand the inner 
     workings of ``bio-politics,'' as he so often referred to it. 
     He generously shared his time and his experience and his 
     expertise. He never sought the limelight, always keeping a 
     low profile, despite his important roles in a variety of 
     environmental issues. He was a public servant of the highest 
     order. I am proud to have known him, and I am a better person 
     for it.
       Scott McLean. * * * The dedication of the marsh is an 
     appropriate epitaph to Steve, especially to those who knew 
     what the ``resource'' meant to him. What Steve was doing at 
     the time of his death personifies what all of us who work for 
     the resource put on the line in order to protect, maintain, 
     and perpetuate the wildlife resource. We strive to learn and 
     understand all that we can by doing the task in which Steve 
     was engaged. Although his loss saddens us and may make us a 
     little more fearful of the work that he was doing and that we 
     often do, we should keep in mind that this is part of what we 
     love about this job and the satisfaction that if we can help 
     improve the resource by learning a little more about it, 
     maybe it is worth the risk. This may sound somewhat 
     idealistic but that little bit of idealism is what keeps the 
     spark in our desire to ``do something for the resource.''
       Erling Podoll. * * * Anyone who knew Steve was aware of his 
     zeal for the proper management of wildlife habitat and most 
     importantly wetlands. He would consider it a worthy 
     memorial--your dedication of a marsh in his honor.
       Ron Shupe. I know Steve would be very pleased about the 
     location of the Stephen J. Young Marsh. His love of the 
     outdoors, of wildlife, and especially wetlands was first 
     begun as a neighbor of yours. He often told me of his early 
     years visiting the Refuge and learning about wildlife and 
     nature. His untimely passing was and is a shock to all of us. 
     But with that sorrow, I also know that Steve is up there 
     smiling down on his wife and children, proud of their doing 
     their best to live up to his expectations. I can think of no 
     greater legacy than what Steve has left us, his love and 
     dedication to wildlife, wetlands, and the environment.
                                  ____

                                                    Tell City, IN.
       To the Family and Friends of Steve: There is no more 
     fitting place for Steve to be remembered than in his beloved 
     home territory, the Mississippi Wildlife Refuge. Steve knew 
     intimately the backwaters, swamps, and woodlands of this 
     area. It was here in this jewel of a natural area that he 
     grew from a child into a young man. It was here where he 
     developed his love of wildlife and the land. It was here he 
     absorbed the lessons of nature, developed his personal 
     values, nurtured his character, and developed a life long 
     passion to dedicate himself to the betterment of wildlife 
     resources. And it was here, no matter where he traveled, and 
     no matter how much he enjoyed his new surroundings, that he 
     longed to be.
       Steve and I spent many hours during our college years 
     pursuing largemouth bass and white-tailed deer around the 
     Swanton area. The most important harvest we realized from 
     treks in the woods, hours in a boat, or time around a 
     campfire was our shared philosophies as we developed our 
     values and beliefs in our soon to be realized profession of 
     wildlife management. Our paths took us on journeys separated 
     by hundreds or even thousands of miles but our kindred 
     spirits were linked through the many of hours spent around 
     the Missisquoi.
       The phone would ring at odd intervals, sometimes several 
     months would go by with no communication. Conversations often 
     began on serious biology stuff, strategy, politics, 
     ramifications of certain decisions or disclosures of an 
     analysis but I do not believe we ever conversed without 
     talking about meeting in the Missisquoi area for ``one more'' 
     adventure. As our careers matured and our lives filled with 
     job and family responsibilities it was always the promise of 
     a trip down the Missisquoi that allowed us to rebond and drop 
     the burdens of mid-life to share once again the anticipation, 
     warmth, and camaradrie two people who care for and respect 
     each other may feel.
       I remember clearly a phone call to request I be best man at 
     his wedding. The excitement and love he felt were obvious. 
     The wedding was to be in North Dakota and they would then 
     come to Swanton where Steve wanted to show his new bride the 
     land around Swanton that meant so much to him. A few years 
     later a call came in about a beautiful new daughter and the 
     pride he was feeling came across the phone. This wonderful 
     new dimension to his life added depth and deepened his love 
     and commitment to his family * * * but we still ended by 
     talking about a trip down the river and into the Missisquoi. 
     Then it was a new son who he couldn't wait to ``take deer 
     hunting in Vermont''.
       Like all old friends we shared hopes, dreams, and 
     speculated on the future. Always we were both in the picture 
     doing what we both enjoyed most. Steve's dream was to retire 
     in Swanton, live on the river and enjoy the beauty and 
     resources of the Missisquoi and surrounding environments. We 
     rush * * * but someday we would again float the peaceful 
     river, enter the almost alien environment of the delta and 
     fish for bass and bullheads. We would once again flush wood 
     ducks and great blue herons, listen to the bullfrogs, swap 
     stories and philosophize over where our lives had taken us 
     and what we had done.
       Events do not often unfold the way we think they should or 
     wish they will. It gives me some sense of peace however that 
     if I am fortunate enough to make it to the winter of my life 
     I will be able to return to the Missisquoi and visit one more 
     time the area my great friend and confidant loved so deeply. 
     I will never doubt Steve's presence in this beautiful piece 
     of Vermont. It is truly fitting and worthy that he be 
     remembered by the dedication of this marsh in his name.
           A Friend Always,
                                                    Jim Denoncour.
                                  ____

                                       Department of the Interior,


                                    Fish and Wildlife Service,

                                   Fairbanks, AL, August 17, 1994.
     Robert A. Zelley,
     Refuge Manager, Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, Swanton, 
         VT.
       Dear Al: All of us on the Yukon Flats and Kanuti National 
     Wildlife Refuge staffs were very pleased to learn about the 
     dedication of the restored marsh on Missisquoi National 
     Wildlife Refuge to our friend and co-worker Steve Young. We 
     believe that dedicating a restored marsh in Steve's memory is 
     particularly fitting because Steve had such a devout interest 
     in and concern for the conservation of wetlands and 
     waterfowl. It is also very fitting that the project was done 
     in Steve's hometown and in cooperation with Ducks Unlimited, 
     since Steve was a loyal and active member of DU.
       Steve accomplished much during his 16 years with the U.S. 
     Fish and Wildlife Service. He received numerous awards for 
     his work with refuges, waterfowl, flood control projects, and 
     the Garrison Diversion Unit in North Dakota. His efforts 
     contributed greatly to the conservation and management of 
     wetlands and National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska and the 
     Dakotas.
       Although, Steve had a relaxed, easy-going demeanor and a 
     very ``comfortable'' personality, he also had bull-dog 
     determination, an eye for details, and a penchant for 
     thorough record keeping (to which Kim can attest). Steve was 
     known as a tireless, dedicated professional who loved the 
     National Wildlife Refuge System and was proud to be an 
     employee of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We know he 
     would be very honored to have his efforts and contributions 
     to wildlife and wetland conservation remembered in such a 
     fitting manner.
       It is nice for us to know that Steve's memory will live on 
     not only in all of us who knew and worked with him, but also 
     in all who visit the Stephen J. Young Marsh.
       We would like to thank you, the rest of Missisquoi staff, 
     Duck Unlimited, and Ben and Jerry's Homemade, Inc. for this 
     very appropriate tribute to Steve. He will always be in our 
     hearts.
           Sincerely,
     Ted Heuer,
                                 Refuge Manager, Yukon Flats, NWR.
     Tom Early,
                                       Refuge Manager, Kanuti NWR.

     

                          ____________________